Our EP 'Ribbon of Hot Plasma' is out 30th March
Stemming from a collaboration between Danielle Kranendonk and Stephen Raynes, Aurora Dee Raynes began in 2012 in a North London kitchen filled with cooking, wine drinking and Kranendonk’s velvety vocals. Forming a strong friendship, the pair started making music with a few beats and vocals inspired by legendary vocalists Etta James, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott together with the musical stylings of Robert Glasper, Dimlite, Taylor McFerrin, Jordan Rakei and BadBadNotGood.
Developing into a live band, they are joined by Tristan Williams, who co-produces as well as providing live drums, Nicholas Johnson on keys, Richard Summers adding bass and guitar and additional vocals and guitar from Yohan Forbes. Over the last 18 months, the band utilised the flexibility of working from home to spend more time in the studio, with fewer late nights and recordings coming in intense waves. Since their last Tru Thoughts release, band members have experienced judging BAFTAs, children, deaths, marriages, break ups, more children, God, COVID, ups and downs and music to express it all.
“This is our first album”, the band say of ‘Invisible Things’, “and to be completely honest with you, we went into it just with the love of making music”. Mapping a trajectory of maturity, growth and synergy as a band, the album morphs and flows as it fits around each musician’s sound. Created from all the ‘Invisible Things’ that come together to make Aurora Dee Raynes who they are, the LP shifts lyrically from raw emotions through to an uplifting party energy, always set against a backdrop of artistic understanding, vocal looping and layering, carefully crafted synths and a treasure trove of percussion.
“We’re glad to get ‘Invisible Things’ out there”, Raynes adds. “It feels like the right time”.
