Jonny Greenwood Reunites with Shye Ben Tzur and The Rajasthan Express for Ranjha

While Radiohead’s music-making prospects remain unclear, Jonny Greenwood is moving ahead with another project. The famed guitarist has reunited with composer Shye Ben Tzur and The Rajasthan Express for a new album called Ranjha.

Due out May 8th via World Circuit/BMG, the 11-track album serves as the follow-up to the collective’s 2015 release, Junun. According to a press release, the group hadn’t intended to wait a decade between releases, but COVID-19, Radiohead’s own creative plans, and other events/happenings delayed the progress. As such, there were some differences in how the album was made, including recording in a more orthodox studio.

“It was a very different experience,” said Ben Tzur. “It was about getting a clearer sound in a more controlled environment, but using the features of the studio to be creative in a completely different way. So I think it sounds very different.”

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The press release went on to say that the unifying thread between the records is “the willingness of all concerned to go with what happened when everyone’s ideas were brought to bear upon the song-sketches Shye brought with him.” For Greenwood, that meant exuding a deft touch to balance Ben Tzur’s vision with his own creative goals/aspirations.

“With Shye’s songs, you feel dangerously like you can ruin them quite easily by imposing western chords on them, like you’re forcing a square into a circle,” Greenwood said. “But at the same time, a lot of the songs just seem to come to life as soon as there was some of that… I’ve always wanted to turn this band into a funk group.”

Greenwood added, “I’m used to songs about alienation, songs which are about serious things, but not spiritual things. If an English band just sang religious or spiritually inspired songs and poetry, it would be very unusual.”

Listens can really experience this dynamic with the album’s title track, released today alongside a corresponding music video from filmmaker Ian Patrick. And while he was discussing the album at large, further comments from Ben Tzur expertly encapsulate the magic of this one track.

“You feel this music on your body,” he said. “Then it affects your emotional state when you hear the melodies. Then come the words and the lyrics. If people want to go deeper, they’ll find a rich world of music. And this album is maybe like a window into that phenomenal tradition.”

Junun earned near-universal acclaim upon its release in 2015. Not only was it recorded in a genuine fort, but Greenwood tapped long-time Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich to oversee the effort. The end result was described as a “joyous synthesis of the sensibilities of several wildly divergent musical backgrounds.” The project also included a corresponding documentary film from director Paul Thomas Anderson.

Pre-orders for Ranjha are now ongoing. The record will be available on CD, digitally, and as a special red and coral splatter vinyl.

Ranjha Artwork:

Ranjha Tracklist:
01. SHIQWA
02. MARBOLOT
03. RANJHA
04. SHEMESH
05. SHIQWA (REPRISE)
06. ISHQ-E-MAJNUN
07. SAQI
08. MARBOLOT (REPRISE)
09. AVIV
10. MUSTT
11. SHARMINDA