Soriah - A Brief Biography

The Portland musician and ritual artist known as Soriah first came into being more than 10 years ago. His unique vision has evolved to draw equally from performance and musical traditions both modern and ancient— raga, shamanism, the revisionist arts of electro-acoustics, noise, butoh, and free improvisation.

One element which pervasively informs his work, is traditional Tuvan throat singing. Soriah has extensively trained in, and received recognition for his achievements with, this style of overtone singing. Most recently, he was honored as the Third Place winner in the International Symposium of Khoomei Competition, and “Best Foreigner” in the 2008 Ustuu-Khooree World Music Festival in Tuva, where the form originated.

As much as the complex musical underpinnings of Soriah’s music reach back to Central Asia, he traces his roots back to his father’s homeland of Mexico. His explorations of the cities and wilderness of Mexico and considerable research into the Aztec mysteries, as well as the present-day animism of Tuvan Shamanism, have deeply influenced his pan-cultural ethos. Through costume, movement and meditation Soriah evokes an otherworld of profound mystical import. Though the settings for his performances have ranged from arenas, concert halls and churches, to swamps, caves, tree tops and even an abandoned nuclear reactor, his project carries its own sense of place and time, which transcend the concrete world.

The recorded works of Soriah are chiefly available from Beta-Lactam Ring Records Ring Records; along with compilation appearances on URCK’s “Post-Asiatic” series, S

onick Sorcery’s “Visions From The Garden”, and Mobilization’s “How To Destroy the Universe Part 5″. Credits also include live and recorded guest appearances with Blixa Bargeld, Perry Ferrel, The Legendary Pink Dots, Jarboe, Master Tuvan Throat Singers Chirgilchin, Psychic TV, The Church, Chrome, GWAR, The Polyphonic Spree, The Dresden Dolls, as well many other local and international acts.

The newest official recording, “ATLAN”— in collaboration with Ashkelon Sain (Trance to the Sun, Submarine Fleet) is available at Projekt.com & Amazon.com