Following on the tail of Totality, their collaboration with Bitchin’ Bajas, described by KLOF’s Thomas Blake as a singular kind of magic, and an essential piece of work, Chicago’s revered ensemble, Natural Information Society, led by the visionary Joshua Abrams, has just released Meditation, the first installment in a three-part digital series. It is available now on all streaming platforms via a new partnership with London’s New Soil imprint, with the subsequent parts, Momentum and Manifestation, arriving later this summer.
Breaking away from conventional chronological compilations, Meditation is a human-curated selection designed to evoke specific moods and moments. It features some of the group’s most spacious and immersive pieces, including the gradually unfolding “In Memory’s Prism,” the shimmering “St. Cloud” from their 2017 album Simultonality, and the deep, jazz-inflected “Stigmergy” from 2023’s Since Time Is Gravity. Abrams shared:
“I’m not interested in using music to prescribe how anyone ought to feel. It’s more a way of presenting a space that has room for where a listener is at. The music here offers the possibility of slowing down and reclaiming one’s attention. The emphasis is on the collective and constant yet gradual change.”
Formed in the late 2000s, Natural Information Society masterfully blends minimalism, jazz, kosmische, and “fourth world” experimentalism. At the core of their sound is Abrams’ percussively-patterned guimbri—a three-stringed lute that he playfully calls “almost like the first 808.” This rhythmic foundation allows the music to expand with harmonium drones, hand percussion, drums, and textures from guitar and electronics.
With core members Abrams, Lisa Alvarado (harmonium), Mikel Patrick Avery (drums/percussion), and Jason Stein (bass clarinet), the group’s consistent personnel over 15 years has fostered a deeply cohesive sound. Their music, often enhanced by collaborators like Jeff Parker and Hamid Drake, resonates with Chicago’s rich musical legacy, linking blues and jazz with house, hip-hop, and experimental rock.
Stream Meditation in full: https://mrthn.fm/nis_meditation.OPR
This autumn will also see Natural Information Society embark on a US and European tour, including a stop at Rich Mix, London on October 28th — tickets/info here.
A brand new full-length album is also slated for release in autumn 2025.
Autumn Tour Dates
October 10 – Chicago @ Metro (w/ Stereolab & Bitchin’ Bajas) SOLD OUT
October 24 – Brussels @ Bozar [Tickets]
October 28 – London @ Richmix [Tickets]
And more TBA