Pasāda

Justin DeHart

Pasāda is comprised of a selection of percussion-based compositions that explore the essential sonic and healing properties of rhythmic repetition. The album features work by Peter Garland, Pauline Oliveros, John Luther Adams, Eleanor Hovda, and John Bergamo.

Pasāda is the Pali word for clarity and serene confidence. It is the quality of mind that allows one to move confidently towards the goal without restlessness and anxiety. Imagine a clear, calm lake…

This project began during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020, when we were all searching for new ways to engage with music outside of the concert hall. I was inspired to use the time to go “inside” and explore the essential sounds of some of my instruments. I was interested in finding repertoire that fostered a sense of intimacy and was healing. I sought a mode of music-making where I could immerse myself in the sounds and examine their timeless aspects up close. This search naturally led me to pieces that were minimal in construction, relatively quiet, largely ambient, and possessed of a “floating” quality—compositions that allowed the instruments to tell their own story, or at least act as a significant collaborator in the creative process.

Justin DeHart, May 2025

GRAHAM REID’S ELSEWHERE REVIEW

1. Apple Blossom (1972) comp. Peter Garland
2. Rolling Meditation (1989) comp. Pauline Oliveros
3. Always Very Soft (1973-2007) comp. John Luther Adams
4. Cymbalmusic Series #4 - Ecce (1985) comp. Eleanor Hovda
5. Faropace (1985) comp. John Bergamo 11:57

Performed, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Justin DeHart
Designed by UnkleFranc and printed by Studio Q

Released: 01 July 2025
Catalogue: RAT-D156

GRAMMY-nominated percussionist Justin DeHart is recognised for his versatility across classical, pop, world, and electronic music traditions. Originally from Sacramento, California, he has built an international career that bridges genres and cultures. A member of the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet (LAPQ) from 2009 to 2022, his performing credits include the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, LA Phil New Music Group, I.C.E., red fish blue fish, and collaborations with Stewart Copeland and Cheap Trick.

His primary percussion teachers include Daniel Kennedy, John Bergamo, and Steven Schick. Deeply influenced by Indian percussion traditions, Justin has been a North Indian tabla disciple of Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri (Lucknow gharana) since 1999 and has also studied with Pt. Arup Chattopadhyay (Farukkhabad gharana). He travelled to India to study South Indian drumming with T.H. Vikku Vinayakaram and was later awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study mridangam with T.H. Subash Chandran for nine months in 2001.

Justin appears on over 100 recordings spanning solo, chamber, and contemporary projects on labels such as Innova, HatHut, Mode, Sub Pop, and Rattle Records. His debut album, Strange Paths, was lauded by Percussive Notes as “mesmerizing” for its “palette of sounds and intricate weaving of lines.” The Complete Early Percussion Works of Karlheinz Stockhausen on MODE Records won the German Critics’ Prize (Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik) for the best new music release of 2015. His solo projects Landfall: NZ Percussion Vol. 1 and Towards Midnight: NZ Percussion Vol. 2 were finalists for Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa | Best Classical Artist at the 2021 and 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards, respectively.

Holding degrees from CSU Sacramento (B.M.), CalArts (M.F.A.), and UC San Diego (D.M.A.), Justin brings extensive performance and academic experience to his role as Professor of Music at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. He is a YAMAHA Performing Artist and endorses Black Swamp Percussion, REMO, Sabian, and Innovative Percussion Inc.