Altered Zones

Prince Rama have an LP coming out this October on Paw Tracks, and we can't get enough of its monumental opener. According to band members Taraka and Nimai Larson, "Rest in Peace" is dedicated to their grandmother, who departed from this plane this past February. It's a blast of energy and forward momentum, channeled through the sisters' signature blend of muscular polyrhythms and call-and-response vocals that make Bollywood sound rock 'n' roll. The track premiered on Pitchfork yesterday, but it made its IRL debut this past Saturday, at the half-defunct Brooklyn DIY venue Market Hotel. Following a rooftop yoga session courtesy of Cosmic Yoga, the girls released 30, 3-inch mini-CDR singles into the sky via helium ballons, taking the idea of a release party so literally that it was hard to know whether to chuckle or chew solemnly over the experience of letting-go. Below, Taraka's describes the happening in her own words:

"The whole process of 'releasing a single' doesn't really feel like anything. We wanted to make an event out of it, to make the actual release something tangible. I'm very analog in my thinking. I felt like the cathartic release of the balloons was like sending [Grandma] off.  This was an unplanned feeling, the connection between the balloons and my Grandma didn't even occur to me until after they were in the air." --Emilie Friedlander, Altered Zones

MP3: Prince Rama: "Rest In Peace"

Trust Now drops October 4th on Paw Tracks in CD, LP, and digital formats