A Sufi and a Killer

A Sufi and a Killer is the debut studio album by Gonjasufi (Sumach Ecks). It was released by Warp on March 8, 2010.[1] The album was produced by Flying Lotus, The Gaslamp Killer, and Mainframe.

A Sufi and a Killer
Studio album by
Gonjasufi
ReleasedMarch 8, 2010 (2010-03-08)
Genre
Length58:49
LabelWarp
Producer
Gonjasufi chronology
A Sufi and a Killer
(2010)		 The Caliph's Tea Party
(2012)

Ecks said of the album: "I didn't want it to be too easy for the listener. I wanted it to hurt a little bit. I wanted it to get into a spot in the head that hasn't been hit".[2] Of its title he said "The Sufi side of life has helped me with my killer side so I try not to attach myself to any label. There's a Sufi and a killer in everybody, man, and I'll be whatever I have to be just to make it through".[3]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.5/10[4]
Metacritic78/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Clash7/10[7]
The Guardian[8]
The Irish Times[9]
Mojo[10]
MusicOMH[11]
Pitchfork8.4/10[12]
PopMatters6/10[13]
Q[14]
Uncut[15]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, A Sufi and a Killer received an average score of 78 based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[5] At AnyDecentMusic?, which collates critical reviews from more than 50 media sources, the album scored 7.5 points out of 10, based on 18 reviews.[4]

The album garnered much positive critical coverage on its release. AllMusic's Jason Lymangrover gave the album four stars out of five, describing it as "weird, ‘60s-rooted, psychedelic hip-hop", sounding "like if J. Dilla produced George Clinton after visiting with the Dalai Lama, or if Dan the Automator recorded Cody Chesnutt after the two shared a plate of magic mushrooms", and calling it "truly visionary".[6] The BBC described it as "a stunning, genre-transcending record" and "a terrific, trippy adventure".[16] Drowned in Sound gave the album 7/10, describing Ecks' voice as "a hugely versatile instrument, every bit as unique and distinctive as that of Björk or Tom Waits", and calling the album "a fascinating glimpse of a character continually in transition".[2] The Guardian called it "one of the strangest and most eclectic records you'll hear all year",[3] and "an album that practically has a green smog drifting above it".[8] Clash gave it 7/10, stating "repeated plays reveal an irresistible talent".[7] PopMatters gave it 6/10, with reviewer David Amidon stating "I've listened to this album a lot just trying to make sense of it...and have walked away mostly pleased".[13]

A Sufi and a Killer ranked at number 41 on Tiny Mix Tapes' "Favorite 50 Albums of 2010" list.[17] It ranked at number 14 on The Wire's "2010 Rewind" list.[18]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gonjasufi.

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Untitled (Bharatanatyam)"The Gaslamp Killer0:55
2."Kobwebz"The Gaslamp Killer2:13
3."Ancestors"Flying Lotus2:36
4."Sheep"The Gaslamp Killer4:03
5."She Gone"The Gaslamp Killer2:45
6."SuzieQ"The Gaslamp Killer1:44
7."Stardustin"The Gaslamp Killer1:04
8."Kowboyz&Indians"The Gaslamp Killer2:43
9."Change"The Gaslamp Killer2:04
10."Duet"The Gaslamp Killer3:06
11."Candylane"Mainframe2:07
12."Holidays"Mainframe3:57
13."Love of Reign"Mainframe2:39
14."Advice"Mainframe2:45
15."Klowds"The Gaslamp Killer3:28
16."Ageing"The Gaslamp Killer2:42
17."DedNd"The Gaslamp Killer3:38
18."I've Given"The Gaslamp Killer3:35
19."Made / Dobermins"The Gaslamp Killer10:45
Total length:58:49

Charts
Chart (2010) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[19] 55
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[20] 98
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[21] 33

References
  1. "Gonjasufi: A Sufi and a Killer". Warp. Archived from the original on March 23, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  2. Gibb, Tom (March 3, 2010). "Album Review: Gonjasufi – A Sufi and a Killer". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  3. Meer, Malik (March 6, 2010). "Gonjasufi – the electro Hendrix". The Guardian. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  4. "A Sufi And A Killer by Gonjasufi reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  5. "Reviews for A Sufi And A Killer by Gonjasufi". Metacritic. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  6. Lymangrover, Jason. "A Sufi and a Killer – Gonjasufi". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  7. Annan, Nick (February 26, 2010). "Gonjasufi – A Sufi and a Killer". Clash. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  8. Dean, Will (March 4, 2010). "Gonjasufi: A Sufi and a Killer". The Guardian. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  9. Carroll, Jim (March 12, 2010). "Gonjasufi". The Irish Times. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  10. "Gonjasufi: A Sufi and a Killer". Mojo (197): 105. April 2010.
  11. Hogwood, Ben (March 8, 2010). "Gonjasufi – A Sufi And A Killer". MusicOMH. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  12. Patrin, Nate (March 4, 2010). "Gonjasufi: A Sufi and a Killer". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  13. Amidon, David (April 5, 2010). "Gonjasufi: A Sufi and a Killer". PopMatters. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  14. "Gonjasufi: A Sufi and a Killer". Q (285): 111. April 2010.
  15. "Gonjasufi: A Sufi and a Killer". Uncut (155): 90. April 2010.
  16. Parkin, Chris (March 9, 2010). "Gonjasufi A Sufi and a Killer Review". BBC Music. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  17. "2010: Favorite 50 Albums of 2010 (50–41)". Tiny Mix Tapes. December 17, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  18. "2010 Rewind". The Wire. January 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  19. "Ultratop.be – Gonjasufi – A Sufi & A Killer" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  20. "Ultratop.be – Gonjasufi – A Sufi & A Killer" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  21. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
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