Are you searching for otherworldly music that lives outside of time—removed from trends? You’ll find it with Corima, a decidedly humane band with a bold alien sound from Los Angeles.

Formed in 2005, the group is celebrating a decade and a half of existence with a new site, all their music available online for the first time, and an intriguing new album set for release.

Corima’s Andrea Calderon, Ryan Kamiyamazaki, and Patrick Shiroishi. Photos: Corimaband.com.

How would I describe Corima’s genre-defying music?

When listening to Corima you get a full-spectrum musical experience that takes you from low to high, center to edge, chamber jazz to thrashing brutality. Some call it “Zeuhl,” as it is derived from the music of progressive misfits like Magma, Univers Zero and Present and the European Rock In Opposition bands of the ’70s and ’80s.

Corima’s sound—their self-willed identity—is more vast than these source materials, however.

Co-founder Francisco Casanova and Andrea Calderon. Photo: Corimaband.com.

Learn about Corima’s origins in this exclusive interview

In the mix you’ll discover Mayan myth, gnarly aural fragments of our current techno-dystopian era, and the freneticism of melting pot Los Angeles. It’s all reflected and explored.

Corima’s current line-up of Francisco Casanova (keys, synth, vocals), Andrea Calderon (violin, vocals), Patrick Shiroishi (sax, guitar, vocals), Ryan Kamiyamazaki (bass) and Sergio Ravelo (drums, vocals) has been consistently building their musical catalog and their fan base with epic recordings and tours to farflung venues, from San Diego, San Francisco, and Vancouver to Prog Day in North Carolina, Prog Fest in Seattle and Festivalternativo in Mexico.

The group just launched a new website that collects their music, photos, and videos in one place for the first time. There’s even a forum where fans can share how the music “has touched their lives in different ways.”

Yes, Corima’s music becomes a lifestyle for their devotees.

Visit the new Corimaband.com

Now with a new album, revealed exclusively here as HUNAB KU, the band seems poised for continued success. Which, as defined by music as emotionally intense and interactive as Corima’s, is all about connection.

I thought it would be a good time to  renew connections and chat with Corima about HUNAB KU and their upcoming activities:

Sergio Ravelo is a co-founder of the group. Photos courtesy of Corimaband.com.

Your new album—when can we expect it?
We are hoping to be able to release our new album this year sometime in the fall at the latest. We are basically done with the whole recording process of the new album since we had already recorded this material during the same recording session of Amaterasu back in 2016.

Listen to Amaterasu now

We had decided to release Amaterasu only in 2016 and shortly after release the new album but a lot of unforeseen circumstances happened that prevented us from finishing the last details of the album and so the release had to be put on hold for some years. We are currently working on finishing recording the final parts of the new material so that we can release the new album soon.

What will the new one be called?
The name of the new album will be HUNAB KU which is the name that the sages from the Mayan civilization ascribed to the Supreme Being or Absolute Spirit.

Get a preview of HUNAB KU as performed by the band at Bromigofest in San Diego

Can you describe the music?
It’s hard to describe the music of our new album but it will definitely feature a very unique sound that transcends classifications. There will be a lot of elements of Zeuhl, fusion, Rock in Opposition, World Music, avant-garde jazz, 20th Century classical music, etc., as on our previous albums. But it will have a very distinctive sound of its own that doesn’t fall into a specific style or category.

The new album will also have a very spiritual and cosmic energy and it will expand on the mystical and spiritual saga of the story behind Quetzalcoatl and Amaterasu. The main theme will be the struggle between light and darkness in the nature of the duality of creation and how to transcend it through spiritual means.

Watch a Sean Carnage video that captures Corima’s early years in L.A.

How do you keep your band going during crazy times like right now?
It’s always been a huge challenge to keep the band together, especially because of the unconventional music that we play. There is not a lot of support for this music because it’s not suited to please the masses and because not a lot of people are receptive to music that has the power to take them out of their comfort zone by conveying real emotions that reach the innermost depth of feeling.

Ecstatic and fierce uncompromising music that is not for the faint of heart is not usually given a lot of support in the music industry.

Nevertheless, we find that with the current world crisis that we are facing more people will inevitably turn from material consciousness to spiritual consciousness. It’s a natural and inevitable shift that will happen in humanity due to this major world crisis. People will come to realize how the terrible consequences of unhealthy, selfish, and ignorant living highly affect and takes a heavy toll on everyone on a global scale such as what we’re experiencing during these difficult times. So, even though we are all going through extremely difficult times, this has also inspired us to keep going as a band and to use our music as a powerful and positive medium for changing the world.

Corima in the studio for HUNAB KU. From left: Sergio Ravelo, Patrick Shiroishi, Francisco Casanova, Andrea Calderon, engineer Jason Schimmel  & Ryan Kamiyamazaki. Photo: Corimaband.com.

Any message to people who may be struggling during this crisis?
Light always emerges from dark situations and prevails. Our message for people in the current times of adversity is to not lose hope and to remember that positive outcomes always arise out of seemingly adverse conditions. Everyone is being extremely challenged right now with the current world crisis and this is a great time for all of us to introspect and to think about how we can change ourselves so that we can in turn help to change the world.

We have to start with ourselves first, there is no other way around.

We all have a great opportunity right now to develop more compassion, to develop spiritually, and to send light and love to the world which is so much needed during these times. World healing is already taking place though we may not see it yet. We’re all in this together and we shall overcome.

Connect & learn about Corima’s music

Read more of my coverage of this great band