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Gonjasufi

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Gonjasufi
Gonjasufi in Budapest, Hungary (2011).
Gonjasufi in Budapest, Hungary (2011).
Background information
Birth nameSumach Ecks
Also known asGonjasufi
Sumach Valentine
Randy Johnson[1]
OriginSan Diego, California, United States
GenresExperimental, lo-fi, alternative hip hop, psychedelic rock, trip hop, dub
Occupation(s)musician, disc jockey, actor and yoga teacher
Years active1990s–present
LabelsWarp
Websitewww.sufisays.com

Sumach Ecks (born 1978),[2] better known by his stage name Gonjasufi, is an American musician, disc jockey, actor and yoga teacher.[3]

Life and career

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

Studio albums

Remix albums

  • The Caliph's Tea Party (2010, Warp Records)

EPs

  • The Ninth Inning EP (2011, A.I.R.)
  • MU.ZZ.LE (2012, Warp Records)

Singles

  • "Holidays" b/w "Candylane" (2009)
  • "Kowboyz&Indians" b/w "My Only Friend" (2010)
  • "Kobwebz" b/w "Speaketh" (2010)
  • "Nickles and Dimes" (2010)
  • "Ninth Inning" (2011)
  • "The Blame" (2012)

Guest appearances

  • The Gaslamp Killer - "I’m in Awe" from Death Gate (2010)
  • Humansuit - "Lawnmower Man" from Humansuit (2012)
  • The Gaslamp Killer - "Veins" and "Apparitions" from Breakthrough (2012)
  • Perera Elsewhere - "Giddy" from Everlast (2013)
  • Awol One & Gel Roc - "Flight" from The Cloaks (2014)
  • Dag Savage - "Bad Trip" from E & J (2014)

References

  1. ^ a b Allmusic - Gonjasufi
  2. ^ a b Meer, Malik (2010) "Gonjasufi – the electro Hendrix", The Guardian, 6 March 2010, retrieved 2010-07-04
  3. ^ a b SDR - Gonjasufi Extended Interview
  4. ^ a b Gimme5 Interview: Gonjasufi
  5. ^ a b Lymangrover, Jason. "Gonjasufi Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  6. ^ a b c d Dombal, Ryan. "Rising: Gonjasufi". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
  7. ^ "A Sufi And A Killer". Warp Records. Retrieved 2010-03-06.

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