Laraaji
Laraaji has performed in USA and abroad since late 1970’s with his innovative style of electric open tuned zither/harp. After studying piano, music theory & composition at Howard University School of Fine Arts in Washington , DC during the mid nineteen-sixties he became inspired to move to New York city to follow his passion for both musical sound composition and comedy acting. After mild success in theatre, film, TV commercials and night club performance he investigated eastern philosophy, meditation and meta-physics
Laraaji has performed in USA and abroad since late 1970’s with his innovative style of electric open tuned zither/harp. After studying piano, music theory & composition at Howard University School of Fine Arts in Washington , DC during the mid nineteen-sixties he became inspired to move to New York city to follow his passion for both musical sound composition and comedy acting. After mild success in theatre, film, TV commercials and night club performance he investigated eastern philosophy, meditation and meta-physics
Vision Songs - Vol. I
Vision Songs Vol. 1 is the Laraaji album like no other, located at the intersection of new age and gospel, his outlier and magnum opus, the feel-good DIY tape of the century. Casio synth jams recorded at spiritual retreat guest rooms and a tiny bedroom on the Upper West Side in 1984, lysergically-spectacular anthems for a continually arriving new moment. “Channeled from the sky,” humbly offered on vinyl for the first time, this is where this is going on, this is where this is taking place, this …
Segue To Infinity
The definitive collection of Laraaji's earliest works, Segue To Infinity compiles his 1978 debut Celestial Vibration and six additional side-long studio sessions from previously unknown acetates from the same period.
I Am The Center: Private Issue New Age Music In America, 1950-1990
An exploration into the golden era of New Age music in America. Spirituality and psychedelia, gentle waves of analog music often made and distributed in the most DIY of ways with a radical spirit. Overall, an essential insight into an often misunderstood genre
Celestial Vibration
Laraaji’s sublime zither improvisation, Celestial Vibrations (1978) forms nothing less than an early archetype for new age ambient music. It was originally issued as a privately pressed meditation aid and sold in limited numbers around NYC until, that is, Brian Eno famously stumbled across Laraaji doing his thing, and the rest, as they say, is laid out in the ambient history books. That fateful meeting with Brian Eno - interestingly enough in the same year that Eno compiled the definitive No W…
Moon Piano
"Moon Piano" is the second in Laraaji's trilogy of piano albums, and follows the spiritual "Sun Piano", released earlier this summer. The piano was the first instrument the esteemed ambient idol learned, and his return to the keys feels generous and open-hearted. Laraaji's focus here is more melancholy and contemplative than on the album's predecessor, and while the same process was used - “I’d sit down, touch the piano and through free association, also blending it with my prepared mental state…
Sun Piano
Spiritual keyboard improvisations performed by Laraaji and recorded in a Brooklyn Church by Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War On Drugs, Mary Lattimore). Sun Piano finds Laraaji fulfilling a lifelong ambition to return to his first instrument, learnt whilst growing up in 1950s New Jersey. A departure from his FX-soaked cosmic zither jams, these elegant miniatures nevertheless reveal enough personality and inner light to be clearly identifiable as ‘Laraaji Music’.
This release is the latest step in…
Celestial Realms
Morning Trip is a new imprint under Telephone Explosion dedicated to
releasing ambient, experimental and generally optimistic sounds.
Originally released on cassette in 1986, Celestial Realms is a
collaborative album from new age figurehead and Brian Eno-collaborator
Laraaji, and fellow cosmic traveller Jonathan Goldman (aka Lyghte).
Laraaji conjures his typically vivid soundworld of shimmering electric
zither, while Goldman inhabits that world with pulsing guitar and
droning synthesizer.…
Vision Songs Live At Brilliant Corners
His utterly distinctive, captivating cross-fertilisation of New Age and Gospel Soul, unfurled in a live, hour-and-a-half improvised session, recorded in London last year. The 1984 work Vision Songs Vol. 1 — ‘devotional and inspirational songs’, Laraaji calls them — in its entirety, including the underground favourite All Of A Sudden. Lovingly presented, with a risograph inlay and photographic insert card, in a tiny edition, on cassette only.
Bring On The Sun
A collection of brand new Laraaji studio recordings, recorded by Davey Jewell (Peaking Lights/Flaming Lips) and mixed by Carlos Niño (Leaving Records). A magical mixtape of tracks that run the full gamut of ‘Laraaji music’, from blissed-out percussive jams to reflective vocal hymnals to trance-inducing drones. A perfect Laraaji entry-point on his never-ending creative journey through inner light. Laraaji is a musician, mystic and laughter meditation practitioner based in New York City. He began …
Sun Gong
New age pioneer Laraaji summons celestial energies thru radiant gong meditations alloyed with modular synth and vocals to immersive effect. It’s really not as optimistic as you might expect, but does seem to follow a narrative arc from chaotic mystic darkness to a more positive, chiming conclusion in its 25 minute duration. An intriguing addition to his catalogue, which takes another smart turn with his upcoming album, Bring On The Sun.
All In One Peace
2016 restock, last copies around. Leaving Records is proud to present, with humble gratitude, three re-issues of seminal works by new age musician, composer, and laughter meditation workshop leader Laraaji. Recorded between 1978 and 1983, these works have not been re-issued in full since their original release. Although some excerpts of the material have been featured on various compilations, this is the first time in over 30 years that one can experience the uninterrupted duration of thes…
Professional Sunflow
Professional Sunflow is the first-time collaboration between Laraaji & Sun Araw, two colossal forces in contemporary electronic music. Laraaji's musical radiance has continued to shine brightly over four decades since being discovered by Brian Eno in New York's Washington Square Park in 1979. Sun Araw emerged out of Los Angeles' experimental scene in 2008 with transformative releases on a variety of trend-setting labels (Not Not Fun, Drag City and more).The live performances on this double LP – …
Ambient 3
Nr. 3 from the most famous ambient series, now reissued. Laraaji’s glistening album “Ambient 3: Day of Radiance” has from the beginning been considered an outlier. Though widely celebrated at the time of its release in 1980 -- as the third installment of Brian Eno’s emerging ambient music series (Ambient 1-4) -- the album also brought with it an aura of mystification. Where did it fit in? An uncharted synthesis of resonating zither textures, interlocking, hammered rhythms and 3-D sound tre…
Essence/Universe
Beautiful slice of 1987 new age ambience by Laraaji and his plugged in zither, reissued by Brian Eno's All Saints Music. "Heavenly tone clusters that stretch out into infinity and recall Popol Vuh's soundtracks for Werner Herzog. Floating, dream-like music to lose yourself in."
Celestial Music 1978 - 2011
The first ever career-spanning collection of the music of legendary electronic mystic, Laraaji. Featuring rare early tape works, plus collaborations with Brian Eno, Bill Laswell and Blues Control, this triple vinyl edition houses each LP in its own printed inner bag and is presented in a specially made kraft board printed sleeve. 'Celestial Music' is a long overdue career retrospective documenting the highlights from over 30 years of spiritual music by Edward Larry Gordon aka Laraaji. Like many …
FRKYS Vol. 8
"Volume 8 in the ongoing FRKWYS series on RVNG Intl. is a double album-length collaboration between Blues Control and Laraaji. Following the 'fodder first' tradition of previous FRKWYS installments, Vol. 8 was birthed over e-mail dialogue between RVNG and Russ Waterhouse and Lea Cho of Blues Control. Blues Control's evolved output gracefully arcs with influence and innovation that gleams electronic, New Age, and hard rock terrains. Laraaji's name came up early in that conversation and felt intri…