Since 2008, East Forest has used music to guide listeners through modern journeys of deep introspection. The electro-acoustic project has remained primarily a solo effort (of Krishna-Trevor Oswalt), straddling the worlds of ambient, neoclassical, electronic, and avant-pop.
At the core of East Forest's work is an exploration of sound as a tool to guide listeners on an inner journey. The music is an emotionally resonant landscape that blends organic and electronic elements into cinematic compositions designed to evoke insight and connection. As a sonic bridge between science and spirituality, it ushers listeners into a direct encounter with the mystical dimensions of their being, intending to democratize access to peak states of consciousness.
This ethos of bridging inner and outer worlds, lies at the heart of East Forest's latest project, the feature-length documentary "Music for Mushrooms." More than just a chronicle of his creative journey, the film offers a compelling testament to the transformative power of psychedelics, music, and community amidst global crisis. The movie highlights how music can be a transformative tool, facilitating deep healing in an increasingly disconnected world. With captivating visuals, powerful interviews (including Ram Dass, Duncan Trussell, Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, Xochitl Ashe, Dr. Leor Roseman), and an original score by East Forest, the film weaves together cutting-edge science, indigenous wisdom, and East Forest's own story of psycho-spiritual awakening, to offer a hopeful vision for the future of mental health, social justice, and human thriving.
East Forest’s latest release, the “Official Documentary Soundtrack,” is an immersive album that serves as the heartbeat of the film. The album isn’t just a traditional soundtrack drop. The music is a journey in itself, a portal into the psychedelic space where introspection and transformation occur. The album, featuring tracks recorded and improvised live during East Forest's guided psilocybin ceremonies, presents a therapeutic auditory experience that extends the film’s exploration of music as a catalyst for personal evolution. Listeners will also be treated to a forthcoming 2025 sister release that further elaborates on the Official Soundtrack — a 6-hour album designed to guide a psilocybin journey from beginning to end — a third volume in his Soundtrack For A Psychedelic Practitioner series.
“The Official Documentary Soundtrack serves as more than background music for the documentary — it’s a central character, guiding listeners through their healing processes,” says East Forest. "The songs invite listeners into spaces of mindfulness and self-reflection, where the growth can begin."
East Forest’s live concerts utilize a skilled, mostly instrumental repertoire to create a space for an emotive journey. The live events have appeared at concert halls, and major festivals, as well as international performances in Europe, Australia, and Asia. The catalog includes over 30 albums, including 2019’s album-length collaboration with spiritual pioneer Ram Dass and collaborations with artists ranging from Jon Hopkins, Laraaji, Dead Prez, Nick Mulvey, Peter Broderick, DJ ANNA and more.
As a trailblazer in the global movement of meditation and inner resilience, he additionally offers guided meditations, retreats, a podcast (Ten Laws w/East Forest with almost 300 episodes), and talks that guide students through a brain-body approach aimed towards non-religious and approachable spirituality; he is a faculty member at the Esalen Institute and has worked with Google and Johns Hopkins neuroaesthetics project, UCSF psilocybin research studies, Wavepaths, Usona, Stanford d.school, SXSW, Yale, TED, Numinus, and more.
His work has appeared on Bright Antenna, Domino, Mercury KX, 1631 Recordings, Aquilo, Ghostly, as well as Tender Loving Empire & Universal/Decca.
Press Highlights:
The Soul of Choice - East Forest Op-Ed in Doubleblind
“Life and death and what it all means.” - Billboard Interivew / Billboard 2
“Lush, sweeping, unpredictable.” - Albums to Hear - Rolling Stone
“It’s just stunning.” - Bob Boilen, Tiny Desk
New York Times Jon Hopkins/East Forest Article - Greyson Currin - PDF
Feature + Interview - Sky News
“Surprisingly profound” - Forbes
“East Forest is as much a ceremonial leader and spiritual teacher as he is a musician.” - Psychedelic Times
#2 Billboard (Aug 2019), #1 iTunes “Ram Dass”
#1 iTunes (May 2019) (#7 Billboard) “Music For Mushrooms: A Soundtrack For The Psychedelic Practitioner”
#1 iTunes (Aug 2016) (#2 Billboard) “Ritual Mystical” (MC YOGI feat. East Forest)
#2 Song of the Year (2021) - MusicRadar
Top Songs of 2021 “Sit Around The Fire” - NPR
