Rayyn

The music of Filipino singer/songwriter Rayyn is sometimes so quiet that it seems to float. His voice itself defies gravity, drifting like clouds atop his atmospheric acoustic pop. Rayyn began playing instruments -- guitar, bass, piano, and drums -- at the age of 14. However, he couldn't read notes, relying mainly on his ears to guide his fingers. Although his early influences were New Wave artists such as the Police, Tears for Fears, and U2, the mood-spinning tracks that initially earned him substantial airplay in the Philippines drew comparisons to spiritual rockers Jars of Clay. Oddly enough, Rayyn experimented with heavy metal at the beginning of his career. In 1994, he graduated from Ateneo de Manila University and then moved to London, England to work. When he returned to the Philippines, Rayyn (short for Raymond -- the double "y" is for numerological reasons) started working at various jobs but his need to write songs grew. However, he preferred something more mature and heartfelt than hard rock. Inspired by how Jars of Clay and the Dave Matthews Band incorporated elements of folk and modern rock on their albums, Rayyn bought his first synthesizer and began crafting the subtle hooks of his 2000 self-titled debut. He produced and arranged the album himself; furthermore, he performed every instrument on the album except for Eric Villadelgado's guitar contribution on "Hold On". Without a label deal, Rayyn released the full-length on his own; the CD's lavish packaging -- which includes a 48-page booklet with lyrics, postcards, and photographs of Rayyn in his soul-searching trips to Baguio and Ilocos, Philippines -- was done by his wife's company, Three Fates Inc. In 2001, the packaging was chosen by the NU-107 Rock Awards as being the year's best. The video for "Hold On" was shown constantly on MTV in the Philippines. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide