Lord RAJA - Rubies EP

Lord RAJA is 21 year old New York producer Chester Raj Anand. He’s just been snapped up by Michigan label Ghostly International, who are already having a solid 2013 – releasing Lusine’s latest album and Duawd’s ‘Heatsick’ EP. The debut release from Lord RAJA is ‘Rubies’, premiered over at FACT yesterday, and it’s a promising listen.

Pistol Syrup opens things with tumbling beats that weave around a sharp sample of Realm Reality’s brash hook from Sean Price’s Bully Rap, while tracks like of Dipteres Pt. 2 and He Won’t Pay Me, featuring jazz pianist and electronic composer Vijay Iyer, which loosely hold their melodic heart around thrusting, scattered beats to solid effect. It’s worth holding on for bonus cut I Really Love You, which eases things up with the tenderest of brushed rhythms and a Julianna Barwick choral calling out from the distance. Stream it below, or head to the Ghostly site for a free download.