RAN- RAN

ARTIST: RAN

ALBUM: RAN

LABEL: Decadance Records

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 6-20-07

The beats on RAN's self-titled album are classic trip-hop, but you're not likely to hear it in the background at your local hipster coffee shop. Mellow though programmer Giorgio's arrangements might be, it's Romina's eerily girlish vocals that make the Italian duo's sound so unique. While the layers of her voice on "Oxygen" are quite pretty, the sinister and wavering layers of voice and string loops on "Collyrium" are delicately creepy, while "Kaliyuga" is darkness incarnate, using back-masking and other effects to transform Romina's flirtatious chanteuse into malevolent demoness. "Anatomy" is like a darker version of The Cranes, with deep bass lines providing contrast to helium-voiced crooning, while "Foggy" takes things in a more exotic direction with otherworldly ululations and twanging tones in weird tunings. "Call" is similarly mysterious, with Romina's mournful vocal acrobatics calling to mind Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard while Giorgio's drum 'n' bass grooves keep things grounded in the here and now. RAN is less rave than witchcraft, so don't be fooled by the head-nodding grooves; fans of such dark down-tempo acts as High Blue Star and Collide, however, ought to enjoy this quite a bit.

Visit RAN at http://www.decadancerecords.it/ran/.