Carlos Niño & Friends

Space collage

Carlos Gabriel Niño, born February 16, 1977, volunteered at KPFK in Los Angeles in 1994, began the show All At One Point in October 1995 and Spaceways Radio in October 1999, which ran until March 22, 2015. He co-founded dublab in 1999, Build An Ark in 2001 and the Life Force Trio in 2004. Wikipedia says he began focusing on Carlos Niño & Friends as a recording artist and producer in 2008, with the debut High with a Little Help From in 2009; the International Anthem bio says he disbanded most projects in 2011 to pursue freer collaboration. He calls himself a communicator, and his style tag is spiritual, improvisational, space collage. He told Bandcamp Daily in 2017 that the & Friends concept is really about me doing whatever I want, with whoever I want, with a rotating roster of about 40 musicians.

Albums include Aquariusssssss (2012), Aurorasmushroomtenderness (2014), Flutes, Echoes, It's All Happening! (2016, Leaving), Going Home (2017), Live at the World Stage (2018), Bliss on Dear Oneness (2019), Actual Presence (2020), More Energy Fields, Current (2021, International Anthem), Extra Presence (2022), (I'm just) Chillin', on Fire (2023), Placenta (May 24, 2024) and Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends at TreePeople (2025). He co-produced Andre 3000's New Blue Sun (2023). Setlist.fm lists seven shows between July 2022 and April 2026, including Big Ears in Knoxville in March 2025 and again in March 2026.