Gonjasufi

Sumach Valentine[3] (born 1978),[4] better known by his stage name Gonjasufi, is an American vocalist, producer, disc jockey, actor and yogi.[5]

Gonjasufi
Gonjasufi in Budapest, Hungary, 2011.
Background information
Birth nameSumach Valentine
Also known asSumach Ecks
OriginSan Diego, California, United States
GenresHip hop,[1] psychedelic[2]
Occupation(s)Vocalist, producer, DJ, actor, yoga teacher
InstrumentsVocals, turntables, guitar
Years active1990s–present
LabelsWarp, A.I.R.,
Associated actsFlying Lotus, Pearl Thompson
Websitewww.sufisays.com

Life and career

Ecks was born in 1978 to a Mexican mother and an American-Ethiopian father.[3] He spent his formative years in Chula Vista, California.[5]

Ecks got involved early on in the arts, playing Helios the Sun God in the opera Persephone.[6]

In the early 1990s, he began releasing music within the San Diego hip hop scene; notably with the Masters of the Universe crew.[7][8] Touring under the stage names Sumach Valentine and Randy Johnson,[7] his first band was called Plant Lyphe.[6]

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".[8] His Warp debut album, A Sufi and a Killer, was released March 8, 2010.[9]

Ecks' voice has been described by Pitchfork as "a scraggly, scary, smoked-out croak that creeps like the spiritual offspring of George Clinton and Lead Belly".[8] He attributes his singing style to his day job teaching yoga, where he was forced to learn how to "project from [his] stomach more".[8] His music is largely experimental, fusing urban beats with psychedelic flourishes.[10][11]

Besides singing and rapping,[12] Ecks also serves as a producer,[13] DJ,[14] actor,[15] and yoga teacher.[5]

On August 19, 2016, Gonjasufi released the album, Callus, which featured contributions from Pearl Thompson.[16]

Discography

Studio albums

Remix albums

EPs
  • The Ninth Inning EP (2011)
  • Untitled (2013) (split with Ras G)

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

Guest appearances
  • Flying Lotus – "Testament" from Los Angeles (2008)
  • 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)
  • Old English – "The Omen" from Band in Amerikkka (2013)
  • Perera Elsewhere – "Giddy" from Everlast (2013)
  • Awol One & Gel Roc – "Flight" from The Cloaks (2014)
  • Dag Savage – "Bad Trip" from E & J (2014)
  • The Bug – "Save Me" from Angels & Devils (2014)
  • L'Orange & Mr. Lif – "Strange Technology" from The Life & Death of Scenery (2016)
  • The Gaslamp Killer – "Good Morning" from Instrumentalepathy (2016)
  • A7pha – "Hater Hate It" from A7pha (2017)

References
  1. Fantano, Anthony (June 8, 2010). "Gonjasufi: Musings Of A Hip-Hop Mystic". NPR. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  2. Dacks, David (May 13, 2010). "Gonjasufi: A Sufi And A Killer". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  3. Meer, Malik (March 6, 2010). "Gonjasufi – the electro Hendrix". The Guardian. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  4. Green, Thomas H. (January 14, 2012). "theartsdesk Q&A: Musician Gonjasufi". The Arts Desk. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  5. Deal, Chad (January 20, 2012). "Gonjasufi Extended Interview". San Diego Reader. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  6. Gimme5 Interview: Gonjasufi Archived March 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Lymangrover, Jason. "Gonjasufi Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  8. Dombal, Ryan (February 25, 2010). "Rising: Gonjasufi". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
  9. Hogwood, Ben (March 8, 2010). "Gonjasufi – A Sufi And A Killer". MusicOMH. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  10. Dacks, David (May 13, 2010). "Gonjasufi: A Sufi And A Killer". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  11. Fantano, Anthony (June 8, 2010). "Gonjasufi: Musings Of A Hip-Hop Mystic". NPR. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  12. Olshevski, Andrew (November 2, 2011). "New Mini-Album From Gonjasufi". CMJ. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  13. Roberts, Randall (February 21, 2012). "Video premiere: Gonjasufi roams downtown L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  14. Pressman, Joshua (March 15, 2010). "Tonight In Rock: She & Him, Gonjasufi, Moonrats, The Delta Mirror". LAist. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  15. "The Cure star legally changes his name as he leaves the music world for art". Hollywood.com. March 15, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  16. Thiessen, Brock (July 7, 2016). "Gonjasufi Returns with 'Callus'". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
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