NATURAL INFORMATION SOCIETY

Natural Information Society is an American ensemble led by multi-instrumentalist and composer Joshua Abrams, formed in 2010 and rooted in Chicago's experimental underground. Built around Abrams's playing of the guembri, a North African bass lute, the group threads hypnotic, cyclical grooves through avant-garde jazz and minimalism, an approach often described as ecstatic minimalism. Records including Magnetoception and Simultonality drew wide critical praise, the latter earning a place among Rolling Stone's best avant albums of 2017 and four stars from The Guardian. NPR has called the group a staple of Chicago's scene, and The New York Times likened their debut to a rough gem of the post-everything era. Onstage their long-form pieces are frequently paired with paintings by collaborator Lisa Alvarado, making performances as much immersive ritual as concert.