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

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

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] and yoga teacher.[5]

On August 19, 2016, Gonjasufi released the album, Callus, which featured contributions from Pearl Thompson.[15]

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. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 Deal, Chad (January 20, 2012). "Gonjasufi Extended Interview". San Diego Reader. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Gimme5 Interview: Gonjasufi Archived March 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  7. 1 2 Lymangrover, Jason. "Gonjasufi Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 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. ↑ Thiessen, Brock (July 7, 2016). "Gonjasufi Returns with 'Callus'". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
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