RanestRane

About

RanestRane, whose name translates as "strange frogs" in Italian, are a Rome based neo prog band with a genuinely unusual concept at their core: they write original rock operas scored to classic films. Their process, which they call "Cineconcerto", pairs their own composed music with projected film excerpts, drawing on influences ranging from Goblin and Genesis to Marillion. Their debut album Nosferatu Il Vampiro offered a full new soundtrack to Werner Herzog's remake, and their 2011 follow up Shining took on Stanley Kubrick's horror classic with psychedelic atmospheres and shifting vocal and instrumental passages. The Kubrick connection runs deep. Their most ambitious work is a trilogy inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, spanning three albums released between 2013 and 2018, with Marillion's Steve Rothery and Steve Hogarth guesting on multiple records. Rothery has called them the best contemporary Italian progressive band, and the collaboration grew into live shows and touring across Europe and Japan. They also performed at the Night of the Prog festival in Germany and headlined Italy's Veruno Two Days Prog Festival, cementing their reputation well beyond their home country.