RAS –  Rhythmic Altered State

Modern man runs ahead of time. Disconnected from his body, he pushes his head forward and thinks of the future. Is there a way back, a way to reconnect? Man’s connection to himself and his own peace are his rhythms and beats. His heartbeat, his walk, the twinkle of his eye, the structure of his day. Rhythm is pulse, is vibration and cyclical, periodical, epochal formations. Rhythm is a universal language, a golden key to infinity. To let go and completely dissolve in a rhythmic structure is one of the most joyful and equally challenging adventures for Robert Galic aka RAS.”The more you are able to open up and give in to it the further it will carry you”, he states. The youngest episode on this journey is the recently released debutalbum “Rhythmic Altered State”.

Rhythmic Altered State filters african and latin beats into western club rites. The single “Do Your Dance” easily blends its tightly programmed drum-machine-like beat with organic djembes and berimbaos. The track was written and sung by the New York singer Wunmi who is already known for her colaboration with the Masters At Work. She also did work with the infamous New York house-producer Osunlade, who now has remixed Do Your Dance for RAS. Likewise important for Rhythmic Altered State was the input of percussionist and raper Salim Ajanku, also from New York. The track “This Is Ours” was recorded by him and Robert Galic during a spontaneous creative outbreak. “I might be low key, but I’m a revolutionary” is the word of this political post-Arrested Development song. The stylistic spectrum of Rhythmic Altered State is further expanded with the g-funk tune “P.A.C.”, where Wumni and Salim can be heard together with the Weird Mc from London. Apart from these artists there are various extremely talented musicians from the creative meltingpot of Berlin who are responsible for some of the album’s creative and experimental peak-moments. There is Alfred J. Mehnert from Frankfurt/Main for example who wrote together with Robert Galic the surreal “Areas Of Perception” . Jerome Bugnon from Seeed plays the trombone on this track (as on a few of the other tunes as well) and Vido Jelashe from South-Africa delivers vocally. The Steppers-jazzmatazz-like “Cantamo” and “Dashing Steps”, which could be part of the soundtrack to Orphee Negro II, are just two further impressions of the easy accessible and yet rhythmically complex record. The three instrumental afrobeat pieces “Exit Routine”, “Diggin” and “African Kangaroo” build the frame that keeps it all together. “Exit Routine” moves smoothly stoned betwen Shaft-like guitars and multi-layered horn sections. While “Diggin” digs into some hypnotic Fela Kuti riddim, “African Kangaroo” comes up with some analogue-digital combination of slightly more contemporary afrobeats.

Most of the material was put together last year. The idea and the charisma of “Rhythmic Altered State” is closely connected to the biography of Robert Galic.

Time is not, to jump on a passing train. Time is cyclical. Let yourself drift into the Rhythmic Altered State! Look out for this summer’s tour dates, where RAS and his live-band will lead us to experience the rhythmic altered state live and direct.

Text by Felix Fast