91.
Gonjasufi
A Sufi and a Killer
(2010)
Track Listing
1.) Rebirth
2.) Kobwebz
3.) Ancestors
4.) Sheep
5.) She Gone.
6.) Suzie Q
7.) Stardustin
8.) Kowboyz&Indians
9.) Change
10.) Duet
11.) Candylane
12.) Holidays
13.) Love of Reign
14.) Advice
15.) Klowds
16.) Ageing
17.)DedNd
18.) I've Given
19.) Made
20.) Dobermins
This brilliant and criminally overlooked album (while mostly critically well-received) was recommended to me by a close friend who had stumbled upon it quite by accident. They urged me to give it a listen, telling me it would be quite unlike anything I'd heard. Within five minutes, I knew I was in for an even bigger treat than previously anticipated - this stuff was masterful. The master behind this music is Gonjasufi, birth name Sumach Ecks, a rapper / singer / DJ / yoga instructor from California.
This album can be best described as a meeting - a meeting of East and West, a meeting of lo-fi and high production quality, a meeting of trip-hop and psych-rock - and it is likely to be one of the more unique offerings you will listen to released over the last couple of years.
Gonjasufi's vocal performance, somewhat gravelly and distinct, fits into the musical motif like a puzzle piece. He shines most effectively on the bleak, metaphor-laden "Sheep", a haunting piece with strangely euphoric moments. I personally enjoy his voice, although I have heard that others found it to be an element of the album they weren't such a fan of. Take your pick.
Western / Indian music is very heavily represented, and it's absolutely done in an interesting, appealing manner. The effective melding of tape hiss and lo-fi likewise adds charm and character to an album which is certainly of very high production quality: It was actually produced by Flying Lotus, The Gaslamp Killer, and Mainframe. One of the most exceptional aspects of this offering, however, is the sheer diversity within the piece. One moment, you're listening to trip-hop, the next something that sounds almost like psychedelic garage rock, and before you know it, you're listening to something distinctly Western-flavored. This is a delightful mating of genres, pulled off effectively and uniquely - something that earns a hearty round of applause from this girl.
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It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung