Gonjasufi

Gonjasufi
Gonjasufi in Budapest, Hungary, 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Sumach Ecks
Also known as	Sumach Valentine, Randy Johnson
Origin	San Diego, California, United States
Genres	Experimental, lo-fi, alternative hip hop, psychedelic rock, trip hop, dub
Occupation(s)	Vocalist, producer, DJ, actor, yoga teacher
Instruments	vocals, turntables
Years active	1990s–present
Labels	Warp, A.I.R., Hit + Run
Associated acts	Flying Lotus, The Gaslamp Killer
Website	www.sufisays.com

Sumach Ecks (born 1978), better known by his stage name Gonjasufi, is an American vocalist, producer, disc jockey, actor and yoga teacher.

Life and career

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

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

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

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

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

Besides singing and rapping, Ecks also serves as a producer, DJ, actor, and yoga teacher.

Ecks currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Discography

Studio albums

• A Sufi and a Killer (2010)

Remix albums

• The Caliph's Tea Party (2010)

EPs

• The Ninth Inning EP (2011)
• MU.ZZ.LE (2012)
• 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)
• "Nickles 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)

External links

• Gonjasufi discography at Discogs