Gonjasufi

After appearing on FlyLo's Los Angeles, adding some vocal play to "Testament" and subsequently signing with Warp, Gonjasufi released his brilliant full-length debut, A Sufi and a Killer, in 2010, with production and appearances by L.A. luminaries Gaslamp Killer and the aforementioned Flying Lotus. The tattered warble and heavy-handed, atmospheric crooning ― the pulse of the album ― easily deposit themselves into Gonjasufi's latest release, MU.ZZ.LE. Written on the road and recorded in his home studio, MU.ZZ.LE. exists as a fractured landscape, a detached entity that proves sullen and fragmented without the production values and collaborations of GLK and FlyLo. The album plays heavily with downtempo, while haunting vocals, ethereal keys and lethargic, grainy percussion form the patchwork platform the EP rests on. Standouts like "Feedin' Birds" and single "Nikels and Dimes" provide an early framework that implies a more cohesive set-up, but never follows through. While MU.ZZ.LE has its moments, it sounds like more of a precursor to A Sufi and a Killer rather than a follow-up.