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Baker's Dozen

Ceremonial Worship: Gonjasufi's Favourite Records
Elizabeth Aubrey , August 17th, 2016 08:23

Before the singer, DJ and producer releases his third album, Callus, this week, he talks to Elizabeth Aubrey about the 13 songs and albums that have had the biggest impact on his life, emotionally and spiritually

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Miles Davis – Sketches Of Spain
This record is a special one for me. In about 1998 I used to live in the Bay Area and I took a trip up to Seattle to visit my family. I took the train up: I had that record and a DJ Shadow record on cassette. I remember being in the train going up the coast through Oregon and hearing that fucking record man. I was just crying the whole fucking way. It made me visualise my life and where I wanted to be. So when I hear this record now, it takes me back to that moment of self-discovery. Of all his records, like Kind Of Blue and Bitches Brew, Sketches Of Spain is the one that makes me cry like a baby every time I hear it.

I saw Miles Davis play in 1986 with my dad when I was eight years old. That was the first concert I saw. A bunch of jazz bands had played then sunset hit, the lights turned on and then I remember hearing the roar of the crowd. I remember seeing him walk up to the stage… he had his back to the crowd a lot. I just remember hearing his horn playing – it was some crazy shit! He didn't compromise – he didn't give a fuck what you thought about him.

His sounds helped me to experiment, like with all the Turkish psych-rock. GLK turned me on to a lot of that and Ethiopian jazz, too. I spent a lot of time after A Sufi And A Killer came out listening to a lot of garage rock or rock in general. It was too hard for me to get into growing up – I just didn't understand it. I guess I wasn't angry or it was too loud – I just needed jazz or rap or reggae growing up as it spoke to me more.