Tashi Dorji: The Radical Openness of Improvisation

In the early 2010s self-taught guitarist Tashi Dorji was recording improvised guitar explorations in his home near Asheville, North Carolina. These self-released outings drew on his unique mix of musical influences from the Buddhist music of his childhood in Bhutan to the Western music he discovered through shortwave radio and bootleg tapes of MTV videos. Subsequently inspired by punk rock as well as the outsider guitar styles of John Fahey, Derek Bailey, Mark Ribot, and Sir Richard Bishop, Tashi was developing a percussively rhythmic sound all his own. Guitarist Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance was so inspired by Tashi Dorji's playing that he started a record label to release Tashi’s self-titled vinyl debut in 2014. Since then, Tashi's released records on Drag City, collaborated with musicians like John Dieterich of Deerhoof and Tony Buck of the Necks, and toured with Godspeed, You! Black Emperor. Tashi is going to be coming to Cincinnati to take part in the Talk Low Music Festival, which is running September 24th through 27th. He'll be performing with Faith Coloccia on Saturday, September 26th. Phantom Power is a sponsor of the Talk Low Festival, which features a great lineup of adventurous music link in the show notes. So I thought this would be a great opportunity to talk improvised music with someone who has dedicated his life to it. Tashi has developed a philosophy of improvisation that challenges ideas of permanence, hierarchy, and value. We discuss the radical openness of improv in life and music and we talk about the record that opened his ears to open tunings, as well as how a condenser microphone and a pair of headphones changed his relationship to the guitar. We also discuss his early life in Bhutan, that tiny country located in the Eastern Himalayas between China and India. Of course our members will get an extended version of the conversation, including Tashi's recommendations of things to read, listen to and do more information at http://mackhagood.com . Visit Tashi Dorji’s Bandcamp. Cited Media: Albums & Records: Tashi Dorji - Blue Twelve (2014) Tashi Dorji - We Will Be Wherever the Fires Are Lit (2024) Tashi Dorji - Low Clouds Hang, This Land Is On Fire (2026) Ry Cooder & Vishwa Mohan Bhatt - A Meeting by the River (1993) Joe Pass - Virtuoso (1974) Nirvana - Nevermind (1991) Neil Young - Heart of Gold (1972) Raphael Rogiński - Plays John Coltrane and Langston Hughes (2024) Miles Davis Sun City Girls 75 Dollar Bill Pavement Bonnie “Prince” Billy Tesla Cinderella Metallica Slayer Jon Bon Jov Soundgarden Alice In Chains Butthole Surfers Smashing Pumpkins Midnight Oil Michael Jackson Books: Dan DiPiero - Book on Improvising in Everyday Life Laozi - Tao Te Ching (~6th Century BCE) Emma Goldman Alexander Berkman Articles & Interviews: Andy Slater - On Visual Impairment and Sound Art Vijay Iyer - Writings on Improvisation Mark Masters - Retrospective on Tashi Dorji Chapters: 0:00 Intro & Welcome 3:00 Guitar Influences & Touring 5:00 Recording & Sound Discovery 10:00 Patterns & Prepared Guitar 16:00 Philosophy of Improvisation 21:00 Collaborating with Others 24:00 Musical Origins in Bhutan 29:00 Shortwave Radio & Western Rock 34:00 Leaving Bhutan for America 43:00 Buddhism & Recent Work 49:33 Outro To read the full transcript click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices