Biography
Raime came together in 2010 as a London electronic duo consisting of Joe Armstrong and Tom Halstead. During the late 2000s they stirred significant interest inside the expanding underground club circuit. Alongside contemporaries such as Pete Swanson, Andy Stott, and the Haxan Cloak, they formed part of a wave of artists drawing on the expansive legacy of industrial music, Detroit techno, and 1980s goth subculture. The two musicians, acquainted since adolescence, first collaborated on music in 2005. Merging their shared affinity for U.K. industrial, dubstep, and jungle, they issued their debut EP If Anywhere Was Here He Would Know Where We Are through the British imprint Blackest Ever Black. This marked the beginning of an enduring association with the forward-thinking label, which went on to issue two further EPs: The Raime EP in 2010 and Henail in 2011. The minimal rhythms, stark percussion, and expansive sonic voids that defined these releases directly embodied their engagement with experimental and drone traditions. They channeled these desolate, post-apocalyptic textures into live performances framed by striking visual backdrops that added both dimension and intensity.
Having refined a signature aesthetic, the pair unveiled their first full-length album, Quarter Turns Over a Living Line, on Blackest Ever Black in November 2012. Incorporating contributions from live players that included cellists, drummers, and guitarists, they reworked recorded stems and segments to assemble the record’s seven tracks. The album achieved notable acclaim, propelling them beyond niche circles into broader recognition and securing prominent placements on numerous year-end rankings. They reinforced this momentum with extensive touring that encompassed both live shows and DJ sets across multiple continents. In 2013 they disclosed their role behind the enigmatic project Moin, releasing the Murphy EP on Blackest Ever Black under that alias. The EP displayed a more performance-oriented character marked by a clear post-hardcore sensibility. Carefully developing their next Raime album, Tooth, they scheduled its release for June 2016 and introduced it with the single “Dead Heat.” Once more blending acoustic instrumentation and electronic processing, the record wove together elements of dub techno, garage, grime, and Moin’s post-hardcore approach within immersive, layered sonic environments.
Having refined a signature aesthetic, the pair unveiled their first full-length album, Quarter Turns Over a Living Line, on Blackest Ever Black in November 2012. Incorporating contributions from live players that included cellists, drummers, and guitarists, they reworked recorded stems and segments to assemble the record’s seven tracks. The album achieved notable acclaim, propelling them beyond niche circles into broader recognition and securing prominent placements on numerous year-end rankings. They reinforced this momentum with extensive touring that encompassed both live shows and DJ sets across multiple continents. In 2013 they disclosed their role behind the enigmatic project Moin, releasing the Murphy EP on Blackest Ever Black under that alias. The EP displayed a more performance-oriented character marked by a clear post-hardcore sensibility. Carefully developing their next Raime album, Tooth, they scheduled its release for June 2016 and introduced it with the single “Dead Heat.” Once more blending acoustic instrumentation and electronic processing, the record wove together elements of dub techno, garage, grime, and Moin’s post-hardcore approach within immersive, layered sonic environments.
Albums
Planted
2019
We Can't Be That Far from the Beginning
2018
Am I Using Content Or Is Content Using Me?
2018
Notion 2 Notion
2017
Tooth
2016
Quarter Turns over a Living Line
2012
Hennail
2011
Raime EP
2010
Singles
