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Laraaji

Happiness is a warm Laraaji.

Laraaji is a musician, mystic and laughter meditation practitioner based in New York City.

He began playing music on the streets in the 1970s, improvising trance-inducing jams on a modified autoharp processed through various electronic effects. Brian Eno saw him playing one night in Washington Square Park and invited him to record an album for his seminal Ambient series (Ambient 3: Day Of Radiance, released 1980). Laraaji went on to release a prolific series of albums for a wide variety of labels, many of which he recorded himself at home and sold as cassettes during his street performances.

In recent years he has had his career celebrated extensively, with reissues of his extensive and wide-ranging back catalogue on labels including Numero Group, Glitterbeat and Leaving Records. In 2017 he added a stunning pair of new recordings to his catalogue, Bring On The Sun and Sun Gong, both released on All Saints.

“The whole song cycle is an immersive experience, one that shimmers and glistens and throbs in all the right places.” – The Guardian

“It’s minimalistic and trance-like, made for headphone listening and intimate spaces, but in no way does it fade into the background” – Pitchfork

“Spontaneous yet cohesive; intimate yet spun-out, this is some of Laraaji’s finest work. He is finally getting the recognition for being the singular visionary that he is” – Future Music

An incredible and  emotional listening experience.” – Louder Than War

“Both Bring on the Sun and Sun Gong are glorious, life affirming works. The sounds that Laraaji creates feel like they are borne out his own philosophy and are full of his wisdom. It is a beautiful form of therapy.”  – Outside Left

“A remarkable, transcendental journey into the clouds” – Electronic Sound

“Some much needed waves of cosmic sunshine for our currently troubled times” – The Wire

“Laraaji may be in his 70s, but he’s no oldies act. In actuality, he’s as timeless as any musician currently treading the boards. Be good to yourself for a change and bask in his magnanimous effusions.” – The Stranger

“An uplifting transcendence that’s simply a joy to hear” – Prog

“A sprawling collection, encompassing everything from euphoric zither washes to jazzy beat poetry, without ever losing sight of its mood of sunny positivity” – Uncut

“Both records are essential, pure-hearted, spirit-cleansing listens perfect for anyone looking to eradicate cynicism from their life.” – Flood Magazine