“I used to walk up and down the streets every day – craving sights, sensations, encounters with people…experience.” That was 1994, when Raz Ohara had just moved to Berlin.
Raz was 18 at the time. He soon found a room to rent above a jazz club. He sat there every night, listening to the music, watching the people, absorbing his surroundings.
It was a seedy, noirish world, like something from the American movies of the 80s. Raz bonded with the club’s resident DJ, and together they founded a hip-hop crew. Raz, however, had a lingering and persistent desire to create his very own music, music of its own kind, music beyond any existing genre.
Raz Ohara | Reality
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=kkCWE5t-Kvs
In February of 1999, Raz’s father – a freightship captain – died at the hands of a storm in the cold, unforgiving Atlantic ocean. Since an early age he had been travelling around the world by ship with his father.
Out there he felt some kind of freedom, and a desire to sing – loud and unconcerned, because nobody could hear him. His father’s sad passing reconnected Raz with the essence of why he was making music.
Raz Ohara | Me or You
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=hObYOITzjjI
“I began writing songs on guitar again, just the way I did when I was 14. I recorded 17 tracks, simple songs, close-ups, reflecting my feelings at that time. I then again gave them to Kitty-Yo and they released in February 2001 as ‘The Last Legend LP’.”
One day, years after The Last Legend and after a trip into clubby dance music, Raz walked into Oliver Doerell of Swod and Dictaphone. Raz had once seen him playing at an art exhibition and also heard him play an ambient live set.
Raz Ohara & The Odd Orchestra | Love for Mrs. Rhodes
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=gx0xEAXwTcU
Raz recalled very much how the vibe of his music immediately had grabbed and inspired him to say something, contribute something, sing something. “I had sat there and wishing I could meet someone who could help me to do music similar to this. And now I run into him on the street. We had a chat and made a date.”
Raz began to record song sketches, giving them to Doerell. Oliver would take the sketches and add his own thoughts, collaborations and embellishments. Raz and he continued to hand sketches back and forth; the resulting album was “Raz Ohara and the Odd Orchestra”.
Raz Ohara & The Odd Orchestra | One
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=434JikkXbSk
At hausungarn, Raz will play an acoustic guitar and voice concert, with clarinet player Robert Owens as special guest.
Hanno Leichtmann comes from jazz and free jazz. He plays drums and all kinds of electronics. He performed with many international free improvising and electronic musicians.
Hanno Leichtmann | Fenster
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=OzQBeCgJXEo
Among them are Lars Rudolph, John Zorn, Toshi Nakamura, Hannes Strobl, and Rupert Huber. In the last years he was mainly active under the monikers Static, Vulva String Quartett, Forest Jackson and White Hole.
Besides his soloprojects, Hanno is part of the POLE live band and is also playing in a trio with Jan Jelinek and Andrew Pekler called KOSMISCHER PITCH. Hanno Leichtmann did works for Theatre (Sasha Waltz and Guests Dance Company) and Radio (Deutschlandradio) and lives and works in berlin.
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Raz Ohara feat. Robert Owens & Hanno Leichtmann LIVE
Saturday, 27 April 2013 | 20:00 CET
hausungarn | Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 9 | 10178 Berlin/Mitte
soundcloud.com/razohara | static-music.com | hausungarn.de
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