''Psychomagia'' is the second album by Abraxas, led by

Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (born 1975) is an American bassist and oud player who has recorded and performed extensively with Cyro Baptista's Banquet of the Spirits, Daniel Zamir's Satlah, Rashanim, Pharaoh's Daughter, and John Zorn. Blumenkranz stu ...

, performing compositions written by

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conducting, conductor, saxophonist, arrangement, arranger and record producer, producer who "deliberately resists category". His Avant-garde music, avant-garde and experimental music, ex ...

, which was recorded in December 2013 and released on the

Tzadik Tzadik ( ''ṣaddīq'' , "righteous ne; also ''zadik'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadīqīm'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ...

label.

Reception

Martin Schray stated "these tracks are true Zorn compositions interwoven with Near Eastern melodies, western soundscapes and jazzy wackiness and Abraxas play these pieces with the abrasive, breathtaking energy of a monstrous jam session. The musicians never consider technical skills as ends in themselves, they always serve the compositions. ''Psychomagia'' is a High Mass for guitar freaks, fans of the music of

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...

and for those who like the harsher sides of

Bill Frisell William Richard Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is an American jazz guitarist. He first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts, notably as a participant ...

and

Marc Ribot Marc Ribot (; born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer. His work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, Rock music, rock, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notab ...

".Schray, M
The Free Jazz Collective Review
March 21, 2014 New York Music Daily stated "On one hand, this album is so tuneful that fans of traditional surf music are going to love it; at the same time, it’s so deliciously evil in places that the most cynical

Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (Spanish language, Spanish for "I've got it"; also abbreviated as YLT) is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley ...

diehards might be caught drooling".delaruse
John Zorn’s Abraxas Plunges into the Killer Surf
''New York Music Daily'', March 29, 2014

Track listing

''All compositions by John Zorn'' # "Metapsychomagia" - 7:31 # "Sacred Emblems" - 3:02 # "Circe" - 6:03 # "Squaring the Circle" - 5:51 # "Celestial Mechanism" - 2:32 # "Evocation of the Triumphant Beast" - 6:25 # "Four Rivers" - 3:54 # "The Nameless God" - 4:35 # "Anima Mundi" - 4:14

Personnel

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

Aram Bajakian Aram Bajakian (born 1977) is an American guitarist of Armenian descent who has recorded and toured with John Zorn, Lou Reed, Diana Krall, and with Madeleine Peyroux in 2018.Perlmutter, AAram Bajakian: Navigating New Territory ''Premier Guitar, A ...

Eyal Maoz Eyal Maoz (; born 1969, Haifa) is an Israeli-born American guitarist, bandleader, solo performer, and composer. His music has been described as a synthesis of rock, jazz and avant-garde, tinged with deep electronic and radical Jewish-middle-east ...

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

*Kenny Grohowski -

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

References

{{Authority control 2014 albums Albums produced by John Zorn Tzadik Records albums