Prince Rama
Ritualistic psych-dance that fuses Hare Krishna chants with neon synth-pop. A high-energy, metaphysical workout for the body and the third eye.
Ritualistic psych-dance that fuses Hare Krishna chants with neon synth-pop. A high-energy, metaphysical workout for the body and the third eye.
Prince Rama sounds like a spiritual ceremony held inside a 1980s arcade. It is a dizzying blend of tribal percussion, shimmering synthesizers, and ethereal vocal harmonies that feel both ancient and futuristic. The music carries a distinct 'Now Age' energy, moving from lo-fi psychedelic experiments to polished, high-octane dance-pop without ever losing its sense of mystical urgency.
What makes them truly distinctive is their ability to weaponize kitsch and spirituality simultaneously. They take the aesthetics of extreme sports, workout videos, and bargain-bin New Age tapes and elevate them into a genuine ritual. The Larson sisters' background in a Hare Krishna commune provides a rhythmic and melodic foundation that feels deeply authentic, even when wrapped in layers of reverb and neon-soaked production.
Start with 'Xtreme Now' if you want their most accessible, high-energy pop statement, or 'Shadow Temple' to hear the raw, Animal Collective-produced psych-folk roots that first put them on the map. It is music for people who want their pop songs to come with a side of metaphysical transformation.
Prince Rama (previously Prince Rama of Ayodhya) was a two-piece "now age" psych-dance band based in Brooklyn, New York, founded by Michael Collins and sisters Taraka Larson and Nimai Larson. Discovered by Animal Collective's Avey Tare in 2010, the band signed to Paw Tracks shortly thereafter. The band drew heavily on its members' experiences growing up in a Hare Krishna commune. Taraka published a manifesto on the "Now Age" that puts forth Prince Rama’s aesthetic and metaphysical philosophies. Collins departed the band after the release of Shadow Temple. Trust Now was the band's first album without him. In 2016, Ryan Scianino began working with the band. Shadow Temple and Trust Now peaked at #3 and #6 on the Billboard New Age Charts, respectively. On August 20, 2019, Taraka Larson announced that the band had disbanded. The band's final EP, Rage in Peace, was assembled by Taraka Larson from a variety of unfinished session material.
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