Three EPs deep into Ram Dass and East Forest’s four-part EP series and the duo still has plenty of tricks up their kurta sleeves. On Chapter III of the project—leading up to a full-fledged LP to be released in August—Dass and Forest enlist the help of a variety of guests, including Dead Prez’s Stic and The Mynabirds’ Laura Bird.
Today we’re sharing the latter collab in all of its flowery, pulsing psychedelia, with Dass’ raspy lecturing verses punctuated by Bird’s celestial vocals, which feel right at home. “I named my last Mynabirds album Be Here Now in tribute to Ram Dass, and was floored when East Forest reached out to collaborate on this incredible project,” Bird explains. “I can’t begin to express the pressure, elation, and terror—and ultimately pure joy—I experienced singing with Ram Dass himself. To be pulled from the anxiety of our modern age into the heart of what really matters, to literally get on the same wavelength as one of the greatest teachers of our time—it’s a journey I wish for every single person when they listen to these songs.”
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“Releasing ‘SouLand’ on the summer solstice just makes sense given its uplifting chillwave vibes,” East Forest chimes in. “I loved how Dass digs into the subject of ‘soul pods’ and how we dance around together across infinite lifetimes, playing various roles to help one another grow inside incarnation. I felt the track would benefit from a female vocalist, and I was so pleased to cross paths with Laura. I sent her a demo idea of a hook I had been working on and she brought everything to life in her own perfect way. The combination of her vocal hook alongside Ram’s words feels like a sweet pairing.”
Chapter III is out this Friday, and you can expect the full LP August 9.
