NEW ALBUM RELEASE!
Album Art By: elijah jamal asani
ephemerals’ forever(s)
Recorded live at Elastic Arts (Chicago, IL) during ẹ̀bà’s improvisational performance on night two of the Afro-futurists Festival 2019; “ephemerals’ forever(s)” is an afro-surrealist telling of a black flower’s labyrinth to create forever within infinity temporary moments. As a Plantae deeply rooted within damp soil, the cross pollination of ambient, wet jazz & r&b resides in a sonic space. As each track lives to summon a new ancestor within the lineage of Ayan, the Òrisha of music, each track also brings us closer to the end of the beginning.
Experience the Sonic Space
MEET THE BAND — ẹ̀bà
ẹ̀bà - birthed in Chicago where the dark matter resides, the black flowers of elijah jamal asani, Brandon Markell Holmes, and Angel Bat Dawid find their wings as they converge into an ephemeral trio whose soul intentions are to summon new ancestral lineage to the Orisha of music, Ayan. Named after the traditional Yoruba term for fufu, each member of ẹ̀bà has grown solo reputation as composers in their respective artistic communities; though the prowess of each artist blossoms when combined, even with only a pair of improvisational performances as a troupe. With elijah's experimental production overseeing the helm of sound, Angel unforgivingly blesses the air{s} and the ethers with her avante garde spirit & clarinet, and Brandon levitates over the waters with buttery vocals from the soul. However ephemeral forever may be, ẹ̀bà is an entity beyond.
elijah jamal asani
Photo By: elijah jamal asani
Brandon Markell Holmes
Photo By: Michael Salisbury
Angel Bat Dawid
Photo By: Vino Taylor
BIO’S
elijah jamal asani -
is a Nigerian-American anti-disciplinary artist and yet to be martyr originating alongside the Wimahl River // bred in Chicago. Beyond Yoruba drum lullabies as a child & a degree in creative writing, elijah is a self taught musician and filmmaker who explores abstractions surpassing our eyes, ears & aortas; without subjecting to a singular medium.
He is most recently a recipient of the Grand Canyon Artist in Residency Program within the National Park Service and co-curator of The Vibe PDX, St Johns music studio.
to this day, he is still the Òrìsà of longing & wetfuschia. To be continued…
Brandon Markell Holmes -
Brandon Markell Holmes is a formally trained theatre actor, working within themes of social observation and the symbiotic relationship between art and history. Described as an ‘invigorating artist’s artist,’ by the Chicago Tribune, he’s also a musician working his own art into history, having appeared on the Grammy-nominated Gorillaz album ‘Humanz’, as well as being featured in Afropunk for his visual EP ‘Inertia’. His debut album, ‘The Museum of R&B,’ re-released in 2020 by brooklyn-based label, toucan sounds, fully displays the depth of Holmes’ artistic message. Complete with visuals and live performance, the album was originally performed as an immersive experience at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. In Brandon’s words, “My prayer is to always create, speak and express with an authentic understanding of what I’m saying and why I’m saying it.”
Angel Bat Dawid -
A soul-stirring performer and ascendent force in Chicago’s avant-jazz and improvised music milieu, Angel Bat Dawid charged onto the scene with her widely acclaimed debut album The Oracle (International Anthem, 2019)—recorded on a cell phone and performed and mixed entirely by herself. Dawid is a classically-trained clarinetist, pianist, vocalist, and composer rooted in the rich sonic legacy and experimentation of Chicago’s South Side, from its renowned Black jazz coalitions of the late twentieth century to the impromptu jam sessions and free-form collaborations that cultivated her revelatory sound. Her full-throated and interdisciplinary stylings—drawn from cosmic jazz, gospel, operatic contralto, spoken word, and samplings from Black cultural icons and personal field recordings—have been celebrated by critics and peers alike, and stand as testimony to the beauty and resilience of Black life and the music born of it. In her electrifying performances and recordings, Dawid croons, shouts, chants, screams, and cries, her booming and incendiary presence often backed by the rhythmic interplay of her band, Tha Brothahood.
““I just want to express my gratitude and thanks for creating such wonderful, beautiful and inspiring music, and for being someone who I look up to, as a composer, as an artist, as a human.””
UPCOMIMG EVENT
Auspice NOW Presents
Séance Session(s)
Album Release Concert!
Where: Elastic Arts, 3429 W Diversey Avenue #208, Chicago IL 60647
Date and Time: Saturday, July 30, 2022 - 8:00pm CT
How Much: $15 - All Ages
Headliner : elijah jamal asani
Opener: Millia
Mid Show: Rhythm Ninja Drums - Featuring: Naydja Burton
Auspice NOW brings you a ceremonial performance of the newly released album, “ephemerals’ forever(s)”
“ẹ̀bà” was birthed from the 2019 Dark Matter Residency Series. The black flowers of elijah jamal asani, Brandon Markell Holmes, and Angel Bat Dawid find their wings as they converge into an ephemeral trio whose soul intentions are to summon new ancestral lineage to the Orisha of music, Ayan. Join us as we hold an inspiring, restful space for The Ancestors.
“ephemerals’ forever(s)” will be available for purchase on Bandcamp and streaming on all major music platforms on July 30th. Visit: AuspiceNOW.bandcamp.com
To see what else we’ve been up to visit: AuspiceNow.com