Gary Lucas & Lukas Ligeti’s New Collaboration Is Space Rock/Avant Garde/Free Jazz/ Improvisation/ Psychedelic Music
“Omnidirectional”
is the long-awaited sound of two master improvisers—guitarist Gary Lucas
and drummer/percussionist Lukas Ligeti—traveling through space, time,
and genre with total freedom. Across three fully improvised instrumentals and a
luminous, reimagined version of Alice Coltrane’s “Journey in
Satchidananda,” the duo creates music that feels both spontaneous and
meticulously shaped, cosmic yet deeply human.
Ligeti
proposed the album title; Lucas supplied the track names—each one a clue to the
swirling, fiery, exploratory nature of the music.
“When we
get together, we are fiery,” Lucas says. “Free jazz lets us create melodies we
can use for even more music.”
The
Sound: Free Jazz, Cosmic Drift, and Melodic Discovery
Recorded
live at East Side Sound, Lucas’s favorite NYC studio, “Omnidirectional”
is a document of pure improvisation. No overdubs. No pre‑written hooks. Just
two musicians painting in real time. There was mixing and editing to bring out
the best of the final performances.
Lucas’s
looping creates gravitational pull and unexpected hooks; Ligeti’s polymetric
imagination pushes the music into new orbits. Together, they generate sound
paintings that feel infinite, constantly evolving, and emotionally charged.
A
historical touchstone for Lucas & Lukas was Alice Coltrane’s Karma,
featuring Pharoah Sanders—an influence that threads through Lucas & Lukas’
spiritual, spacious energy.
- Phlogiston – 13:01 Named for the
mythical substance once believed to cause combustion. Lucas: “What was
inflamed becomes this—freed ashes, the powder from rust.”
- Journey in Satchidananda – 5:22 A reverent,
exploratory take on Alice Coltrane’s classic. Satchidananda in
Sanskrit refers to existence, consciousness, and bliss.
- Over 6 Million Served – 10:09 A reflective piece
inspired by Lucas’s visit to Dachau during the Knitting Factory’s tour of
Europe. “Some of the thoughts written at the gate whitewashed history.
In reality, the camps and the Holocaust had 6 million killed.”
- Whorls Within Whirls – 15:10 A pun on the
swirling, spiraling nature of the music—galaxies within galaxies.
All
compositions by Gary Lucas and Lukas Ligeti except the Alice
Coltrane track.
How
the Duo Formed
Gary Lucas
heard of Lukas Ligeti through his father, the legendary composer György
Ligeti, known for his work in 2001: A Space Odyssey. When Lucas
moved to New York, Lukas stepped in as a substitute drummer for Gods and
Monsters—and the chemistry was instant.
“It’s
easy to hang out with Lukas, which is important if you’re going to do a duo,” Gary
Lucas says. In time the drummer taught and performed out of the State and
country, but when he visited the City, the two would play their improvisations
live at The New School’s venue for avant garde performances, “The Stone”
Recently,
they booked time at East Side Sound and recorded the entire album live. They
later refined the mixes and edited the pieces to highlight the most exciting
moments.
Writes
Arthur Levy, Mensch and Founder of Legendary Rock Magazine “Record World”:
“Omnidirectional is an entirely improvised set of
instrumentals recorded at NYC’s East Side Sound with long-time collaborator
from Gary’s band Gods And Monsters, drummer and percussionist Lukas Ligeti (son
of composer György Ligeti of 2001: A Space Odyssey renown). Animated
in part by Pharaoh Sanders’ 1969 acid jazz breakthrough Lp Karma,
and including a reimagined version of Alice Coltrane’s “Journey in
Satchidananda” from 1971 (which featured Sanders), Omnidirectional is
rooted in the improvs played by Lucas & Lukas for many years at The Stone
in New York City (The New School’s venue for avant garde
performances). The album is a musical journey of transcendent beauty
and rabid noise, two master musicians painting in real time, grounded by Gary
Lucas, described by Rolling Stone's David Fricke as: ‘one of the
best and most original guitarists in America...a modern guitar miracle.’"
About Gary Lucas
A world‑class
guitarist, Grammy‑nominated songwriter, and international touring artist, Lucas
has released over 50 albums across genres—jazz, rock, classical, folk, blues,
avant‑garde, and world music. He has performed in 40+ countries, collaborated
with icons from Captain Beefheart to Jeff Buckley, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Nick
Cave, and Bryan Ferry, and received multiple Lifetime Achievement awards for
his songwriting with Buckley (“Grace,” “Mojo Pin”).
Dubbed “The
Thinking Man’s Guitar Hero” (The New Yorker) and “one of the best and
most original guitarists in America” (Rolling Stone), Lucas continues to
push boundaries with every project.
About
Lukas Ligeti
An
Austrian‑American composer, drummer, and researcher, Ligeti’s work spans
classical composition, African polyrhythms, jazz, electronics, and experimental
traditions. He is a recipient of the CalArts Alpert Award, has been
commissioned by major orchestras and ensembles worldwide, and has taught at UC
Irvine, the University of Pretoria, the University of Ghana, and is currently Professor
of Composition at the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles.
As a
drummer, he has performed with John Zorn, Elliott Sharp, Henry Kaiser, Marilyn
Crispell, George Lewis, and many others. His approach—experimental
intercultural collaboration—has shaped his work across five continents.
More at:
www.lukasligeti.com
Lucas
& Lukas “Omnidirectional” available at: cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/omnidirectional
New School performance on youtube:
