In 2017, the four musicians that compose the Denver-based band Ramakhandra — vocalist and harpist Annastezhaa, drummer N0bahdee, keyboardist Ness and bassist Clayto — were working on their individual crafts and solo artistry when a “chance of fate” changed the trajectories of each of their journeys. As N0bahdee described it, there was a “brief moment in time where all four of us intersected each other unintentionally,” and, unbeknownst to them, this intersection would ignite a spark that would engulf their creativities, both individually and as a collective.
As it happened, N0bahdee first met Clay (Clayto) through a mutual friend, crossed paths with Eric [Ness] during a sit-in with another band, and stumbled upon Annastezhaa on the street, mesmerized by the harp she was playing. In a “circle of really quick, unintended meetings” that occurred throughout 2017, Ramakhandra was born unto this plane and on Thursday, they released their latest single, “Mochi Megazord.”
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Each member of Ramakhandra comes from disparate musical backgrounds and life experiences. Annastezhaa credits those differences as an integral part of creating the band’s sound. “All the great types of music of the world have qualities of having an unbroken thread, of having multiple layers of meaning and unique harmonic language,” she said. Those unbroken threads then undergo the different stages of the band’s writing process, which begins with “remnants or ideas or musical themes” that lurk in the subconscious. These ideas are then excavated, brought to the light, the conscious and intentional where they are then crafted into fully realized musical odysseys. With four minds coming in with different ideas and exploring different avenues, “it takes a little more brain power to communicate with each other in the verbal language, to understand how to move as one in a constructive way,” said Annastezhaa.
In this way, the creation process is a journey for Ramakhandra. This is reflected in the music as each person who hears it becomes transported, adrift in the sonic waves floating out into the vastness of the universe. In N0bahdee’s words, the music they create is how the band envisions it and it is then up to the listener to find their own meaning within it. As the music-makers, N0bahdee feels like they’re the guides or shamans, “guiding the listener through their own dream and giving them their own chance to steer their ship.” He understands that in their music exists an “infinite amount of possibilities and choices and ideals and ways to perceive it” and that the listening experience is like “surfing in the moment” as both band and listener “explore these other dimensions and multiples at once.”
These intentions also resonate with Annastezhaa. She recognizes that through the music “you can see a new version of yourself in something that you’ve never encountered before. On a molecular level, the objective is to inspire listeners to reflect on the idea that what you perceive in your day-to-day might not be it,” Annastezhaa explained. “There might be a whole new dimension of life that you had no idea was there.” Ultimately, Ramakhandra’s sense of achievement comes from if “even just one person out in the universe hears our music and feels something and is helped in some way by our genuine expression.”
Taking the music from the studio to the stage is, inevitably, a whole other entity of Ramakhandra’s creative process and the experiential journey for fans. “The music is alive. Each member is a vessel,” said N0bahdee. “Whatever this entity — this energy — it’s using us to emit this new sound and new approach.” This means that live shows are a dependably one-of-a-kind experience that will expose fans to outer dimensions and infinite possibilities. On stage, the band throws themselves to the mercy of each passing moment, making for shows alive with spontaneity and the unexpected. What you can expect, however, is that any show will be as “personal, super dope, super hot and high-quality as possible.”
When they embarked on this journey six years ago, N0bahdee had no way of knowing how the world would react to Ramakhandra. Now, he feels an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the fulfilling position that they’re in watching this “living, breathing dragon take its flight and live and grow into something tremendous.”
Check out Ramakhandra’s new single, “Mochi Megazord,” out now!