Laraaji

Born in Philadelphia in 1943 under the name Edward Larry Gordon, Laraaji develops a singular path between New Jersey, Washington and New York that passes through studies of piano, violin and composition at Howard University, then through comic theatre and street performances. Settled in New York at the end of the 1970s, Laraaji made himself known in Washington Square Park with a revisited zither playing, built on improvisation, repetitive motifs and a search for a soft trance that crosses ambient, new age, minimalism and meditative traditions. His meeting with Brian Eno leads to Ambient 3: Day of Radiance in 1980, a pivotal record that places Laraaji in an experimental scene attentive to contemplative forms and luminous textures. Since then, Laraaji has developed a very extensive discography, begun under his civil name with Celestial Vibration in 1978, then continued with albums like Lotus-Collage in 1979, Flow Goes the Universe in 1992, Sun Gong in 2017, Bring On The Sun in 2017, Sun Piano in 2020 and Moon Piano in 2020. Over the decades, Laraaji has also multiplied collaborations, notably with Roger Eno, Audio Active, Bill Laswell, Blues Control, Merz, Shahzad Ismaily and Medicine Singers. His music remains centered on resonant soundscapes, calm pulsations and a suspended playing that invites dialogue between spirituality, extended listening and improvisation.