Trio’s crafting
lofty sounds

Music Row
By Brian Rademaekers

Hang the blessed DJ. Hang the DJ, hang the DJ.
Of all the sticky phrases to come out of The Smiths’ songwriting, that 1986 proclamation seems to be one that is always lodged somewhere in the back of my head.
It also seems to define a path taken by two local sisters who have hung up their turntables and gone straight to the business of making their own originals, perhaps some day to be spun and spliced by the ilk of their former selves.
You follow that?
Well, here it is, a bit more plainly: Darshana and Chetana Borah, sisters and former DJs at local clubs like Transit and Silk City, have joined with fellow Northern Libertine Andrew Ryan to form Ravens:and:Vultures. The three-piece creates music bordering on an experimental type of sound, one hard to define in simple genre-plugging.
But for all its elusiveness in terms of style, there is a definite mood that emerges from the sound on the tracks that they have put out over the last year or so. It is music that is effortlessly beautiful and weirdly pleasing.
Smooth beats blend with fuzzy atmospheric bliss and melodica while wavering guitar riffs are punctuated by twinkling keys in their lush and largely instrumental sound collages. Some songs, like their Willow Tree and Crickets Sing for You (pre-releases from a gestating full-length), do indeed contain lyrics that push them closer to the realm of ordinary pop.
Even in these instances, though, their vocals —often waifish chanting from the Borah sisters and softly whispered lines from Ryan — are presented in a fashion completely in tune with the ensemble’s ethereal sound.
At times, they recall Yo La Tengo on albums like Summer Sun and The Sounds of Science, where the underlying vibe is a sublime elegance. Ryan said last week that the band’s current work already is evolving quickly from that of their earliest tracks.
At first, their live shows incorporated many samples worked in from a laptop. Now, Ravens:and:Vultures is edging toward music that is more conducive to the live experience.
"It’s louder, and there is more guitar," says Ryan, adding that the trusty laptop will still have a place in the band.
On their early recordings, the trio would get together, with all three playing various instruments, and then mash together various pieces to form complete songs.
It made for good tracks, but it was a method of songwriting so convoluted that the band members weren’t sure who played what instrument when.
"And when we wanted to do live shows, we would actually have to relearn the songs and figure out how to do it onstage," explained Ryan.
These days, the band is headed in a more organic direction, and the songs on their debut EP, Keep Your Kill, are a beauty to behold.
That album, a download-only release, will be available on Saturday at a CD-release party at Johnny Brenda’s in Fishtown. At four tracks, Keep Your Kill is an uplifting collection of music that inspires much confidence in what the future holds for Ravens:and:Vultures.
It’s all instrumental and completely captivating straight from the start with a bona fide prelude. The absolute brightest spot on the short-play is the title track, a lively and jangling number that wanders through nearly two minutes of sparkling psychedelic satyr backed by a rhythmic bass before launching into a cool second half dominated by melodic guitar riffs.
Also playing the show are New York’s Dragons of Zynth, a weird and dark ensemble who have been getting a lot of press in high places. Philly’s own Michael Johnson/Ape School, who have thus far recorded a string of dreamy, tripped-out ballads, will also make their debut performance at the Ravens:and:Vultures CD-release party, making this a show full of delectable firsts.
So be there. ••

Check it out . . .
Who: Ravens:and:Vultures
What: A Northern Liberties trio celebrating their first official release of lush atmospheric instrumentals.
When: Saturday, Jan. 12. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Where: Johnny Brenda’s, Frankford and Girard avenues. Tickets are $8.