Gonjasufi - Kowboyz & Indians / My Only Friend

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4...according to our Business Lady on Thu 21 Jan, 2010.

Gonjasufi is an interesting proposition to the ears this morning. Mixing distinct hip hop flavour with the warped sensibilities of west coast psychedelia, 'Kowboyz & Indians' sounds like a seriously crazed dancefloor filler. With The Gaslamp Killer at the desk an attempt is made to merge modern and archaic styles of production to create something unique and surprisingly aggressive sounding. Vocals are sporadically barked in a vaguely ODB kinda way and the mix is pushed right into the red with distortion becoming apparent on many of the drum rolls. 'My Only Friend' I'm familiar with already thanks to the warp20 comp made available earlier in the year. Gonjasufi maps out his vocal to accompany a loose psych funk drum and bassline pattern to great effect. The track is steady and understated but it totally works, reminding me of the better moments of the Beastie Boys retroist instrumental funk jams or one of those sweet melodic skits on the Madvillain album.

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To exist outside of the spotlight and develop a sound at once ready for the masses online, yet rooted in the fierce individualism of artists past may seem somewhat of a quaint notion, until you hear Gonjasufi.
At the moment, he stands just outside the spotlight cast on his friends and collaborators Flying Lotus (who describes Gonjasufi’s sound as “timeless incredible filth”) and The Gaslamp Killer. Drawing from unearthed strains of global psychedelia and merging it with a rejuvenated sense of hip hop clarity currently distinct to the West Coast, Gonjasufi is more than just a songwriter, MC or performer.
This 7” follows the crunchy mysticism of debut single ‘Holidays’ / ‘Candylane’ and demonstrates his skilful navigation of a thundering beat on the A-side. The exclusive B-side ‘My Only Friend’ will not appear on the forthcoming album ‘A Killer & A Sufi’.
Another track from Gonjasufi, ‘Ancestors’, features on Warp’s recent ‘2010’ sampler, which was given away to thousands of ticketholders to Warp20 in London – ensuring widespread awareness of Gonjasufi.

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