Jamal Moss has been making music in Chicago under the moniker Hieroglyphic Being since 1994. His music is deeply rooted in the influential house and techno scenes of the city but also draws on the avant-garde and jazz. His music is both dark and transcendent, mechanical and organic.

In this interview he unpacks the origins of these dualities, describing how he was raised by his adopted parents on the city’s jazz greats but discovered dance music in the club aged 12 after being brought along by an uncle who had business to attend to. Too young to enter the building, the young Jamal felt the vibrations from outside, and he was hooked.

In this frank interview we learn about his early days running club nights in Chicago, how his adopted father’s position in the Masons gave him certain insight on the inner workings of the city, his unapologetic days as a gigolo and his rejection of the term AfroFuturist. Oh and he also dabbles in nanotechnology.

Hieroglyphic Being makes music to serve humanity, and when he’s not doing that you’ll find him throwing avocados at squirrels. Don’t Assume.

This interview was recorded at the end of 2023, and includes music with generous permission from Hieroglyphic Being.

Tracks in order:

Hieroglyphic Being - The Flying Men of Zimbabwe

Hieroglyphic Being - The Language of Strings

Hieroglyphic Being - The Mystery of the Rose

Hieroglyphic Being - Being Awake and Energize

Hieroglyphic Being - THANKS FOR THE TRACKS U LOST

Hieroglyphic Being - Fuck the Ghetto, think about outer space

Discover Hieroglyphic Being on NTS [https://www.nts.live/artists/2391-hieroglyphic-being]

Presenter - Zakia Sewell

Producer - Alannah Chance

Recording - Si Richards

Music composition - Jennifer Walton

Mix-Mastering - Sol King

Exec Producer - Lizzy King for NTS

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