Jamming leads to friendships and even more jamming for Shaman Elect

Tight grooves, crisp tones, emotive lyrics, waves of mood oriented improvisation.  Shaman Elect was born inside warehouses turned art studios in Brooklyn, NY. It started as a fusion of styles between Ethan Warshowsky(synths, vocals) and Fredy Garcia (guitar, vocals). Together, they began developing each other’s songs by combining elements of jazz, rock, and electronica.

In early 2017, leading up to their first live performance, Mike Malkowski (drums, vocals) joined the group, contributing his inventive and dynamic drumming. Expressive singer, Sarah Warshowsky (lead vocals) became the group’s frontwoman.

After a series of successful performances in New York City, the band entered the studio to work on their debut full-length album, Mind the Ether.  A distinct fusion of styles, the album captures the diverse musical backgrounds of its creators, ranging from the pulsating and brooding qualities of electronic music (“Woman in Black”) to the groove based improvisational nature of modern psychedelic rock (“Hugo of Bath”). Rich with captivating rhythms and inspired performances, Mind the Ether will in no doubt elicit physical movement and raw emotion from its listeners.

Thematically, the album utilizes sonic imagery to tell the story of the human condition. The “Intro” track establishes the unmistakable psychedelic mood of the album by placeing the listener in a mysterious forest greeted by a sage. We are warmly welcomed to sit by a crackling fire and invited to listen.

What follows is an emotional journey with peaks of euphoria and troughs of desolation and rage.