GONJASUFI - ‘A SUFI AND A KILLER’
Published: The Big Issue #353, April/May 2010.
A Sufi and a Killer
Gonjasufi
****1/2
A Sufi and a Killer, the solo debut from enigmatic, hair-heavy Las Vegas voice-smith Sumach Ecks (aka Gonjasufi), is a record lost in time and space.
Across a maze of no less than 19 whoozy, dust-crackled sketches – courtesy of LA producers The Gaslamp Killer, Mainframe and Flying Lotus – the amorphous vocalist visits strains of grit-scarred blues, darkened psych-rock and sub-bass hip hop, alongside flourishes of Mediterranean folk, understated, atmospheric funk and various analogue ephemera. It’s a trip.
Cuts like the shuddering, floor-shaking frequencies of ‘Ancestors’ and the narcotic psych groove of ‘Duet’ trawl menacing depths; the angelic, pastoral folk melodies of tracks like ‘Sheep’ and ‘Klowds’ offer glimmering respite. But there are countless highlights. The raw, skeletal rhythm and blues of ‘Aging’ has Gonjasufi sounding like a time-warped Howlin’ Wolf.
Though diverse, A Sufi and a Killer is anything but disjointed. Gaslamp, Fly Lo and Mainframe’s cuts share an unlikely resonance, while Gonjasufi’s slurred, whispered, growled parlance reverberates with an odd charisma – equal part ferocity and vulnerability. Put simply, it’s unlike anything else you’ll hear this year.
Unhinged from any sure era or footing, A Sufi and a Killer is defined the vision and experience of an engrossing and very much singular character.
Dan Rule
