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Elijah Wolf Kraft Litwin (b.1983) is a multi-instrumentalist, improviser, composer, teacher, and blogger, with albums released by Relapse Records, Metal Blade Records, Tzadik, Party Smasher Inc, High Two, and ugEXPLODE. Eli graduated from the Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University in 2006, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance (drum set) and Music Technology. In the Spring of 2014, Eli earned his Master’s degree in Music Education from The University of the Arts. He has been a recipient of the American Composers Forum: Subito grant and the Meet the Composer: Creative Connections grant. Though his area of expertise began largely in metal, Eli has gained significant experience playing in jazz, rock, classical, and avant-garde idioms as well.
Eli has a number of current and past musical projects worth noting. In 2011, he released his first solo recording project, Intensus, on Metal Blade Records, and received much praise from the online metal community for the album’s unique musical vision. Eli’s former band, Normal Love, released two albums and one 7″ single of groundbreaking modern classical/noise/rock, also to much acclaim. His former bands Inzinzac, Gun Muffs, and Knife the Glitter all explored different amalgamations of jazz, metal, and composition. Eli has also composed a wide range of electronic and electroacoustic music as a solo artist.
Eli’s most recent band, John Frum, released their debut album on Relapse Records in 2017. The album’s mix of death metal, psychedelic atmospheres, progressive songwriting, and bursts of unhinged improvisation earned it a spot on many year-end lists. Most recently, Eli has been releasing his own solo recordings, fusing metal, rock, electronic, and improvisation.
In addition to his career as a performing and recording musician, Eli is also a teacher with many years of experience. From 2005-2014, he has taught percussion, guitar, bass, piano, and ukulele lessons, and directed ensembles at a number of schools in the greater Philadelphia area, grades K-12. After earning his teaching degree, Eli was in general music classroom teacher in Philadelphia from 2014-2020. He then relocated to Northampton, MA, and began teaching private lessons there in 2021. To learn more about in-person and virtual private lessons, please visit the Lessons section.