Armen Ra

Last updated
Armen Ra
Armen Ra.jpg
Armen Ra at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts
Background information
Birth nameArmen Hovanesian [1]
Born1969 (age 5455)
Tehran, Iran
Occupation Thereminist

Armen Ra is an Iranian-Armenian artist, self-taught thereminist, production designer, director, and performer. [1]

Contents

Musical career

Career (2010-2013)

Ra began studying the theremin 2001, debuting with the orchestral group Antony & the Johnsons in New York City.

Ra has played at the United Nations, Wiener Konzerthaus Mozartsaal Vienna, CBGBs, Knitting Factory, La MaMa E.T.C., Joe's Pub, Boulder Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center, The Gershwin Hotel, [2] B.B. King Museum, and Dietch Projects.

He has performed and recorded with various bands and on many projects (including a collaboration with British recording artist Marc Almond (of Soft Cell), on the song "My Madness & I" from his 2010 release Varieté ). His debut solo CD Plays the Theremin (released on Bowl & Fork Records in 2010) showcases many classical Armenian laments and folk songs. Ra performed on the Sharon Needles album PG-13 on band Ministry's cover track "Everyday Is Halloween".

Career (2014-present)

In recent years, Ra has appeared in the following works:

Appearances in media

He has a cameo appearance in the film Party Monster . Other appearances in media include:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Lennon</span> British-American composer and musician (born 1975)

Sean Taro Ono Lennon is a British-American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, The Claypool Lennon Delirium and his parents' group Plastic Ono Band. He has released two solo albums: Into the Sun (1998) and Friendly Fire (2006). He has produced numerous albums for various artists, including Black Lips and the Plastic Ono Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norah Jones</span> American musician (born 1979)

Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, as of 2023, had sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Billboard named her the top jazz artist of the 2000s decade. She has won nine Grammy Awards and was ranked 60th on Billboard magazine's artists of the 2000s decade chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Djivan Gasparyan</span> Armenian musician and composer (1928–2021)

Djivan Gasparyan was an Armenian musician and composer. He played the duduk, a double reed woodwind instrument related to the orchestral oboe. Gasparyan is known as the "Master of the duduk". In 2006 he was nominated for Grammy awards for the Best Traditional World Music Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Vibrations</span> 1966 single by the Beach Boys

"Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. It was released as a single on October 10, 1966, and was an immediate critical and commercial hit, topping record charts in several countries including the United States and the United Kingdom. Characterized by its complex soundscapes, episodic structure and subversions of pop music formula, it was at the time the most expensive single ever recorded. "Good Vibrations" later became widely acclaimed as one of the finest and most important works of the rock era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midnight Syndicate</span> American musical duo

Midnight Syndicate is an American musical duo that has been working primarily in the genre of neoclassical dark ambient music since 1997 and is based in Chardon, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Lepore</span> Transgender American model, singer and performance artist

Amanda Lepore is an American model, singer, and performance artist. A former Club Kid, she has appeared in advertising for numerous companies. Lepore is noted as a regular subject in photographer David LaChapelle's work, serving as his muse, as well as many other photographers, such as Terry Richardson and Ruben van Schalm. She participated in LaChapelle's Artists and Prostitutes 1985–2005 exhibit in New York City, where she "lived" in a voyeuristic, life-sized set.

Tomoko Kawase is a Japanese singer, songwriter, producer, actress, and model from Kyoto. She is the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Brilliant Green. She also has a solo career under the alter-ego pseudonyms Tommy february6 and Tommy heavenly6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Shannon</span> Irish musician (born 1968)

Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician, best known for her work with the button accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 debut album, Sharon Shannon, was the best-selling album of traditional Irish music ever released in Ireland. Beginning with Irish folk music, her work demonstrates a wide-ranging number of musical influences. She won the lifetime achievement award at the 2009 Meteor Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings</span> American funk/soul band

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings were an American funk and soul band signed to Daptone Records. They were part of a revival movement of mid-1960s to mid-1970s style funk and soul music. They released their debut album Dap Dippin' in 2002, the first of seven studio albums. Their 2014 album Give the People What They Want was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. Following Sharon Jones' death in 2016, the band released the posthumous album Soul of a Woman in 2017 and a compilation of cover songs in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everyday Is Like Sunday</span> 1988 single by Morrissey

"Everyday Is Like Sunday" is the third track of Morrissey's debut solo album, Viva Hate, and the second single to be released by the artist. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's second release after the Smiths break-up. Morrissey was inspired lyrically by Nevil Shute's On the Beach to lament the drudgery of a seaside town. Street, who had originally sought to contribute his musical ideas to Morrissey to use for Smiths B-sides, also contributed bass guitar, which he contends was inspired by Echo & the Bunnymen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Jones</span> American soul and funk singer (1956–2016)

Sharon Lafaye Jones was an American soul and funk singer. She was the lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a soul and funk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Jones experienced breakthrough success relatively late in life, releasing her first record when she was 40 years old. In 2014, Jones was nominated for her first Grammy, in the category Best R&B Album, for Give the People What They Want.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rye Rye</span> American rapper

Ryeisha Berrain, known by her stage name Rye Rye, is an American rapper, singer, dancer and actress. Signed to N.E.E.T. Recordings, she released her first mixtape RYEot PowRR in 2011 and her anticipated debut album Go! Pop! Bang! on May 15, 2012. In early 2009, MSNBC listed Rye Rye as one of the "5Top: Top of the pops! Up-and coming young singers." In 2011, Rye Rye was named one of Billboard's "21 Under 21". Rye Rye made her acting debut in the 2012 film 21 Jump Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Dessner</span> American musician

Aaron Brooking Dessner is an American musician. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band The National, with whom he has recorded nine studio albums; a co-founder of the indie rock duo Big Red Machine, teaming with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon; and a collaborator on Taylor Swift's critically acclaimed studio albums Folklore and Evermore, both of which contended for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the former winning the accolade; as well as The Tortured Poets Department (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Needles</span> American drag queen and recording artist

Sharon Needles is the stage name of Aaron Robert Coady, an American drag performer and recording artist. A self-described "stupid genius, reviled sweetheart, and PBR princess", Needles rose to international attention on the fourth season of the Logo reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race, where she quickly became a fan favorite and was subsequently crowned "America's Next Drag Superstar" in April 2012.

<i>Sing the Sorrow</i> 2003 studio album by AFI

Sing the Sorrow is the sixth studio album by American rock band AFI. Recorded at Cello Studios in Los Angeles, California between 2002 and 2003, the album was produced by Jerry Finn and Butch Vig. Sing The Sorrow was the band's final release under the Nitro Records label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Blake (musician)</span> English singer-songwriter (born 1988)

James Blake Litherland is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first gained recognition following the release of three extended plays—The Bells Sketch, CMYK and Klavierwerke—in 2010. He signed with A&M Records to release his self-titled debut album (2011) the following year, which was met with critical praise and peaked within the top ten of the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riff Raff (rapper)</span> American rapper (born 1982)

Horst Christian Simco, known professionally as Riff Raff, is an American rapper from Katy, Texas. He was originally managed by Swishahouse co-founder OG Ron C in 2011. After initially signing with rapper Soulja Boy's record label Stacks on Deck Entertainment, Simco signed with producer Diplo's record label Mad Decent to release his debut studio album, Neon Icon (2014). Despite lukewarm critical and commercial response, it mildly entered the Billboard 200 along with his second album Peach Panther (2016), which was released by Warner Records. Prior to its release, Simco entered a US$4 million joint partnership with Stampede Management and BMG for his Neon Nation label and production company. The joint deal fell apart in the wake of legal disputes with the publication of the 2012 film Spring Breakers.

<i>PG-13</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Sharon Needles

PG-13 is the debut studio album by American drag queen Sharon Needles, released on January 29, 2013. It included a cover of Ministry's 1984 single "(Every Day Is) Halloween". The album is a dance-pop and punk album, with elements of metal and electronica.

<i>Blue Madonna</i> 2018 studio album by Børns

Blue Madonna is the second studio album by American musician Børns. It was released on January 12, 2018 through Interscope Records.

<i>Spoopy</i> 2019 EP by Sharon Needles

Spoopy is the debut extended play (EP) by American drag performer Sharon Needles, released through Producer Entertainment Group on October 11, 2019. It includes six covers of songs with a Halloween theme. The music video for "Monster Mash", released on the same day, features an appearance by drag performer Alaska Thunderfuck, Sharon Needles' ex-partner. The EP received generally positive reviews from music critics, who appreciated the collection's theme and reinterpretations.

References

  1. 1 2 "THE ARROGANCE GOT EATEN UP BY THE MUSIC: ARMEN RA AND MATT HUFFMAN ON "WHEN MY SORROW DIED: THE LEGEND OF ARMEN RA AND THE THEREMIN"". Rogerebert.com. 8 November 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  2. Ivry, Benjamin (February 15, 2007). "A New Generation Embraces the Theremin". The New York Sun. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  3. "BØRNS - The Faded Hearts Sessions". YouTube. 27 September 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved October 10, 2017.