Biography

Dreadlocked San Diego-bred yoga instructor Sumach Ecks (who also travels under the names Sumach Valentine and Randy Johnson) turned from rapping with the Masters of the Universe crew and DJ'ing with Killowattz to focus on his solo endeavors under the name Gonjasufi. In 2006, around the time he relocated from beach shores to the desert to teach yoga in Las Vegas, he crossed paths with underground hip-hop staples Gaslamp Killer and Flying Lotus while visiting Los Angeles, and the three established a bond. Ecks, who had been making lo-fi psychedelic hip-hop for his own enjoyment (mainly on CD-Rs), recruited the two beatmakers to produce songs for him, which he would later enhance with his distinctive raspy vocals. Rough mixes led him to a spot on Warp in 2008. After Ecks spent over a year mixing the album down with AGDM at Silver Lake, and releasing the 7" singles "Ancestors" and "Kowboyz & Indians," the full-length A Sufi and a Killer was released in March of 2010. A remix album titled The Caliph's Tea Party followed later that year, and in the beginning of 2012 he released his follow-up, a moody mini-album titled MU.ZZ.LE. He released a split EP with Ras G in 2013, and made guest appearances on albums by Perera Elsewhere, Awol One & Gel Roc, and the Bug. He returned to Warp in 2016 with the full-length Callus. The Mandela Effect followed in 2017, including remixes of Callus tracks by Daddy G (Massive Attack), King Britt, Shabazz Palaces, and others, as well as a collaboration with Afro-beat drummer Tony Allen. ~ Jason Lymangrover, Rovi