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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Rhye: The Best Band You Have Never Seen


When I first heard Rhye I was instantly won over by their sensual yet understated R&B. I wanted more. More of the slinky bass lines. More sighing beauty of the Sade-like voice. More of the minimalist perfection of the musical arrangements. But the interwebs provided nothing but confirmation that the band was shrouded in mystery. Rhye's first single, "Open", was released anonymously in 2012. Months later a hauntingly beautiful video for their EP "The Fall" appeared online. No credits. Then their first full album, Woman, was released without the names of the artists included in the liner notes. They started doing shows, but insisted on being shown only in silhouette, faces obscured.



Then, to blow my mind even further, it was revealed that Rhye is an international duo consisting of American composer/singer Mike Milosh and Danish producer Robin Hannibal. That's right, the lead singer is a dude. A dude who sings in a beautifully adrogenous contralto falsetto.

The mystery behind the group would hold little relevance if the music weren't absolutely stunning. Rhye clearly want us to experience and absorb their music without superficial influences getting in the way. It's an unusual approach in today's music, but it certainly appears to be working. Everything on Woman somehow manages to simmer with white hot intensity. Even without a face for the group, each track conveys a vulnerable intimacy, drawing listeners in. The simple arrangements seem to be an almost perfect counterpoint to the overly-produced style of most contemporary R&B.



In this post you will find a bunch of Rhye videos (and free downloads!).
The first set has the official videos for "Open" (absolutely beautiful), "The Fall", and "3 Days". The second set has two great live KCRW performances ("3 Days" and "Open"). Then there is an awesome 23 min concert from NPR Live. And Finally, commentary from the KCRW crew on what it was like to work with Rhye, and why the duo is causing such a stir in the music industry. Somebody, somewhere, is making babies to this music...




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