Natural Information Society & Bitchin Bajas Announce New Album, out April 25 via Drag City

Nearly ten years past the space time of 'Automaginary', Bitchin Bajas and Natural Information Society have reported back at last from beyond with Totality, their second collaborative album together, out April 25th. The first single, "Clock no Clock", landed yesterday with a music video.

Totality charts impressive new launch angles from Natural Information Society's ecstatic all-world jazz and Bitchin Bajas’ microtonal soundscapes. The two groups have grown ever finer in their articulation since first collaborating in 2015; in the time since, the Natural Information Society have released four albums (one in collaboration with Evan Parker, one with Ari Brown) and Bitchin Bajas five (one a soundtrack, one with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, one featuring the songs of Sun Ra). Their second album together seems to emanate from eons beyond their first. Recorded in a single day with Greg Norman at Chicago’s Electrical Audio, Totality misses no steps and posits low-key revolutions in gravity for everyone. The septet balance a deeply searching mood throughout each track, with their careful listening and response time continually redefining the space.

Watch the video here for 'Clock / No Clock'

The prismatic music video for "Clock no Clock" was created by longtime Bajascollaborator Nick Contea, whose visuals drift gorgeously with the septet's immaculate sense of flow. Joshua Abrams’ deep-sprung guimbri — countered by breaths & other pushings of air — twines organically-animated mobiles from their separate orbits, its knotty gravity flexing through a medley of dancing shapes. As the track spreads out into space, electronic jets descend onto a celestial runway with a breeze of flutes and organs circling the atmosphere.

These days, Natural Information Society is populated differently. From the sextet that co-created Automaginary, Joshua Abrams, Lisa Alvarado and Mikel Patrick Avery remain, with Jason Stein joining on bass clarinet. Bitchin Bajas flow on in their long-standing trio configuration of Cooper Crain, Dan Quinlivan, and Rob Frye.

It’s about time! That’s a good way to define it: Natural Information Society & Bitchin Bajas’ Totality – it’s about time that we got back to their singularly-divined space. The two collectives will join together and celebrate with a release show on April 23rd at Chicago's Constellation.