Vajra "Maya"

The drive and perseverance of New York-based dark rock mavens Vajra originate and
radiate outward from the sensual and multi-range vocals of composer and visionary Annamaria Pinna. Pinna’s complex puzzle of lyrics, music, and themes are always in constant kaleidoscopic motion. “The influences are varied,” affirms Pinna. “I lived in India, Italy, NOLA, San Francisco, NYC and Upstate New York. My dad was a monk before he met my mom. I'm a yogi and meditation person, and I have this condition called Synesthesia, which affects how I process music.”

The long silence between debut self-produced cult album Pleroma (2012) and the group’s inspiring and mind-bending new EP, Irkalla – both featuring powerhouse session drummer and long-time friend, Blake Fleming (ex-Mars Volta) - was the product of a rigorous touring schedule and a complex confluence of unexpected life events that paused vocalist / visionary Annamaria Pinna’s prolific (and profound) songwriting output. Pinna and bandmates Dave Sussman, formerly of industrial metal pioneers Bile (bass), Al Javier (guitar), and Jimmy DeMarco (drums/percussion) conjure music from a diverse panoply of threads. “I see us as travelers who go outside the bounds of a sense-based perception to catch a musical or lyrical idea and then translate it to the material realm. When we get out of our own ways, we are translators or conduits for energies that move through us. Honoring what comes through is important for us.” Consistent with that philosophy, the band wrote, directed, shot and edited three DIY music videos for the songs "Maya", "Sever the Tie" and "Crown or Crucify", which all fit together into a short film inspired by the Sumerian classic hero myth, "The Descent of Inanna." Vajra also collaborated with another long-time friend, gripping visual artist Tas Limur (Volto, Tool), on their strikingly designed cover art.

Irkalla was produced by New York native Daniel ‘Sahaj’ Ticotin (Ra, Mötley Crüe). Pinna was introduced to Ticotin in 2018 after both were on different spiritual missions while in India. “Things shift and move throughout the album depending on the song and each moment within the song,” Pinna reveals. “More concretely, we attempt to weave a tapestry of melodic rock with dark ambient experimental interludes. Perhaps the music and lyrics of Irkalla reflect an esoteric space to explore the dark night of our souls. What is important is that the music may provide a portal to go on a journey. The journey will be different for each individual. My musical
heroes have done this for me.”