Alice Coltrane – Kirtan: Turiya Sings
Excerpt from Jenn Pelly’s review of Kirtan: Turiya Sings published on Pitchfork Media: In 1981, Alice Coltrane sang on record for the first time, at the behest of God. Having lived many musical lives—church organist, bebop pianist, cosmic jazz visionary, intrepid experimental composer—she was by then serving as spiritual director for her interfaith Vedantic Center in Southern California, seeking […]
Gong Gong Gong + Mong Tong – Mongkok Duel
Beijing’s Gong Gong Gong and Taipei’s Mong Tong are like-minded duos known for cinematic and raw sounds, merging transglobal melodies with undeniable grooves. On Mongkok Duel, the bands join forces to create an imagined soundtrack for a lost kung-fu film. These are the sonic accompaniments, no doubt, to a supernatural tale of honour, intrigue, and […]
Tashi Dorji – We Will Be Wherever The Fires Are Lit
Tashi Dorji is a Bhutanese guitarist and improvisational musician known for his avant-garde and experimental (read: deeply gnarly, finely arty) approach to music. Tashi’s idiosyncratic take on the instrument, one defined by movement and profound openness to technique, adds up to a post-colonial disembowlment of guitar traditions that stands Tashi next de- and re-constructionist giants as various as Derek Bailey, John […]
Dorothy Ashby – Afro-Harping
The groove-heavy and soulful 1968 album Afro-Harping is set to see a deluxe reissue at the end of the month, reinvigorating the career of jazz legend Dorothy Ashby, who may not be a household name but this prolific artist has become highly influential in contemporary fusion, ambient, spiritual jazz and hip hop – with this […]
Zia Mohiuddin Dagar – Raga Yaman
As I mentioned in the Om Mani Padme Hum: Tibetan Monk Chants and Mantras post, Steven O’Malley of drone icons Sunn O))) introduced me to Zia Mohiuddin Dagar on a mixtape, a mix that enlightened me to many other transformative artists. I don’t think I could more eloquently convey the history of the Dhrupad and […]
V/A – Om Mani Padme Hum: Tibetan Monk Chants and Mantras
While trying to place where I was introduced to the Om Mani Padme Hum: Tibetan Monk Chants and Mantra album, which I believe I discovered on a mix made by lauded experimenter and one-half of the iconic way-too-many-amp dronists Sunn O))), Stephen O’Malley, I realized that much of the sonic and spiritual exploration I’ve experienced […]
Arooj Aftab – Night Reign
In the process of designing APLR’s programming relaunch, and while brainstorming on expanding the venue’s musical breadth, Night Reign was, and continues to be, a great source of inspiration.
Six Organs of Admittance – Time is Glass
Inspired by the East-meets-West solo guitar musings of and , Northern California guitarist has built a prolific and diverse body of work under the name Six Organs of Admittance.