When Natural Information Society and Bitchin Bajas announced their first collaboration in 2015, Autoimaginary, Drag City joyously announced, “It’s but once in a lifetime that two bands merge to create a powerfully hypnotic palette that sounds as effortless as it does urgently essential and immediate.” Ten years on, they look set to repeat this feat, with Natural Information Society’s free, grooving spirituality and Bajas’ synthetic minimalism converging once again on their new collaborative album, “Totality,” set for release on April 25th.
Natural Information Society have had a line up change since the last collaboration, with Jason Stein joining on bass clarinet (alongside Joshua Abrams, Lisa Alvarado and Mikel Patrick Avery). Stein also featured on the excellent Elijah McLaughlin & Caleb Willitz album Morning Improvisations / Evening Abstractions (reviewed here). Bitchin Bajas remain the same trio (Cooper Crain, Dan Quinlivan, and Rob Frye). The album was recorded in a single day at Electrical Audio in Chicago with Greg Norman.
Their first single, “Clock no Clock,” is accompanied by a music video created by longtime Bajas collaborator Nick Contea, featuring “prismatic” visuals that complement the track’s flow. In Drag City’s words: Joshua Abrams’ deep-sprung guimbri — countered by breaths & other pushings of air — twines organically-animated mobiles from their separate orbits, its knotty gravity flexing through a medley of dancing shapes. As the track spreads out into space, electronic jets descend onto a celestial runway with a breeze of flutes and organs circling the atmosphere.
The two collectives will join together and celebrate with a release show on April 23rd at Chicago’s Constellation; tickets are on sale now.
Pre-Order Totality: https://lnk.to/totality