What to say about Gonjasufi? Well, he’s definitely unique. And while the music of the California native (born Sumach Ecks) is not likely to be for everyone, accessibility is rarely a prerequisite for creative merit. On his latest release, A Sufi and A Killer, Gonjasufi manages to bend genres while staying under one cohesive idea. His music ranges from trance-punk to rigid R&B to straight-up gypsy music. All of this, though, is fed through the lo-fi, rag-tag production, which makes Gonja sound like he isn’t quite in the same state of mind as everyone else. The music has a vibe to it that’s akin to the mind’s haziness during a daydream or a weird afternoon nap. Gonjasufi isn’t so much "out of this world" as he is slightly altered, a little to the left—just enough to catch our attention.

The strings on the album create serpentine melodies, while Gonja’s voice creeks through thick layers of suppression. The percussion hops and skips patiently to poignantly affect the rhythm, but never gets in the way; after all, the entire album's dynamic is based on Gonja’s interactions with the strangeness of the sounds around him. Everything on ASAK feels gritty and unrelenting, and this works well for the aesthetics of the album.

At first listen, one might understandably mistake the album for a collection of half-baked stoner weirdness. But it becomes more evident through further listening that both the producers and Gonjasufi have solid pop ability and timing. When I first heard the album I got the impression that the producers pulled out archetypal East Indian influences, threw together the song structure, and Gonja wandered in off the streets and mumbled some lyrics for them (pretty sure "Stardustin'" ends with Gonja mumbling, "Get hiiiiigh, with me"). I’m still not ruling out that that didn’t happen, but at least I've begun to see that both parties made concerted and successful efforts to unearth melodic angles inside the music. Gonja plays off the music so well that he creates vocal hooks that really aren’t there. For instance, try to sing one of his lyrics without the music and I guarantee it’ll sound like a borderline mess. It’s not classically catchy. But next to the music, wildly intertwining, Gonja deftly plays into it. And most of it comes out captivating.

Another interesting aspect of the album is the way it bounces between so many disparate styles, but all plays along a string of cohesiveness. Every song flows seamlessly into the next. It’s remarkable, a fine piece of production. Gonja does “Kowboyz and Indians” (trashy trance-punk) and goes right into “Change” (woozy acid-rock) and the album never skips a beat. Despite this cohesiveness, I couldn’t help but take notice of “She Gone” and “Dust.” These are two particularly awesome songs. “She Gone” is a hook-laden shamble of a pop song and Gonja goes borderline crazy in it. It’s an up-tempo foot stomper in which Gonja destroys every vocal turn, with lamenting verses and jumbled Isaac Brock-like choruses. “Dust” is a production tour-de-force. It’s Acid-rock (with a capital “A”, baby!) with a stiff up-down bassline and warbled, echoed sliding strings. Those affected strings turn the song into a total trance, and of course, Gonja plays off the music and makes it smooth.

The album excels as a complete piece but manages to get a couple of highlights in as well. The final three songs are all woozy, acid-rock affairs, but there are subtle hooks to each of them that end the album in an exceptionally strong fashion. “DedNd,” “I’ve Given” and “Made” all have elements that make them stand out. I wouldn’t say the other songs "lacked" that per say, because I don’t want to demean those songs, but it’s great to add an extra wrinkle to the closing part of the album so something will stick with the listener and have them ready to put it on repeat. At 60 minutes long with 19 tracks, having an attention-grabber at the end of this album (while possibly unintentional) is huge for its momentum in terms of replayability. At the end of it all, A Sufi and a Killer is a triumph for its mystical production and the chameleon vocals of Gonjasufi. It's a great album through and through.

Track List:
1. (Bharatanatyam)
2. Kobwebz
3. Ancestors
4. Sheep
5. She Gone
6. SuzieQ
7. Stardustin’
8. Kowboyz and Indians
9. Change
10. Dust
11. Candylane
12. Holidays
13. Love of Reign
14. Advice
15. Klowds
16. Ageing
17. DedNd
18. I’m Giving
19. Made