Exclusive Premiere: Rain In Sahara’s Eco-Conscious New Song ‘You Think Our Future Is a Joke’

In the span of a decade, U.K.-bred, Guwahati-based producer/rapper Lain Heringman has moved from working in development to reigniting his interest for music with his project Rain In Sahara. Trained in western classical, Heringman says he was “disillusioned with the development space” and it led him to start writing poetry. “I had also just got into political hip-hop as well,” the Spanish-American says.

Rain In Sahara, which started in 2016 as an experimental project, eventually grew into full-fledged band by 2018. Comprising Heringman on keys and producer duties, powerhouse vocalist Rain Jong (from Arogya and metallers Rectified Spirit), guitarist Pawan Damai, bassist Rajat Bangia and drummer Majid aka Rui Xing (also from Arogya), the founder says he was “shocked” by the fact that all his bandmates were self-taught musicians. Heringman adds, “The process was about finding people who are interested in all kinds of music, because we go to reggae and hip-hop but also rock.”

Thematically, as evident in their latest single “You Think Our Future Is a Joke,” Rain In Sahara is Heringman’s outlet to “spread awareness, promote dialog and create engagement” about climate crises. The video opens with a clip of U.S. President Donald Trump calling global warming a hoax, leading into a dubstep and electronica-informed rock sound featuring rap from Heringman and angsty vocals from Jong. Heringman says about the track, “It’s a statement of the current times. We’re not debating people here, we’re done with that. The laws of nature are not up for interpretation.”

Working with U.K. producer Justin Hill (formerly of metallers SikTh), there’s now an EP underway. It began taking shape around their first live gig in 2018, when Rain In Sahara won a competition held by non-profit organization Transparency International and performed at the International Anti-Corruption Conference in Copenhagen, alongside the likes of U.K. hip-hop stalwart Mos Def. That was for their debut single “Black Water,” but Heringman says they’re constantly writing and finding their space between heavy music and electronic elements, plus hip-hop.

With the launch gig taking place in Guwahati today, Rain In Sahara are already working on their next music video, one that will involve activists and movements such as Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future and the forthcoming Climate Strike in April. “There’s a lot cooking,” Heringman says.

Watch the video for “You Think Our Future Is a Joke” below. Rain In Sahara perform at Urban Mantra, Zoo Road. Event details here. Stream the song here.