The Omniverse Oriki
Marshall Allen
The Omniverse Oriki (HT040LP)
LP release date: September 12, 2025
File under: -A- Jazz, Electro, World, Afro-Futurist
The centenarian Sun Ra Arkestra leader Marshall Allen meets an Afro-Cuban Yoruba cultural troupe.
Beautiful space, wild chaos, fire lotus– we now embark on the future-ever present, the conjuring of the past in non-linear chronospace, we present narratives in African/Afro-Cuban dreamtime! This is The Omniverse Oriki, legendary Sun Ra bandleader Marshall Allen Trio’s collaboration with the Ade Ilu Ensemble, an explosive macrocosmic reach into the residual ethers of the past to birth a new future, right here the now!
MARSHALL ALLEN TRIO:
- Marshall Allen – Leader, EWI, Casio keyboard, alto saxophone, vibrations
- DM Hotep – Guitar with effects & synths, live vocal effects
- Kash Killion – Cello with effects, sarangi, vocal
ADE ILU ENSEMBLE:
- Kevin Diehl – Leader, Itotele bata, Lucumi chorus, producer
- Joseph Toledo – Lead Lucumi vocals
- Esteban “Tongo” Hernandez – Iya bata, Lucumi chorus
- John Wilkie – Okonkolo bata, Lucumi chorus
- Olufemi Mitchell – Lucumi chorus, achere
Pulled together on Halloween night, 2023, Marshall Allen’s trio and Philly’s Ade Ilu Ensemble channelled and churned indelible musical spirits in extended “oriki”, Yoruba narratives set to explore omniversal wavelengths, to unmoor the patterns of universal control through Afro-Cuban-Futurist diagrams.
Their first confluence was at Marshall’s monthly residency at Solar Myth in Philadelphia, then captured here at Rittenhouse Soundworks Studios two days later. The result is a righteous din, a mythological cacophony, a joyful noise. Swirling notes of Afro-cuban entrancing Lucumi, shocked and fragmented Afro rhythms, and vibrant flourishes of rhapsodic free jazz– we are here at the sonic temple! We are the beautiful space! -Alex Smith
Release date: September 12, 2025. 1st High Two edition of 300 copies pressed on premium audiophile-quality 140 gram vinyl at Smashed Plastic, from Carl Saff audio lacquers and mastering. Recorded by Michael Richelle, Rittenhouse Soundworks, Philadelphia. Digital files available at High Two Bandcamp.
Recorderd live to hard drive at Rittenhouse Soundworks, Philadelphia, on November 2, 2023
Tracking Engineer: Michael Richelle
Mixing Engineer: Joshua Marquez
Mastering Engineer: Carl Saff
Album Cover Collage and Jacket Design: John Hubbard
Cover Photo of Marshall Allen: Ken Weiss
Cover and Back Celestial Photo Collage sources courtesy of: NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team
ESA/Hubble NASA The Bubble Nebula; Hubble View of Messier 106; Hubbles panoramic view of a star-forming region
Very Special Thanks to Marshall Allen’s son, Ronnie Boyd and the Allen Family Estate.
Produced by Kevin Diehl
SIDE 1
Omniverse Oriki 1 19:05
SIDE 2
Omniverse Oriki 2 09:57
Omniverse Oriki 3 08:45