RAH Band

Going Up, originally released in 1983, is one of the most curious and enduring records from British studio mavericks The RAH Band. Long out of print, it now sees its first ever vinyl reissue courtesy of Shocking Music and Rush Hour.

Led by super-producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Richard Anthony Hewson, The RAH Band has always existed just outside the mainstream. 𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙟𝙖𝙯𝙯-𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙠, 𝙨𝙘𝙞-𝙛𝙞 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙤𝙥, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚, their sound never quite fit the mould. That might explain the cult status they’ve held ever since. Beloved by 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨, 𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙩𝙝 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨, Going Up is perhaps their most influential record.

At the centre of it all is the intro track “Messages From The Stars”, the band’s runaway cosmic hit. A spacey, retro-futurist groove that has become a viral favourite in recent years, it now boasts hundreds of millions of streams, with a new generation discovering it through TikTok and YouTube. But it was originally just one track on this understated 1983 album.

The rest of Going Up is just as compelling, filled with dusty drum machines, off-kilter instrumentals, woozy vocals, and that unmistakable early '80s charm. It is a snapshot of a band in transition, blurring the lines between leftfield pop, sci-fi funk, and home-brewed synth experiments.

Out of print for over 40 years, Going Up finally gets the reissue treatment it deserves. Restored and remastered, and still sounding like nothing else.