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Natural Information Society

Booking Agent | Europe + UK:
Nelson Gomes - nelson@filhounico.com

A pivotal figure at the center of Chicago's fertile scene, Joshua Abrams has been developing a living body of work as sprawling as is unique for more than three decades. Originally from Philly, Abrams was involved in the genesis of The Roots before moving to the Windy City in the early 90s. There, feeling the pulse to the vibrant energy of the city, the multi-instrumentalist - predominantly bassist - delves into its livelihood and liberating spirit, experimenting, influencing and conjuring a vast field of action, open to different languages and practices: Town & Country's ghostly & exploratory ruminations on folk, the chamber post-rock of Terminal 4, his luminous bass playing in records from artists like Sam Prekop or Bonnie "Prince" Billy and a growing and fascinating connection with jazz and improvisation along luminaries like Hamid Drake, Roscoe Mitchell or Matana Roberts. An infinite and valuable network, that extends to the fields of composition for cinema and installation.

Imbued with a brave approach to unheard cross-pollinations, gathered from a myriad of languages, geographies and histories, as if projecting this sort of pan-music with no definite place and time, Abrams gave shape to his Natural Information Society in 2010. A variable geometry formation summoned in the wake of an acclaimed record released that same year under his own name titled 'Natural Society', which established the basic coordinates for this music of elevation and hipnosis. Gathering instrumentation from diverse latitudes, such as the guimbri from Ghana, the harmonium and a battery of percussion, it takes repetition as a gateway to ecstacy in a psychedelic flow where the pulse of Can, minimalism, jazz, North African heritages or the ideal of an Eternal Now envisioned by Don Cherry converge in new and volatile shapes.

Music in perpetual renewal, successively more focused. After the collaboration with dronesters Bitchin' Bajas in 2015's 'Automaginary', 'Simultonality' in 2017, 'Mandatory Reality' in 2019 and a number of public appearances that take the shape of rituals and collective celebrations, 2021 sees the band joining efforts with the legendary saxophonist Evan Parker to summon 'descension (Out of Our Constrictions)'. Recorded live at Café OTO in London, 'descension (Out of Our Constrictions)' is a long 75 minutes piece spanning four stations that circles, expands and contracts simultaneously, escaping time constrictions - as the title indicates - between ensemble passages and moments of freedom, driven by the throb of the guimbri and the drums, around which the floating lines of the soprano sax and the bass clarinet and the ethereal harmony of the harmonium intertwine, in a moment of absolute communion between the musicians, the audience and space itself. The kind of collective ecstasy we need now more than ever.

“it’s patient, layered music that’s always heading somewhere, sometimes spare and sometimes complex and shimmering.” - Ben Ratliff, New York Times

“Abrams discovers new levels of mood and tone; his pieces seem to escape time completely.” - Marc Masters, Pitchfork

“It feels startlingly new, in terms of how the music is extrapolated, how the players relate, even as it feels like an ur-music, primal, body-centered, essential.” - David Keenan, The Wire

“Joshua Abrams’s bass and guimbri throb hypnotically over busy 8/8 drums on the opening track, while ancient creatures low piteously as they plod across a parched landscape … A perfect place to kick back or to ship out and explore the heavens. Abrams lets you do both.” The Wire 2017

Personel:
Joshua Abrams - Guimbri
Lisa Alvarado - Harmonium
Jason Stein - Bass Clarinet Mikel Avery - Drums

NIS WEBPAGE

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Discography

"Natural Information" (2010)
"Represencing" (2012)
"Magnetoception" (2015)
"Simultonality" (2017)
"Mandatory Reality" (2019)
"descension (Out of Our Constrictions)" (2021)

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Press

The Wire
Pitchfork
Guardian

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Video

"Finite" (Excerpt) from Mandatory Reality

Live at the ICA, Philadelphia, March 2017

"Sideways Fall" from Simultonality

"Translucent" from Magnetoception (Live, Chicago 2015)

"Sound Talisman" (Live, Chicago 2015)

Natural Information Society Sextet (Live at Joe’s Cafe, St. Louis 2014)

Live at Tarcento Jazz, Tarcento, Italy 2015

"Natural Information Society"

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Photos
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