Brooklyn Raga Massive (BRM) is a collective of forward thinking musicians rooted in Indian classical music. Their arrangement of Terry Riley’s iconic minimalist work, In C, incorporates ragas, Indian ornamentation, driving tabla rhythms, improvised solos and an instrumentation of sitar, bansuri, vocals, tabla, oud, violin, cello, bass, dragon mouth trumpet, frame drums and percussion. BRM has performed In C for 12 years and early on, Terry Riley himself suggested they take more liberties and solos. BRM went on to compose In D, a tribute to the maestro based in specific ragas. For this Egg performance, BRM will play In C (in D) incorporating a few elements of their original work, with musical direction from Neel Murgai, and accompanied by stunning video art from artist Seema Lisa Pandya.
Composed in 1964, In C’s basic structure consists of 53 cells of music for any instrumentation, short fragments that each performer repeats, displaces and moves through at their own will. Terry Riley is a long time practitioner of Indian classical vocal music, having studied with Pandit Pran Nath, but he confirmed that “I have never heard an ensemble like this playing In C.” BRM brings the composition full circle with this unique rendition.