Listen:
Primordial Mind
8 WAV Files
LP
Track listing:
1.Sacred Void
2.Cosmic Fire
3.Vital Chains
4.Sutra
5.The Bornless
6.Formless Path
7.Yantra
8.Emptiness Makes The Vessel
Reviews:
"Toronto mystic Khôra teams up with his old friend Mas Aya on 'Primordial Mind' following 2024's ace 'Gestures of Perception' with an alchemical fantasy of hypnotic polyrhythms and xenharmonic electroacoustic chimes that'll appeal to anyone into Popol Vuh, Jon Hassell or Wojciech Rusin. Matthew Ramolo, better known as Khôra, originally collided with Nicaraguan-Canadian composer Brandon Miguel Valdivia, aka Mas Aya, in 2011 so when they found themselves touring together in 2013, Valdivia played drums for Ramolo's opening Khôra sets. They played together in the Bespoken ensemble for a spell and in 2017 put together their first album as a duo, 'Talisman', following it quickly with 'Disjecta', a set of "residual fragments". And almost a decade later, the duo land on Marionette with 'Primordial Mind', their most focused and more ornately developed collaboration so far. If you heard 'Gestures of Perception', the folkore-rooted ritualism won't come as a huge surprise, but 'Primordial Mind' is more subtle than you might expect. Valdivia exerts a calm, artful influence that seems to rein in Ramolo. Tracks that sound as if they're about to careen into tight, techno-inspired mayhem are pulled back, usually disappearing in a flutter of rickety acoustic percussion. Because it's the percussion that holds this set together, the vanishing shakers and tuned, woody hits and pots 'n pans clanks and ratcheting industrial sounds. There are melodic elements of course, but it's the whorl of hits and tuned knocks that gives 'Primordial Mind' its unique fingerprint."
Reviewed by Boomkat
"The first records on Toronto’s Marionette label to really turn my head were a series by Swiss musician Kilchhofer, whose output had the distinctly tactile feel of objects struck and plucked, like thumb pianos and mallet instruments. This collaboration between Mas Aya (Brandon Miguel Valdivia) and Khôra (Matthew Ramolo) picks up those resonant, percussive textures and carries them deep into a zone of rainforest psychedelia. With modular synth, samples, and a vintage Korg string synth with flute, duduk, Sudanese angklung, log drum, and other percussion, they weave a suggestive hybrid of pulse and tone in which it’s unclear where rhythm ends and vibration begins. The mood is dusky and ritualistic; coming to the album without any context, it would be easy to believe that these recordings had been made at any point in the last 50 years, from virtually any corner of the globe. Music for those who like their maps wrinkled, smudged, and well worn."
Reviewed by Philip Sherburne
"In today’s AI accelerated music deluge you need all the filters you can to stay afloat and unearth the good stuff. Well curated record labels, despite becoming less necessary for artists, are still an avid music fan’s best friend. I’ve been a fan of Marionette since their monochrome inception twelve years back, and have discovered a load of, at the very least curious, and often amazing releases through them. Following them on Bandcamp is probably the way to go - you won’t regret it, it’s how I found this one. Both artists are Toronto based: Mas Aya is the moniker of Brandon Miguel Valdivia, a Nicaraguan-Canadian composer, producer, and musician, and Khôra the pseudonym of multi-instrumentalist, producer, and writer Matthew Ramolo. On a cursory listen to their back catalogues, both have a predilection for blending outernational instrumentation, Eastern vibes and THC saturated electronica, and unsurprisingly they’ve turned up a collaborative treat. This new album is a genre-melting tapestry, and as vivid an album as you’ll hear in a while. There’s a lot to unpick, especially for the attentive, preferably headphone clad listener, and is one of those rare albums that will keep surprising you. Polyrhythms abound - hand played, shaken and stirred, all interweaving to variously hypnotic, and imagination stirring ends. Wrapped around the “trans-ethnic”, Fourth World ritualism is just the sort of mind altering electroacoustic atmospheres to help us break free of capitalism’s shackles, and create the future we deserve. The soundscapes are dense and deviant, but pure in their message - tune in, turn on and drop out."
Reviewed by The Slow Music Movement
"The Canadian duo Khôra (Matthew Ramolo) and Mas Aya (Brandon Miguel Valdivia) demonstrate on Primordial Mind (Marionette, May 8) what can happen when two accomplished musicians meet and simply start playing without specific guidelines or stylistic limitations, but with a clear vision of their abilities and desires. It's certainly not what they usually do in bands and solo projects – deconstructed doom metal, indie rock, or modular electronics. However, the two Toronto musicians do share one striking commonality: a continuous fascination with ritualistic, tribal sounds and the possibilities of jazz and free improvisation. Which they channel, however, into meticulously ordered, warm, softly psychedelic paths. Their pieces rarely descend into complete freakout, but rather concentrate their energy in the flow, in the rhythm of repetitions, and in increasingly complex loops and entanglements. It's as if the Art Ensemble of Chicago were playing electro-gamelan and abstract ragas – simultaneously."
Reviewed by Groove.de translated from German
"There’s still a surge to be felt when something comes across the earbuds that feels totally out of nowhere, which is how I felt upon encountering the pieces from Toronto-based duo Mas Aya and Khôra. And each time, I would have that uncanny feeling that arises soon after waking, a wild dream quickly slipping away in daylight. A selection from Primordial Mind would overwhelm my senses but soon after the name of the group or who even sent it to me would turn intangible. I finally found the promo email from Marionette announcing the duo’s latest effort and some of the pieces have their brain-swimming properties intact, even after multiple spins."
Reviewed by Andy Beta
"The collaborative album Primordial Mind by Khôra and Mas Aya offers a richly textured exploration of electronic music that blurs the boundaries between acoustic percussion and techno-influenced sound design. Released on 12 May 2026 by the independent label Marionette, this record marks a refined continuation of their shared musical journey, evolving from prior joint projects such as Talisman and Disjecta. The Toronto-based mystic Khôra and the Nicaraguan-Canadian composer Mas Aya craft hypnotic polyrhythms layered with electroacoustic elements, resulting in an immersive experience that challenges conventional genre categorization. The album’s sonic identity is characterized by intricate percussion patterns intertwined with expansive textural landscapes, underscoring a spiritual and ritualistic dimension that invites attentive listening.Primordial Mind stands as the duo’s most focused and elaborately conceived collaboration to date, showcasing meticulous attention to compositional detail and dynamic interplay. From tracks such as “Sacred Void” and “Cosmic Fire” to the sprawling atmospheres of “Emptiness Makes the Vessel,” the record navigates a path that melds organic instrumental timbres with electronic frameworks. The balance between digital and acoustic elements recalls a lineage of artists who have sought to expand electronic music’s expressive reach, resonating with listeners who appreciate the textural depth found in the work of Popol Vuh or the evocative sound worlds of Jon Hassell. In its percussive drive and meditative qualities, the album may also engage fans of Wojciech Rusin’s approach to blending rhythmic complexity with ambient sensibilities. The label behind this release, Marionette, is known for supporting boundary-pushing artists within the electronic and experimental music scenes, often emphasizing vinyl editions that cater to collectors and audiophiles. This alignment places Primordial Mind within a broader context of forward-thinking releases that challenge and expand the auditory palette of contemporary electronic music. Presented in vinyl format, the album appeals to enthusiasts who value physical media as a crucial element of their music experience, embracing the tactile and immersive qualities of analog sound reproduction. This format choice also reinforces the artisanal dimension of the project, reflecting an investment in craftsmanship and intentionality typical of Marionette’s catalog.Khôra & Mas Aya’s collaborative progression can be viewed as part of a wider trend among electronic musicians engaged with spiritual and ritualistic themes, often drawing inspiration from world music, avant-garde jazz, and ambient experimentation. Their approach to percussion-driven compositions and electroacoustic blending situates them in proximity to artists who prioritize atmosphere and rhythmic intricacy over mainstream dancefloor conventions. By integrating diverse influences and adopting a nuanced sonic vocabulary, the duo enriches the evolving discourse around electronic music’s capacity for depth and transcendence. Their work may also be of interest to followers of other contemporary artists who pursue a hybrid of techno, dub, and experimental textures within an independent label framework. With Primordial Mind, Khôra and Mas Aya not only reaffirm their collaborative synergy but also contribute a compelling chapter to the ongoing narrative of exploratory electronic music. The album’s evocative track titles and immersive soundscapes suggest a conceptual underpinning that aligns with philosophical notions of space and absence, resonating with ideas embedded in the concept of khôra as a formless receptacle. This intellectual layer enhances the listening experience, inviting engagement beyond the purely sonic into the realms of contemplation and introspection. As a new music release in 2026, this LP invites attentive audiences to discover its subtle evolutions and rhythmic innovations over repeated plays, solidifying its place within the vinyl community and experimental electronic music discourse."
Reviewed by Ghetto Orion
"There's such a calm aura on Primordial Mind, as if the duo of Mas Aya and Khôra (aka Canadian artists Brandon Valdivia and Matthew Ramolo) are simply sitting face to face and letting the sound flow through them. I'm probably being too New Age-y in that description, since the eight songs here aren't exactly what you'd hear in a crystal shop (are there still crystal shops?) But then, song titles include "Sacred Void," "Cosmic Fire," and "Sutra." Don't try meditating to this music thought, since Valdivia and Ramolo are primarily focused on percussion, with subtle but solid rhythms that keep each track moving forward. You can imagine the pair clicking away in a shiny studio, or rattling on in a dark forest. The key for me is how Primordial Mind sounds so...mindful. There's no rushes, no big showy turns, no jump-scare volume shifts. Valdivia and Ramolo trust that their simple, steadfast sounds will carry you somewhere, and they're right."
Reviewed by Marc Masters
"In Tibetan Buddhism, the Kalachakra Tantra refers to the three "wheels of time" espoused by the Dalai Lama. The outer wheel represents the physical universe. The inner wheel accords to the body and mind, and the final wheel relates to meditation. This teaching is what provided the inspiration for 'Primordial Mind', the second album for Marionette by multi-instrumentalists Khôra (Matthew Ramolo) and Mas Aya (Brandon Miguel Valdivia). These eight pieces possess a journeying quality, with a polyrhythmic cyclicality signifying the three wheels as they turn. The best example of this is the resolute 'Cosmic Fire'. After you reach a flow state in your listening, the effect is both calming and purposeful. 'Vital Chains' and 'Emptiness Makes The Vessel' stand apart for their sonorous soundscapes of singing bowls, flutes, undulating synths and inquisitive hand percussion. The rich, rough-edged bass tones underpinning'Sutra', meanwhile, create a sense of tension and disharmony that is rarely present in these pieces. A transcendent listening experience." MS
Reviewed by Electronic Sound Magazine (UK Print)
"Mas Aya and Khôra’s Primordial Mind sees the long-time collaborators drawing on 15 years of shared musical history across eight expansive instrumentals. Built from layered percussion, flutes, synths and processed acoustic sounds, the album moves through complex rhythms and shifting textures with a strong sense of movement and atmosphere. Blending free jazz, dub, raga, ambient and ritual music, the duo create a sound shaped by spiritual ideas and experimental approaches. Released via Marionette, Primordial Mind brings together years of collaboration into a meditative and deeply absorbing listen."
Reviewed by Norman Records
"Primordial Mind is the first collaborative album by Toronto-based sound artist Khôra, who weaves together field recordings, string instruments, and electronic sounds in an ethereal way, and Mas Aya, who fuses traditional Nicaraguan percussion, her roots, with fresh flute and electronics to lead the contemporary spiritual folk ambient scene. Centered around modular synths, percussion, and field recordings, this experimental ambient music depicts the boundary between nature and the spiritual world. Field recordings such as bird songs, wind sounds, and scraping sounds blend with the fluctuations of modular synths and the live sounds of woodwinds and flute, forming a primal and organic sound. Mas Aya's drums and percussion have a raw quality that seems to capture the vibrations of the skin and the pressure of the air, and their dynamism is intensely imbued with a kind of shamanism and a ritualistic sense of slowly distorting space and time. Above this, Khôra's cold and abstract electronic sounds drift, and stillness, ethnic musical spirituality, and physicality coexist simultaneously, breathing alternately without mutual exclusion. A truly unique and spiritual ambient soundscape."
Reviewed by Meditations Translated from Japanese
Crediting:
Mastered and Cut by Noel Summerville
Artwork by Kerstin Brätsch
Brandon Miguel Valdivia: Percussion, Flutes, Log Drum, Korg Lambda, Angklung, Tambor Alegre, Udu
Matthew Ramolo: Modular Synth, Archival Samples, Angklung, Guitar, Duduk, Bass, Percussion, Arrangements and Mix