“Riff Raff” is an instrumental track by philojain, and within the first few seconds it makes absolutely clear that it doesn’t need words to get its point across.
The guitars hit immediately and they hit hard. Jain layers riff after riff until the whole thing becomes this enormous wall of sound that somehow manages to feel both aggressive and completely absorbing at the same time. It’s the kind of listening experience where you catch yourself just sitting there staring at nothing, fully taken over by what’s coming through the speakers.
Then there’s the bass. And I want to be specific here because it genuinely deserves its own mention. The sub bass on this track is not doing backup duty. It is a presence. A physical, room shaking presence that sits underneath everything and makes the whole track feel heavier than it has any right to. If you’ve got decent speakers or headphones, clear your schedule.
What I kept coming back to while listening was how unpredictable it stays throughout. You settle into a groove, you think you’ve got the pattern figured out, and then Jain pivots. Fast, technical runs give way to slow, crushing chords that feel like they’re being played through concrete. It never lets you get fully comfortable, and that tension is exactly what makes it work.
Jain pulls influence from Pantera, Lamb of God, Faith No More and Pink Floyd, but “Riff Raff” doesn’t sound like a tribute to any of them. It sits somewhere in the overlap between post rock, progressive metal and genuinely experimental territory, which is a harder place to find than it sounds.
The fact that Jain handled everything himself, all the instruments and all the production, makes it even more impressive. There’s a freedom in this track that you can actually hear. It moves like something that has no interest in being categorized, and honestly that’s the most interesting thing an artist can do.
Go find a good pair of headphones and give this one a proper listen. You’ll understand!