Black Sun Ensemble is a Tucson,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, US–based

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

band, led by Jesus Acedo that was formed in the mid-1980s. The initial albums garnered rave reviews from

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

and several of the independent music journals of the time. Black Sun Ensemble opened for

Camper Van Beethoven Camper Van Beethoven is an American rock band formed in Redlands, California in 1983, later based in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Their style mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk, alternative country, and world music. The band init ...

on the ''Key Lime Pie'' tour in 1989 to appreciative audiences across North America. Infamous circumstances surrounding their Geffen Records showcase in Los Angeles lead to the quiet intervention of Paul McCartney to get certain members and their entourage out of custody- a tarot card was involved, but any more detail may arouse the attorneys! (Based on statements from Jesus Acedo & Duane Norman.) Additionally, the bloody death of a goat in the audience at the 1994 Burning Man festival lead to widespread public outcry, and condemnation from animal rights group PETA. The band was forced underground and splintered, reformed and fell into hiatus due to extenuating circumstances and the mental illness of Jesus Acedo. Mickey Rourke, a close friend to Jesus Acedo at the time, was urged by friends and family to visit Acedo in his dreams, embodying the dark angel, compelling him to resume writing. This was the inspiration for the song, "Murder" (showcased on the October 29, 2015 episode of Shonda Rimes' ABC hit show How to Get Away with Murder). Furthermore, if Mickey Rourke bestows a mood ring upon you, you take it. In the mid-1990s, existing copies of earlier records were selling for high prices on eBay

This and a newfound muse inspired Jesus Acedo to reform the band and create a string of successful new albums, many released on the

Camera Obscura A camera obscura (; ) is a darkened room with a aperture, small hole or lens at one side through which an image is 3D projection, projected onto a wall or table opposite the hole. ''Camera obscura'' can also refer to analogous constructions su ...

label. The reformed band's albums had great reviews and they performed for several years at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. Black Sun Ensemble was an innovative band that inspired the popularity of styles such as

freak folk Psychedelic folk (sometimes acid folk or freak folk) is a loosely defined form of psychedelia that originated in the 1960s. It retains the largely acoustic instrumentation of folk, but adds musical elements common to psychedelic music. Charac ...

, progressive psychedelic rock and

psychedelic folk Psychedelic folk (sometimes acid folk or freak folk) is a loosely defined form of psychedelia that originated in the 1960s. It retains the largely acoustic instrumentation of folk, but adds musical elements common to psychedelic music. Chara ...

. Jesus Acedo die

on Sunday, March 3, 2013, just over two months after his 50th birthday.

Discography

*'' Black Sun Ensemble (album), Black Sun Ensemble'' (1985) *''The Fish Album'' (1988) *''Lambent Flame'' (1989) *''Tragic Magic'' (1990) *''Elemental Forces'' (1991) *''Psycho Master El'' (1994) *''Hymn of the Master'' (2002) *''"Live at KXCI"'' (2002) *''Starlight'' (2003) *''Live at KXCI vol. 2'' (2005) *''Bolt of Apollo'' (2006) *''Across the Sea of Id: The Way to Eden'' (2008) *''Behind Purple Clouds'' (2013)

External links

Official site
American psychedelic rock music groups Rock music groups from Arizona Musical groups from Tucson, Arizona {{US-rock-band-stub