In the realm of transcendental musical journeys, Praysue by The Ari Joshua Quartet stands as a shamanic, nine-minute opus that beckons udto explore the deepest corridors of our consciousness. A work that feels as much an auditory ritual as it does a composition, Praysue intertwines the mystical with the cerebral, creating a sonic experience akin to a DMT trip – where time, memory, and place dissolve, leaving only an immersive connection to the divine.
From the outset, the piece builds a meditative atmosphere, enveloping us in a delicate mist of upright bass and orchestral strings, reminiscent of ancient rituals, echoing through the ages. Ari Joshua’s guitar, a guiding light through this mystic landscape, invokes the spirits of our ancestors, weaving together threads of classical tradition and jazz improvisation. It’s not difficult to imagine this as the soundtrack to an Ayahuasca journey in the Peruvian jungle, or even an ancient excavation scene in Indiana Jones or The Mummy. The music conjures visions of forgotten temples, ancestral voices, and moments suspended in time.
Billy Martin’s drumming provides the rhythmic bedrock – its percussive explorations as unpredictable as the mind in altered states, adding a primal layer to the complexity of the soundscape. John Medeski’s keyboards elevate the piece into a realm of kaleidoscopic textures, breathing life into the sonic journey. His analog tones and swirling organ lines feel like the sound of the universe speaking through wires and magnetic tapes, guiding the listener through a dramatic and ever-evolving auditory ceremony.
Recorded at Applehead Studios in Woodstock, the album captures the timeless quality of music made with intention, each note a brushstroke on a vast, mystical canvas. Engineer Chris Bitner’s careful attention preserves the intimacy of the performance, while Pierre Grill’s mix expands the sound into a three-dimensional tapestry that envelops the listener in a way that feels profound, almost otherworldly.
The track’s narrative unfolds with precision. The prelude, a two-minute meditation, serves as a doorway into this otherworldly dimension. As the strings swell and intertwine with the bass, the piece ascends, carrying us higher into a state of transcendence. Joshua and Medeski’s exchange at the four-minute mark is the heart of this journey – a dialogue between the earthly and the divine, a meeting of minds that feels like a celestial fireworks display in a sky of infinite sound.
As the piece approaches its conclusion, it transforms, finding a renewed sense of purpose – a metaphorical rebirth. The cyclical structure echoes the eternal, as if the journey has come full circle, yet the traveler returns changed, enlightened, and enriched by the experience. The final moments leave the listener suspended, as if caught in a contemplative afterglow, with the lingering echoes resonating like the whispers of forgotten spirits.
With the single artwork by Mark Henson, whose work graces the walls of Alex Gray‘s gallery, the visual representation matches the profound depths of the music. Praysue is a testament to the enduring power of sound to connect us to something larger than ourselves, to bridge the gap between the personal and the universal. In its dramatic rise and fall, its mystical tension, and its deeply cerebral execution, Praysue transports us to realms where the past meets the present, and the mortal collides with the divine. Naturally, we have added Praysue to our New Music Spotlight playlist, our TIMELESS playlist, and the top of our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we listen on repeat to connect us to the universe and beyond.