Gonjasufi
| Gonjasufi | |
|---|---|
 Gonjasufi in Budapest, Hungary (2011). |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sumach Ecks |
| Also known as | Gonjasufi Sumach Valentine Randy Johnson[1] |
| Origin | San Diego, California, United States |
| Genres | Experimental, lo-fi, alternative hip hop, psychedelic rock, trip hop, dub |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Labels | Warp |
| Associated acts | Flying Lotus The Gaslamp Killer |
| Website | www.sufisays.com |
Gonjasufi (born Sumach Ecks in 1978)[2] is an American musician, disc jockey, actor and yoga teacher.[3]
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Biography [edit]
Ecks was born in 1978 to a Mexican mother and an American-Ethiopian father.[2] He spent his formative years in Chula Vista, California.[3]
Ecks got involved early on in the arts, playing Helios the Sun God in the opera Persephone.[4]
In the early 1990s, he began releasing music within the San Diego hip hop scene; notably with the Masters of the Universe crew.[5][6] Touring under the stage names Sumach Valentine and Randy Johnson,[1] his first band was called Plant Lyphe.[4]
Ecks gained notice from Warp Records in 2008 after an appearance on Californian musician Flying Lotus' album Los Angeles, on which he sings on the track "Testament".[6] His Warp debut album, A Sufi and a Killer, was released on March 8, 2010.[7]
Ecks' voice has been described by Pitchfork Media as "a scraggly, scary, smoked-out croak that creeps like the spiritual offspring of George Clinton and Lead Belly."[6] He attributes his singing style to his day job teaching yoga, where he was forced to learn how to "project from [his] stomach more".[6]
Ecks currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.[5]
Discography [edit]
Albums [edit]
- A Sufi and a Killer (2010), Warp
- The Caliph's Tea Party (2010), Warp
- The Ninth Inning EP (2011), A.I.R.
- MU.ZZ.LE (2012), Warp
Singles [edit]
- "Holidays"/"Candylane" (2009)
- "Kowboyz&Indians"/"My Only Friend" (2010), Warp
- "Kobwebz"/"Speaketh" (2010)
- "Ninth Inning" (2011)
- "The Blame" (2012)
References [edit]
- ^ a b Allmusic - Gonjasufi
- ^ a b Meer, Malik (2010) "Gonjasufi – the electro Hendrix", The Guardian, 6 March 2010, retrieved 2010-07-04
- ^ a b SDR - Gonjasufi Extended Interview
- ^ a b Gimme5 Interview: Gonjasufi
- ^ a b Lymangrover, Jason. "Gonjasufi Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
- ^ a b c d Dombal, Ryan. "Rising: Gonjasufi". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
- ^ "A Sufi And A Killer". Warp Records. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
External links [edit]
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