To experience a RhythmPharm™RhythmTrance workshop at Golden Bridge Yoga is to attain mind body integration, some semblance of the state of Samadhi, or union with the divine. 

Click here for upcoming workshop dates

http://www.rhythmpharm.com

For upcoming Niyaz and Azam Ali events please visit these sites:

The Official Site of Azam Ali

The Official site of Niyaz

Greg Ellis:
For the past year and a half, Greg Ellis has been working on a farm. And not just any farm! Although he literally comes from a line of San Joaquin Valley farmers, he has found a way to connect his roots to his passionate stance on rhythm as unifying theory. Ellis describes himself as a farmer who harvests time in the form of rhythm as well as a pharmacist who will soon be prescribing his seven CD box-set of handmade all natural RhythmTonics ™ to balance, clarify, calm, energize, nourish, grow and expand consciousness.  The first batch of organic RhythmTonics™ is  now available.  Contact info@rhythmpharm.com to find out more about how you can get a prescription. (http://www.rhythmpharm.com) RhythmPharm ™, the sonic space where Ellis’ rhythms are fertilized, soon hopes to extend itself to the virtual world as well (site in development, please keep checking back).  On the web, people will be able to download organic rhythms specifically created to treat various stress related ailments that increasingly characterize life in the twenty first century.  After significant research and development observing that most people attribute stress to lack of time, Ellis and his team were determined to find a way in which time could be organically grown and harvested.  Through his development of the O.R.E. process of real-time recording, where he records layers of live rhythmic improvisations without any edits, samples, loops, or mechanical frequencies, Ellis preserves essential rhythmic nutrients that minds and bodies need in order to return to the evolutionary continuum (http://www.continuum-concept.org/).

RhythmPharm (http://www.rhythmpharm.com) developed the O.R.E. process, which refers to Organic Rhythm Experience, in order to formally encourage musicians to more freely compose and improvise without the limitations and demands of style, genre or technique.  Ellis fervently believes in organic rhythm as a catalyst for transformation. 

Those hungry for a transcendent experience are uniquely sated after an evening ingesting Ellis’ ambient to ecstatic live organic frequencies realized through an impressive collection of percussion instruments from all over the world.  Every three weeks or so, Golden Bridge Yoga (http://www.goldenbridgeyoga.com) presents RhythmTrance, a workshop where Ellis harvests his unique concoctions of organic rhythm.

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Azam Ali:

Azam Ali's new solo album entitled Elysium for the Brave is set for release on July 25, 2006 on Six Degrees Records.

The incredible voice of Niyaz and Vas branches out with what is being described as her most ambitious solo release to date.  The album entitled Elysium for the Brave weaves Ali's many influences into a haunting tapestry of atmospheric rock, electronic and global sounds. Singing predominantly in English for the first time, the songs are based on lyrics written by Azam herself and reveal a poetic lyricism heard only in glimpses in her previous works.

Helping to seamlessly bring all of these diverse sounds together is a talented cast of musicians which includes King Crimson's rhythm section of Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto, Persian classical violinist Kiavash Nourai, Loga Ramin Torkian and Carmen Rizzo, Azam's collaborators in Niyaz, and noted film composers Tyler Bates and Jeff Rona, the latter of whom is known for his collaborations with Dead Can Dance.

For more information regarding this release and Azam's other solo and collaborative works please visit www.azamalimusic.com.

Azam Ali completed work on two other projects which had  developed over the last couple of years. The first project NIYAZ was released on April 19th of 2005 on Six Degrees Records. Niyaz was founded by Azam Ali and Loga Ramin Torkian of Axiom of Choice and features the talents of programmer/ producer Carmen Rizzo, and percussionist/ vocalist Arash Khalatbari of Ekova. It is an electronic/acoustic project that explores the mystical poetry of Urdu and Persian Sufi poets. The result of this collaboration between these prominent artists is a truly unique and contemporary sound. For more information on Niyaz and on upcoming shows please visit www.niyazmusic.com (site in progress, check back if link isn't active yet.)

Although the project has morphed to being mostly a partnership between Azam and Tyler, it still features the always creative drumming and percussion of Greg Ellis as well and a number of other talented musicians. For more information on Roseland and the release of their first album please visit www.Roselandmusic.com  For more information on Tyler Bates please visit www.Tylerbates.com. (Sites in progress, check back if links aren't active yet.)

FEAST OF SILENCE

Artist photo by Austin Young

Vas' fourth album Feast of Silence was  released May 18, 2004.

The duo spent much of 2001 and 2002 recording and releasing solo projects, and doing extensive touring with Mickey Hart's band Bembe Orisha. The time off has proved to be highly rejuvenating, resulting in the new recording which although maintaining the same sensibilities Vas is so well known for,  is truly an ambitious body of work.

Azam Ali and Greg Ellis can also be heard as featured performers along with Laxmi Shankar (vocals), and Deepak Ram (bansuri flute), on the end title track by Juno Reactor's Ben Watkins on the major motion picture release, "The Matrix, Revolutions".