Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones fuse free jazz, drone, noise, electronica, and traditional Indian music. In front of the group is Amirtha Kidambi whose singing and Indian harmonium-play runs through the sound of Elder Ones. She is an unmissable figure on New York’s experimental music scene, and an artist who uses her voice to promote international solidarity.

It’s impossible to overlook Amirtha Kidambi on New York’s experimental music scene. The acclaimed Indian-American composer, vocalist, and harmonium player began her career in classical music, but was later drawn to free jazz. In her experimental free jazz, you will find traditional Indian music, electronic music, noise, and even punk in the mix. The music of Elder Ones, the free jazz group she leads, has been described as both aggressive and sublime, with harmonies constantly on a collision course.

Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones have released several critically acclaimed recordings, most recently the album ‘New Monuments’ in March last year. In their music, Elder Ones address themes such as power, capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy, and fascism. As much as they are a musical ensemble, they are also a protest group, working toward international solidarity through their art. They stand on the shoulders of artists like Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln, Alice Coltrane, Fela Kuti, Charles Mingus, and Nina Simone, as well as contemporaries such as Irreversible Entanglements, Matana Roberts, and Jaimie Branch. The group played their first-ever Danish concert at ALICE in 2019. Now they’re back on our stage – and there is, without a doubt, a lot to look forward to!

Said about Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones

“This sound isn’t merely the product of well-chosen reference points; in its abstract way, it makes a unique argument for the virtue of cross-cultural curiosity.” – Seth Colter Walls in Pitchfork.

“the aggressive and sublime first album by the band Elder Ones, Holy Science, is a kind of gauge for how strong and flexible the scene of young musicians in New York’s improvised and experimental music world can be. – Ben Ratliff in The New York Times

“deeply felt meditations on bias, violence and those written out of conventional history, but the album is equally noteworthy for its moments of wordless ecstasy” – The Wire

“Sometimes the eye of a storm can draw upon the chaos around it, taking on its energy and consolidating it for use. Something like that is going on in Elder Ones, the quartet led by the vocalist and harmonium player Amirtha Kidambi. She creates drones on the harmonium — an old, air-powered keyboard — and coaxes her bandmates into ripping them apart. Then her voice funnels that energy out in a scorching beam. In its best moments, it’s like a mix of a Cuban sonero’s citrusy cry and a riot grrrl yowl.” – Giovanni Russonello in The New York Times