The artist known as Six Organs of Admittance (aka Ben Chasny) performed a solo set with support by local legend Tashi Dorji at the AyurPrana listening room in West Asheville on Wednesday, Nov. 6th. Chasny is known for bridging the gap between acoustic, space rock and esoteric chant music. Chasny’s resume includes the early naughties super group Comets on Fire, 200 years with Elisa Ambrogio of Magik Markers, Ragda; a trio including Chris Corsano and Sir Richard Bishop, August Born with Hiroyuki Usui (from Keiji Heino’s Fushitsusha) and Badgerlore among other projects.
Much of the Six Organs discography is deeply mellow and perhaps melancholy at times. Songs can sound as bright as Nick Drake at times, can lean on influences of Peter Hammil to Hawkwind to T. Rex and Bobby Conn, before diving into a trance and pulling you along for extended periods of a riff.
Chasny hails from the SF bay area. I recall seeing his electric band Six Organs of Admittance at a club called Bottom of the Hill. That band included members from Santa Cruz band Comets on Fire: Ethan Miller, Ben Flahsman and Noel Von Harmonson. I have also been an audience member at a couple of Rangda concerts who put on an amazing show. Wednesday featured a beautiful set of many new songs as well as some older songs, some known and some obscure. As mentioned before, label mate Tashi Dorji opened the evening with treatments for guitar, supporting his upcoming recording We will be wherever the fires are lit.
A truly special evening for all who attended.
