Spiritual piano improvisations by Laraaji – one of the artists vital to the emergence of ambient music – recorded in a Brooklyn Church in December 2018 by Jeff Zeigler (Mary Lattimore, The War On Drugs, Kurt Vile).

Sun Piano finds Laraaji fulfilling a lifelong ambition to return to his first instrument, learnt whilst growing up in the baptist church community of 1950s New Jersey. Sun Piano is Laraaji, but not as you may know him. A departure from his FX-soaked cosmic zither jams, these bright and elegant musical miniatures nevertheless represent some of the most dynamic ‘Laraaji Music’ he has ever made.

These improvisations are hugely lively – Sun Piano’s meditative quality comes through more in the bright harmonies than in Laraaji’s lusty playing style. Indeed, the way that Laraaji seems to almost wring the sounds from the instrument on tracks such as This Too Shall Pass displays a power not often heard on his other records. This release is the latest step in something of a late career renaissance for the New York City based musician and mystic. Sun Piano’s thrilling soundscapes is the first in a new trilogy of Laraaji releases in 2020 from the same sessions.