Music > Interviews
Prince Rama
26/04/16
The Larson Sisters, originally from a Hare Krishna commune and lately of Brooklyn make music that is beyond comprehension. Inspired by visions, extreme sports and Zen, they have to be seen to be believed. I spoke to Taraka about their Now Age concept ahead of their show at Norwich Arts Centre as part of Norfolk & Norwich Festival this month.
Tell me about the story behind your Now Age concept.
The concept is simple. If you are at a computer, take a moment to feel your fingers on the keys. Listen to the sound they make. Feel the weight of your body pressed against your seat. Feel the temperature of the room on your skin. Are you listening to music? Close your eyes and hear it like you are listening to your name being called for the first time. That is all.
You’re sisters – have you always made music together?
Music or puppet shows or choreographed dances, or whatever. We grew up in a tiny town in the middle of Nowhere, Texas with no TV so we had to keep ourselves occupied somehow.
You grew up in a Hare Krishna commune. How has that style of music and community affected your subsequent work?
The music within the Hare Krishna philosophy is very community-oriented - that is to say there is no real distinction between performer and audience, only call and response. The songs (or mantras) are living organisms that change and mutate according to those participating in it. There is no beginning or ending to these songs. Everything is very cyclical. I look at pop songs as a means of slicing up the Eternal Song that has no beginning or ending and presenting it in little digestable chunks.
There is also a belief within the Hare Krishna philosophy that through song, a portal is created between human and divine. I guess you could say we look at Prince Rama shows as experiments in creating these mini sonic portals to experience something supernatural and beyond ourselves. I think the community aspect of our music is very important as well, and that is something that has stuck with us from our childhood.
With so much music produced, where would you suggest a beginner should start listening to Prince Rama?
Hmmm... maybe just spread all our records out in a field, put on a blindfold and start spinning until you fall down. Whichever one you fall near is the one you should listen to first.
You’ve released six albums thus far. What’s new with the latest one, Xtreme Now? What is the manifesto behind it?
We wanted to be the first ones to make an Extreme Sports genre. There are jock jams, surf rock, and maybe it could be argued that there is a "skate punk." But what about music for skiing? Or snowboarding? Or base jumping? Or Motocross? Or hang-gliding? I think there is a serious void as far as music is concerned for extreme sports. If you look up extreme sports videos on YouTube, most likely they will be scored by some lame dubstep or a totally thoughtless Sublime-tribute band. Extreme sports athletes are performing such insane death-defying feats that the music needs to reflect that same physical and metaphysical intensity. This is where Xtreme Now comes in. The core essence is this idea that Extreme Sports are like the most extreme application of the Now Age, the most fuck-all form of zen meditation. It's like Ram Dass on speed - "Be here now, or die".
I understand you were inspired by extreme sports following an experience in Estonia. What happened there then?
I had a bit of a near death experience and in that state a vision came to me of extreme sports merging with high art. I saw unicorn tapestries stretched across half-pipes and people jumping off cliffs with the Mona Lisa smiling up from their parachutes. It was beautiful. I saw a future-now where speed and aesthetics merged together to form the ultimate art form. I wanted to make music that could be the score for that.
Do you know anything about our city, Norwich?
I hear there are some giant brutalist ziggurat structures out there.
You’re from Brooklyn. What are the vibes like where you live?
Very noisy.
Are you playing any festivals this year? Who would be your dream headliners?
A few, yes. Dream headliners would be Beethoven, Hildegard Von Bingen, Kate Bush, and the Jesus and Mary Chain circa 1986.
What’s next for Prince Rama?
Skydiving.
Prince Rama play at Norwich Arts Centre on 28th May as part of Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Tickets available from norwichartscentre.co.uk