Ravish and I have played together here and there for years. Mostly when I’m on the east coast and our respective schedules work out for a meeting. A few years ago we had back to back residencies at Pioneer Works and played quite a bit together for our various projects then. We both feel like it all came together, however, when I came through Philadelphia and we recorded in his studio. The raw material for this album was generated freely in one afternoon. Ravish brought it all into Ableton and produced an album with it. That said, it’s not far removed from what it sounded like live, and we can certainly play this live again (more or less).
“Love the tracks I heard on the new record with Thollem and my cousin Ravish. It’s got the vibes of what I love about Mahavishnu Orchestra and 70s fusion put thru a modern bass and beat driven left field electronic production. Definitely don’t sleep on this!” - Alap Momin (Dälek, MRC Riddims and Internet and Weed Records)
Ravish Momin is an Indian-born drummer, electronic music producer and educator. A Structural/Civil Engineer by training, Momin also privately studied with Jazz master- drummer Andrew Cyrille for years while he worked as an engineer in New York City in the late 1990s. He quit his engineering practice in 2003 to become a professional musician. His unique approach quickly led him to work as a sideman with a diverse cast of musicians ranging from pop-star Shakira to legendary US avant-saxophonist Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre (of the AACM).
He led the acclaimed Global/Jazz/Electronic band Tarana (members included Jason Kao Hwang, Sam Bardfeld, Tanya Kalmanovitch and Rick Parker) on international stages for 14 years and recorded several albums to critical acclaim. In addition to his duo with synth whiz Thollem McDonas, he currently leads the live electronic music duo 'Turning Jewels Into Water' with Haitian electronic music pioneer Val Jeanty. As a solo- artist, his highlights include performances at Moogfest (Durham, NC, US), The Unyazi Festival of Electronic Music (Johannesburg, SA), the Diagonal Festival (Catanzaro, Italy) and the Beirut Art Center (Lebanon).
For the past decade, Momin has been experimenting with enhancing his acoustic drum sounds with electronic ones, and has crafted a unique electro-acoustic approach. He triggers sounds and textures, layers live-loops and manipulates them ‘on the fly’, to blur the lines between composition and improvisation.
He will debut as an electronic music producer under the moniker “Sunken Cages” on the UK based OnTheCorner Records in the Spring of 2021.
supported by 18 fans who also own “Thollem / Sunken Cages”
The energy contained within each of these tracks was just what I was looking for although I couldn’t possibly have known that until I found it! Exhilarating, exciting and enthralling! Jimmy Wunts
supported by 18 fans who also own “Thollem / Sunken Cages”
Simply amazing to hear a new album with Wadada and Ewart!! ...And Reed rounds out this trio beautifully.
Just gave it my first spin. Absolutely magical. jeffrey maurer
supported by 17 fans who also own “Thollem / Sunken Cages”
This is an unusual string quartet – with two cellists and two violinists. The lines of their instruments clash, overlap, build a quasi-resonant echo or sinusoidal forms, harmonize, but also verge upon Penderecki-style horror. Yet this is not a conceptual digression, but a complete composition that requires the listener’s attention throughout – and the result is perfect.
More: http://noweidzieodmorza.com/14428-the-best-of-astral-spirits/ Jakub Knera