How to travel into worlds afar and explore spiritual dimensions without even having to leave your home…or your seat for that matter! Yes, the answer to all of your escapism fantasies are right here, waiting to be unlocked and all you have to do is tune in to the exotic and experimental sounds of John Johanna.
A singer and multi-instrumentalist who works on cassette and reel to reel tape at his home in rural Norfolk (which just so happens to be the next county from me!), John Johanna’s songs are informed by the mystical cosmology of the Eastern Orthodox Church. His music is raw and unpolished, but this is where the beauty lies, for in all of its undiluted glory it is evident that this sound comes from a very pure source; one that is inspired by the natural world and one which (I anticipate) has an abundant supply of unique offerings.
Releasing his debut mini-LP in January, I’ll Be Ready When The Great Day Comes is more than just a collection of songs, for as it unravels so does the many eclectic sounds of John Johanna. A kaleidoscope of colour and styles, this album is a curious brew of many enticing genres, fusing psychedelia and oriental tonalities, primal gospel blues and folk. Vocally, Johanna’s range is as broad and exploratory as his music, soaring from ethereal highs to folk-tinged, melodic lows and all that flows in between completes a very dynamic spectrum.I’ll Be Ready When The Great Day Comes 12″ EP was released on 26th January via Faith & Industry Records and can be purchased from here. John Johanna’s debut album Seven Metal Mountains is now in its final stages and will hopefully be due for release sometime this year..watch this space…
It was a bit of a tough decision picking which track from this album to feature for today’s song; do I go for Cockleshell Laye and be transported to South America, or Knowledge and Power, Nathaniel which grooves on an Indian raga? Fold In The Light was the initial track that enticed me in so this is what I am sharing with you today. Check it out above and also catch John Johanna performing a unique and spontaneous live performance of Rock My Soul below. This session was recorded in February this year amidst the backdrop of a Norfolk woodland with the dawn chorus an impromptu accompaniment!
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