A Sufi and a Killer is the debut studio album by Gonjasufi (Sumach Ecks). It was released by Warp on March 8, 2010.[1] The album was produced by Flying Lotus, The Gaslamp Killer, and Mainframe.
Ecks said of the album: "I didn't want it to be too easy for the listener. I wanted it to hurt a little bit. I wanted it to get into a spot in the head that hasn't been hit".[2] Of its title he said "The Sufi side of life has helped me with my killer side so I try not to attach myself to any label. There's a Sufi and a killer in everybody, man, and I'll be whatever I have to be just to make it through".[3]
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, A Sufi and a Killer received an average score of 78 based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[5] At AnyDecentMusic?, which collates critical reviews from more than 50 media sources, the album scored 7.5 points out of 10, based on 18 reviews.[4]
The album garnered much positive critical coverage on its release. AllMusic's Jason Lymangrover gave the album four stars out of five, describing it as "weird, ‘60s-rooted, psychedelic hip-hop", sounding "like if J. Dilla produced George Clinton after visiting with the Dalai Lama, or if Dan the Automator recorded Cody Chesnutt after the two shared a plate of magic mushrooms", and calling it "truly visionary".[6] The BBC described it as "a stunning, genre-transcending record" and "a terrific, trippy adventure".[16]Drowned in Sound gave the album 7/10, describing Ecks' voice as "a hugely versatile instrument, every bit as unique and distinctive as that of Björk or Tom Waits", and calling the album "a fascinating glimpse of a character continually in transition".[2]The Guardian called it "one of the strangest and most eclectic records you'll hear all year",[3] and "an album that practically has a green smog drifting above it".[8]Clash gave it 7/10, stating "repeated plays reveal an irresistible talent".[7]PopMatters gave it 6/10, with reviewer David Amidon stating "I've listened to this album a lot just trying to make sense of it...and have walked away mostly pleased".[13]
A Sufi and a Killer ranked at number 41 on Tiny Mix Tapes' "Favorite 50 Albums of 2010" list.[17] It ranked at number 14 on The Wire's "2010 Rewind" list.[18]
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