Gonjasufi

The Profile

Gonjasufi (born Sumach Ecks) is an American vocalist, DJ, and producer from San Diego known for a raw, psychedelic fusion of hip hop, dub, and soul. He debuted on Warp Records with A Sufi and a Killer (2010), produced with Flying Lotus, The Gaslamp Killer, and Mainframe, followed by MU.ZZ.LE (2012) and Callus (2016). A longtime yoga practitioner and teacher, he has also collaborated with Flying Lotus on Testament (Los Angeles, 2008).

American artist from San Diego; stage name Gonjasufi; birth name Sumach Ecks; releases on Warp Records; notable albums include A Sufi and a Killer (2010), MU.ZZ.LE (2012), and Callus (2016); collaborators include Flying Lotus, The Gaslamp Killer, and Mainframe; yoga teacher background; appeared on Flying Lotus’s Los Angeles (track Testament).

Three DeBaser reviews sketch Gonjasufi as a hallucinatory, lo-fi shape-shifter with a husky, yoga-honed voice. A Sufi and a Killer is praised for dusty, psychedelic sprawl; MU.ZZ.LE for intimate, dark trip-hop/dub hues; Callus for a stark, spiritual-political vision. References span Dr. John to Sparklehorse, with Warp-era production grit and desert mystique.