Laraaji is often thought of as one of progenitors of new age music. He was discovered by Brian Eno while playing meditational music in Washington Square Park in the early 1980's. After studying classical composition at Howard University’s College of Fine arts from 1962 to 1964, Laraaji was initially drawn to the world of stand-up comedy, which he excelled in. He was featured in the movie Putney Swope, but though the career path of an actor did not blend well enough with his interest in spirituality, laughter remained a key trope in the composition of his life. His playful, trickster persona pleasantly offsets the meaningful koans of wisdom he gifts throughout his work.  

Laraaji’s approach to creating music and to making speech is not just an art form; it's a deep, meditative process that invites both the performer and the listener into a state of present-moment awareness. In doing so, Laraaji bridges the gap between the terrestrial and the cosmic, awakening a dormant understanding that everything in the universe is interconnected, and playing out simultaneously. 

Beyond his unique perspective, Laraaji is quite simply a musical genius, very very prolific, with more than 50 albums to date and a full 2024 performance schedule. His music provides a wonderful companion to meditation, to journeying, to walking, to breathing, to being. 

Laraaji was at Esalen as part of Esalen’s inagural Go Within series, curated and hosted by Sadia Bruce, which also featured performances from Mary Lattimore and Snow Raven. 

https://www.esalen.org/learn/go-within-winter-series-2023-2024

Laraaji and Sam sat down and did this in front of a live studio audience in late December 2023. We began with a beautiful micro concert, performed by Laraaji and Arji Oceananda. 

Laraaji's 2024 tour schedule and more: 

http://laraaji.blogspot.com/

Vertical Vibrations: Laraaji's Dance with Time, Music, and Cosmic Laughter - Live at Esalen

The Harvest Time Project: A Tribute to Pharoah Sanders
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Knoxville, TN @ Knoxville Civic Auditorium - Big Ears Festival - 1:30pm

01. Harvest Time
02. ?Memories of Edith Johnson? > drums > Love Will Find A Way

The Harvest Time Project:
Laraaji - vocals
Sheila Maurice-Grey - trumpet & vocals
Austin Williamson - drums
Joshua Abrams - double bass
Tisziji Munoz - guitar
John Medeski - piano & organ

Schoeps MK4 > Baby NBox > Zoom H6 essential 
Recorded by Funk It Blog (from 2nd row center)
with patches from Joel Berk's Zoom H1n source (first 4 minutes, plus 16 patches)

Notes: My Big Ears 2024 recordings did not come out as I had hoped, due to a triple threat of technical snafu's. Long story short, don't try out new cables/setups/adaptors without a test run. I switched from the CMC1KV bodies to active cables at the last minute without a test run. I wanted to run 32bit float so I wouldn't have to worry about levels and could be more present, but I forgot to tell the cable maker that I needed XLR in instead of 1/8, so I bought some cheap adaptors that left me with left channel drop outs. I also went line in instead of mic in, so my levels were extremely low and I didn't realize it until I got home. Anyway, this recording still sounds pretty good even though it had to be amplified, turned into "fake stereo / dual mono" and about 16 short skips had to be patched.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9zCIENl9q0

The Harvest Time Project: A Tribute to Pharoah Sanders 3/24/24 Big Ears Festival, Knoxville, TN

KGNU's Uncle Jam interviews Laraaji discussing the inspiration behind his mind-bending music and the sonic tools he used. Laraaji shares a transformative experience with music, acquiring an autoharp and experimenting with it in the late 70s and early 80s. He also talks about the interplay between darkness and light in his creative process, guiding his audience through emotions. Laraji recommends yoga, energy work, and setting intentions to prepare for his upcoming KGNU Presents show at the Art Hub in Lafayette on May 3rd.

KGNU

Interview: Laraaji

KGNU's Uncle Jam interviews Laraaji about his inspirations, sonic tools, and his creative process (Interview date: 4/20/2024)

Taken from the album 'Vertigo'. Limited cyan coloured vinyl LP (300 copies only) out July 26th 2024

artist: IVAN THE TOLERABLE QUINTET
title: Vertigo
catalogue # REPOSELP142
format: Vinyl LP (Cyan)
barcode: 5051142068873
release date: July 26th 2024

Stars align and Oli Heffernan brings his ever-(d)evolving Ivan The Tolerable to Riot Season for two LPs of sublime entropic drift. 

Having this time recruited Christian Alderson (The Unit Ama) on drums, John Pope (Ponyland) on double bass, Kevin Nickles (Ecstatic Vision) on flute and saxophone and Ben Hopkinson on electric paino - both works were recorded as a quintet almost instantaneously, the players barely brushing or breathing a note before the whole thing was done. 

The first LP, Vertigo, is all claustrophobic, dense and disorientating - like Sun Ra sitting in with Exploding Star Orchestra

Whereas the second LP, Water Music, is the music of lapping waves, becalmed, creaking hulls, circling birds and gentle winds. - Equal parts Laraaji and Natural Information Society

Bob Fischer (Electronic Sound Magazine) on ‘Water Music’

"A summer's afternoon daydream of an album. Beautifully soothing psychedelic jazz overflowing with raga delights...immerse yourself in its charms"

John Hubner (Complex Distractions) on ‘Vertigo’

“An expansive collection of free-flowing sound and mood bringing to mind Coltrane (John and Alice) as well as the great Albert Aylor, while touching on the forward thinking compositions of Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra. From the titanic soundscape of "New Worlds On Earth" to the Marc Moulin touches of "Liquid Voices" and the mysterious eccentricitiesof "Swimming", 'Vertigo' hangs in the air long after the final note plays.”

Vertigo

The Pearl

Buy Direct From Label

IVAN THE TOLERABLE QUINTET 'The Pearl' (Vertigo 2024)

This is the start of my new project consisting of weekly mini mixes where I will be focusing on different genres each week. This project is aiming to give out more mixes for you to enjoy, but also for me to grow as a DJ by working with different music genres. Every week will feature 5 carefully selected tracks within certain genre.

First genre I chose to work with is deep house. I hope this mix will please you and don't hesitate to reach out if you want me to feature a certain genre.

Best wishes,
Softrex

Track list: 
1. Seb Wildblood (feat. Laraaji) - slice
2. Village - Y_U
3. Ces Castro - Bis Bis 
4. Sofia Kourtesis - La Perla (Tourist Remix)
5. Bella Boo - Boo Moon

Mini Mix 001 [Deep House]

Taken from the album 'Water Music'. Limited deep yellow vinyl LP (300 copies only) out August 30th 2024

artist: IVAN THE TOLERABLE QUINTET
title: Water Music
catalogue # REPOSELP141
format: Vinyl LP (Deep Yellow)
barcode: 5051142068866
release date: August 30th 2024

Stars align and Oli Heffernan brings his ever-(d)evolving Ivan The Tolerable to Riot Season for two LPs of sublime entropic drift. 

Having this time recruited Christian Alderson (The Unit Ama) on drums, John Pope (Ponyland) on double bass, Kevin Nickles (Ecstatic Vision) on flute and saxophone and Ben Hopkinson on electric paino - both works were recorded as a quintet almost instantaneously, the players barely brushing or breathing a note before the whole thing was done. 

The first LP, Vertigo, is all claustrophobic, dense and disorientating - like Sun Ra sitting in with Exploding Star Orchestra

Whereas the second LP, Water Music, is the music of lapping waves, becalmed, creaking hulls, circling birds and gentle winds. - Equal parts Laraaji and Natural Information Society

Bob Fischer (Electronic Sound Magazine) on ‘Water Music’

"A summer's afternoon daydream of an album. Beautifully soothing psychedelic jazz overflowing with raga delights...immerse yourself in its charms"

Water Music

Floating Palm

IVAN THE TOLERABLE QUINTET 'Floating Palm' (2024)

ADAM SOUF - SANCTUMX

Photo by: ADAM SOUF
Music by : 
ADAM SOUF
ZEPKIN$
Hole
Lil Noid
DJ Marfox
Sayar Rahees
Sophie
Laraaji
Yuri Kono
t.A.T.u.
Madonna
BbyMutha
Peder Mannerfelt
ZaZa Twins


Instagram: @adam._souf

SANCTUMX

Special treat in Music for Indoors 34 by DJ, Producer and musician @sgytis! 🔥

In live performances, Gytis Simanavičius experiments with acoustic percussion instruments. 
Behind the decks, he shares his very colorful and original vinyl record collection. 

Spending a lot of time in the studio creating electronic music, his vinyl collection has expanded to include acoustic music to balance things out. S Gytis values uniqueness. When he hears an original sound, the record joins his possessions.  

When DJing, he enjoys playing long sets, where he can experience firsthand what he has packed into his bags. 

S Gytis is surrounded by like-minded people, friends, and other lovely companions. Being part of an active community brought one result of many to light: RAMU Records. The collective has released three albums, bringing people together for cozy events and sprinkling warmth at larger and smaller Lithuanian festivals.

For our series, Gytis connected deep & fresh, melancholic & positive in this wonderful mix reflecting his mindful passion for music. ❤️‍🔥 

www.soundcloud.com/sgytis
www.instagram.com/s_gytis_
www.facebook.com/gytis.niekogero

www.instagram.com/ramu_records
www.ramurecords.com

Enjoy this mix? Like > Comment > Repost > Follow > Share on Socials 💜 Thanks

Old Man Painting by community member Rimantas Jukšaitis
www.instagram.com/juskaitis_

Enjoying @ecoutesauvert / Music For Indoors ? Please support our work with a small donation. ❤️ We pay a subscription year after year for all the mixes to be here. If not SoundCloud hides them! 😱 www.paypal.com/ecoutesauvert (send as friends & family) Thank you 😘✨

Music for Indoors 34 - S Gytis (RAMU Records - Vilnius/Lithuania)

Live Session w/ Laraaji at Kunstraum Walcheturm
in collaboration with Noise Reduction & MushRoom

Laraaji is a New York-based musician and sonic mystic renowned for his ethereal, zither-driven ambient soundscapes. He first gained widespread recognition with his 1980 album Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, produced by Brian Eno as part of Eno’s influential Ambient series. Blending elements of Eastern mysticism, drone, and transcendental meditation, Laraaji’s improvisational style has made his music a cornerstone of the ambient and healing music community. Rooted in joy and mindfulness, his deep spiritual philosophy extends beyond music to transformative practices like laughter meditation, sound healing and yoga. With his uplifting presence, Laraaji continues to inspire and elevate listeners worldwide.
In our conversation, Laraaji explores why sound is a deeply spiritual experience and shares the story of how he discovered the zither, the instrument that would become his signature.

Watch here the Kasheme Conversations of Laraaji
https://youtu.be/1wn71dWyybE

Watch here the Live Session of Laraaji at Kunstraum Walcheturm
https://www.youtube.com/live/yjnl-aDdx2M?si=UiueUFtDaH6RQPMz

Stay tuned for more!
Kasheme Conversations next month with DJ Amir

Live Session w/ Laraaji

“live audio, live video, always funky”

Funk It is a blog dedicated to live funk recordings, past and present.
Audio, video, downloads, and streaming.

https://taplink.cc/funkitblog
www.FunkItBlog.com
http://www.facebook.com/FunkItBlog/
http://twitter.com/#!/FunkItBlog/
http://funkitblog.tumblr.com/
http://instagram.com/funkitblog
http://www.youtube.com/user/RLBayers/
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFunkItBlog/
http://www.youtube.com/user/FunkItBlog/

Riot Season is an independent label based in the Black Country region of England.

"Voices of Esalen" features provocative, in-depth interviews with the dynamic leaders, teachers, and thinkers who reflect the mission of the Esalen Institute.

For more about the Esalen Institute, head to esalen.org 

Follow Esalen on Facebook and Twitter

Softrex is a creative queer DJ from Stockholm, Sweden. Since he has a big passion for electronic music he can deliver diverse sets within different genres. He also likes to combine different genres in his dj sets to make them stand out and to bring something unique to the dance floor.
His goal is to make people dance and have a good time together. Letting them unite through the music!

FEEL THE LOVE! FEEL THE BEAT! 🌈💕✨

Contact/bookings: DM or email softrex.contact@gmail.com

24/7 Music from KGNU Radio in Boulder + Denver.

Kasheme is where Music and People come together. Our vision is to create a culture around conscious listening not only to music but to each other.

A space that invites us all to slow down and enjoy the moment together. Always guided by the healing power of music that connects people beyond borders and cultures.

ECOUTES AU VERT (EAV) Geneva/Berlin
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Enjoy our MIXES & PLAYLISTS 😊

@ecoutesauvert runs the
MUSIC FOR INDOORS Mix Series 🔥
May 2025 / 5 Years / 35 Artists / 35 Mixes 🎉

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Run with love by @Cobeia 

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EVENTS/INFO
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LATEST EVENTS

🚨 Sa 29-03-25 / From 5PM
Music for Indoors/EAV @ 90mil - Berlin ❤️‍🔥✨
2 Rooms / 6 Selectors / 4 Concerts  

Afternoon to night / listening to dance event feat. wonderful artists representing the Music for Indoors mix series & EAV galaxy + special guest Live duo @bandit-voyage from Geneva! 💥

We bring the listening mix series to life within an EAV music event! 🔥 

SELECTORS / Running Order

COBEIA @cobeia
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  LIVE 

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Sa 29-03-25 at 90mil___ 
Ace Community Space in Berlin ✨

🚨 EAV Tanz @Sameheads Berlin 7-02-25 22:30
@norsicaa (@soundway-records - London) 
@renavolvo (@automaticamore_berlin - Berlin)
@cobeia (@ecoutesauvert / Geneva/Berlin)

🚨 EAV & 8MM Live! 15-02-24 8pm
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@cobeia (Ecoutes au vert / Music for Indoors)

🚨 EAV TANZ! 05-08-23 / @Sameheads Berlin
@aniphoebe (HK) - @axelhaxel (Peru) - @cobeia

🚨 EAV TANZ! 24-03-23 / Ziegra11 / Neukölln
@bandit-voyage (@cheptel-records - Geneva) Live! www.banditvoyage.bandcamp.com
* SAEKO KILLY (@Bureau-b) Live! @killy44
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//////////////////////  

EAV has organized since 2006 countless events in plenty of wonderful outdoor & indoor venues in Geneva & Berlin, and curated shows in other cities and for/with other venues and Festivals. 

EAV supports talented artists of various genres: Outernational, African, Jazz-Funk, Electronic, Cosmic, Disco, Italo, Wave, Indie rock, Weird Pop, Folk, Electro-Acoustic, Ambient, Experimental...  

SHORTLIST OF ARTISTS PLAYING EAV:  

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DJs: I-F, @PrinsThomas, @Helena-hauff, @Analog-Africa, Darshan Jesrani (Metro Area), @Solarsf, ATA, @AwesomeTapesFromAfrica, @BeautifulSwimmers, @KodeNine, @Appleblim, @HodgeBristol, @Rahaan, @AndrePahl, Daniel Wang, @Franz-Scala, @mark-grusane, @aniphoebe, @axelhaxel, @cobeia, @norsicaa, @renavolvo...

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New tracks tagged #Laraaji