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Aashram is an assemblage of musicians based in Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan. Mainly a quartet, Aashram often incorporates other auxiliary members into their ensemble. Currently, Aashram is functioning as a quintet with instrumentation including: piano/synthesizers, electric bass, drums/percussion, saxophone, and electric guitar. Aashram is an experimental group that questions conventionality and explores the possibilities that lye within contemporary music. Unconcerned with musical dogmatism, Aashram’s eclectic approach has incorporated an assortment of musical idioms, such as jazz, classical, soul, funk, r&b, blues, world, and afro beat.
Aashram is intrigued by various melodic and polyrhythmic forms, including the clave, rumba, samba, son, merengue, maquam, tala, and raga. The group is influenced by several musical styles, such as flamenco, reggae, salsa, classical, progressive rock, hip hop, country, rap, gospel, techno, cumbia, tejano, electronica, delta blues, ragtime, zydeco, reggaton, American and Latin American folk, bachata, tango, industrial, bluegrass, avant-garde and experimental music.
In January of 2007, Aashram recorded 30 minutes of music at 54 Sound in Ferndale, Michigan. It was a live tracking set of three songs with no overdubs. Staff engineer Al engineered the session assisted by Joe Gruszka.
Aashram was formed in July of 2006 by Omar Taji, Eric Fillip, Joshua Thomson, and Jeremy Olsen. Aashram has since gone on to perform and collaborate with John Paul Dutka, and Uday Trevedi. The formation of Aashram started in Dearborn, Michigan when members Eric Fillip (drums), Omar Taji (piano), and Joshua Thomson (alto saxophone) began rehearsing various theoretical jazz concepts and techniques. Not long after came the addition of bassist Jeremy Olsen, which officially established the group as a quartet. The group played their first performance on September 3rd, 2006 at the Pontiac Arts, Beats, and Eats Festival. Aashram has been performing throughout Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Toledo.
Eric “Fil” Fillip is a native of Detroit, MI and was born on November, 4th 1982. Fillip was introduced to the drum set (Fibes Cocktail Kit) at age 8. However, at age 13 he seriously pursued the instrument. Throughout the last 8 years, he has performed extensively and has recorded with several groups. Co-founder of the rock-fusion group Timecube, he gigged with Timecube during 2001, 2002, and 2003 and recorded twice with the group at 54 Sound in 2001, 2003. Moreover, Timecube’s most recent recording was done in 2005, featuring Joshua Thomson (Alto Sax) and Omar Taji (Wurlitzer). He has also performed with Seed of Being, Stereo Mystery, FBT, My Cousin Leonard, and Cosmic Orgasm. Fillip has studied various rhythmic techniques with several percussionists and drumming specialists. Presently, he studies with Detroiter Lewis Julian. Fillip earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Wayne State University in Criminology and Criminal Justice in 2005. Currently, he is working on a Masters degree from Wayne State.
Joshua Thomson is a native of Detroit, MI and has been playing saxophone since the age of 9. At age 17 Thomson began seriously studying jazz saxophone in high school and began performing live. Thomson has studied with several professional saxophonists and educators including Ben Janssen, Paul Vornhagen, Bradley Stern, Ernie Mitchelat, and Phil Lasley. Prior to Aashram, Thomson performed and recorded with Timecube in 2005 and 2006. Thomson co-founded the band Cosmic Orgasm in 2004 and has performed with My Cousin Leonard, Seed of Being, Integrity, and Stereo Mystery. In 2005, Thomson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of Michigan -Ann Arbor. During 2005, Thomson also spent time studying and performing in the Dominican Republic and Austin, Texas. Currently, Thomson is furthering his independent studies in jazz and resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Jeremy Olsen is a native of Muskegon, Michigan, where he began playing bass at age 13. He studied jazz for five years under the tutelage of James Lawrence at Muskegon High School. In 2000, Olsen began studies at Alma College. Prior to joining Aashram, he played bass and drums in the Detroit progressive/politico/surf rock band JewsKillingArabsKillingJews. Olsen currently resides in Hamtramck, Michigan where he has lived for two years.
Omar Taji was born in Windsor, Ontario and was raised in Detroit, Michigan where he began playing piano at age 4. During his early teens, Taji studied with jazz pianist Danny Fels in Florida. Classical music became Taji's focus during his late teens and studied intensively with classical pianist Mary Harrison. Later, he would go on to collaborate with various hip hop groups and rappers from around northern Florida. Most recently, Taji has studied with Detroit jazz educator Tad Weed and Windsor pianist Phil Whitfield. Taji has performed and collaborated with: The Greater Christ Ministry Church, My Cousin Leonard, Timecube, Exchange Bureau, Cosmic Orgasm, and Integrity. Omar currently resides in Dearborn Heights, Michigan.
Members of Aashram have collaborated with: Phil Whitfield, Bradley Stern, El-Mahdi Ahmed, Mike Leonard, Marco Coco, Mike Vial, Eric Fritts, Patrick Fitzgibbon, Jared Graf, Shane Dignan, Bryan Gurcynski, Tim Hutchla, Rico, Myron
For booking contact management at aashram.music@gmail.com
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Hey guys – Hope you’ve been having a good summer so far. FGC brings the heat to Michigan this weekend with shows in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, with local heavyweights Bump and Four Finger Five. Hope to see you there!
hallo joshua! i hope you are great as well! if you guys are in Los Angeles on june 28, you must come to my show! 8pm @ the silverlake lounge, 2906 sunset! it will be great!
What's up buddaaay? It's good to hear form you! Things are going pretty well here in LA. How do you like Texas? How long have you been there? You guys should come visit sometime...I mean come on it's Cali! Hope all is well and keep up the good tunes! :)
wicked! nice to heAr from, I Am working on An(ethiopiAn)funk-ish/hip-hop-y trAck which will need some horn Action on it (And whAtever else), Are you the mAn to cAll?
I'm spreading the word that we have a new EP for sale. If your interested we have some of the songs on our myspace and if you enjoy what you hear the 'Little Prayers 1-8' EP is available for the bargain price of £3.50 inc p&p,
The prison population in the US is more than the combined populations of Alaska and Wyoming
The Prison Population Rate in the US (2.03 million people) is larger than ANY other country-- only RUSSIA (.86 million people) and CHINA (1.51 million people) come close. (2003)
in 2003: 55% of Federal Prison inmates were drug offenders this is 86,972 individuals
in 2002: 21.4% of all adults in State Prisons were drug offenders this is 265,000 individuals
of 440,670 Jail inmates in 2002-- 112,447 were for drugs... about 25% 48,823 were possession charges, 56,574 for trafficking/sale
it costs between $20,000-$30,000 per prisoner per year lets do the math $25,000 times 351,972=$8,799,300,000
just to pay the prison costs...this does not include catching the "criminal"
According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy Feds spend $3,000,000,000 (around that) to incarcerate drug offenders
in 2005 there were 265,100 state prison inmates for DRUGS: 47.5% were African American 23.27% were Latino/Hispanic and 24.33% were Caucasian
it gets worse:
"Among the more than 2.1 million offenders incarcerated on June 30, 2004 and estimated 576,000 were black males between 20 and 39 years old"
Information above has a variety of sources, I am personally quoting from "Drug War Facts" 5th Edition, Edited by Douglas McVay-- Thank you Doug for all your work!
Imagine what our country could do with this kind of money...imagine the innocent lives that would be spared...
No Victim No Crime
the ACA started in 1870 to find ways to get cheap labor following the
13th Amendment:
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this arti
hey, I'm loving romAntic tiger And the wormhole in time thAt it stirs me through...my old pAge is deAd...Josh, RE: A collAb, I'm working on A trAck now And will send you something to test in the coming weeks thAnx dAni x
Hi friends, nice to know you. Hope to see you on our next USA tour 2008. All the best from Belgrade, Zoran Starcevic and sons- Trio Balkan Strings www.starcevic.co.yu
hey AAshrAm, hAppy new yeAr And All, I don't know why I didn't comment before...your music is truly Awesome...i got Conscious...on my phones right now And I'm pedAlling into some smokey strAtosphere thAnx dAni x
