Rauf Faik — Pain and Memories
Classically-trained voices combine poetry with a piano and a drum machine and shatter my heart into a million pieces
Listen. Rauf and Faik just dropped a new album and their millions of views on YouTube are not praise enough for this absolute masterpiece. I rarely praise anything, but this praise is deserved.
The 20-year-old twins, born in Russia of Azerbaijani descent, come from a family of musicians. Their grandfather was an opera singer, and served as the director of an opera house in Baku. Let me just tell you — it’s clear from their music that they’re classically-trained singers. They both have 4.5-octave ranges. And then they rap with melodic precision, choosing perfect octaves over stereotypical harmonies.
If you don’t speak Russian, don’t worry, because:
- This album is bilingual.
- I’ll provide translations of each Russian excerpt.
- You’ll probably decide to start learning it as soon as you listen to this album (like this guy, who has posted dozens of reaction videos in Russian).
Before we get to the new album, though, let’s reminisce. Two of Rauf Faik’s biggest hits, Я люблю тебя (I Love You) and Детство (Childhood)…
