'Meditations on Crime' Shares New Single 'We The People Of The Myths'

After drawing Julia Holter into the fold alongside members of Pixies, Animal Collective and indefinable 4AD sound manipulators, Gang Gang Dance - to acclaim spanning Stereogum, Cool Hunting, Pitchfork, BrooklynVegan, Under The Radar and more - Meditations on Crime welcomes fabled, afrofuturist ensemble, Sun Ra Arkesta with King Khan to the enigmatic, growing collective.

Released via AntiFragile Music today, "We The People Of The Myths'' continues the mystery-cloaked journey from one single release to the next, co-recorded, arranged and produced by Harper Simon and late, legendary music producer Hal Willner in one Hal's final sessions.

"Lou [Reed] and I came across some of King Khan's records and loved them. Lou said that King Khan was a cross between Little Richard, Gil Scott Heron, James Brown and Johnny Rotten in one person." - Hal Willner

Alongside a legendary cast of musicians - Marshall Allen (Alto/EVI) and Danny Thompson (Baritone/Flute) of Sun Ra Arkestra, Cecil Brooks (Trumpet), Noel Scott (Baritone/Alto), Elson Nascimento (Percussion), Wayne Smith (Drums), Tyler Mitchell (Bass), Vincent Chauncey (French Horn), Terry Adams (Piano) - Harper Simon and King Khan worked to create a hazy, cosmic track that brings poetry to life.

King Khan shares, "There were many comets colliding in this track, the late great Hal Willner was the main source of this interplanetary musical supernova. Hal put Harper in touch with me and the Arkestra whom I had joined on stage a few times to perform the "We the People of the Myths" poem that I had written for Marshall Allen. Harper had composed the track for the Arkestra, which also featured the late great Danny Thompson on baritone sax. When Harper sent me the track, the poem fit perfectly into it like sacred geometry. It's as much an invocation to ancient spirits as it is a beacon for help, asking the universe to send aid to this dying planet. I think if Sun Ra had heard this track he would have been proud."

Explaining how the collaboration came to be, Harper Simon reflects, "I'd always wanted to work with the Sun Ra Arkestra, and I knew Hal Willner had worked with them a lot. I reached out to Hal to see if he might be able to co-produce a couple tracks with me and the Arkestra. He set it up for me and I was really over the moon. It was a bit intimidating to write for them as I had never written for a Jazz ensemble before, much less the legendary Arkestra, but I composed two pieces for them; melodic motifs and arrangements and a loose structure for them to improvise over.

It was a great and memorable day. I'm so happy I got to spend this last day with Hal doing something so special. We were both satisfied and laughing and really high on the session when we drove back to New York that night.

I knew I wanted to have a vocalist collaborate on the track. Who else could even remotely pull that off except King Khan? I'd been a fan for awhile and actually took Hal to see him play in LA some years ago. Since that time, they had worked together, so Hal connected us and he agreed to co-write. He'd performed with Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Arkestra before, and put down this vocal in Berlin; a hazy, cosmic rap that elevated our crime theme to a spiritual level, with his own idiosyncratic delivery and timing. King Khan is a rare musical artist - it was really an honor to collaborate with him and the Arkestra, and I hope we get to do it live one day!"

Listen to the new single here:

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