THE PROPHET KONTAR - His new album's a head trip.

A former Free Times staff writer and editor who parlayed a column called Urban Dialect into a short-lived magazine, Daniel Gray-Kontar returns this week to promote an entirely different endeavor. He performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 22 at Touch Supper Club (2710 Lorain Ave., 216.631.5200). Gray-Kontar, who now lives in the San Francisco Bay area where he's in graduate school at UC-Berkeley, has just released The Unclosed Mind, his full-length debut as Rep-Life, a hip-hop outfit he fronts. The ambitious album is a truly global affair that includes contributions from a who's who of underground DJ and dance culture icons, including Mark de Clive-Lowe, Dego (of 4Hero), Kaidi Tatham (of Bugz in the Attic), Atjazz, Don-Ray, RLP, Archetyp, Noni Limar (Sa-Ra Creative Musical Partners), Deborah Jordan (Silhouette Brown), Kissey Asplund and jazz vocalist Ki Allen. Its heady lyrics and skittish beats definitely require a few listens to absorb; its assortment of samples and live instrumentation give it great depth.

By year's end, Gray-Kontar also plans to release The Book of Job, an album he finished two years ago. In addition, he appears with Belgian producer Cris Prolific on a track for his album, and helps out on a couple of songs on Don-Ray's forthcoming album. There's also talk of a possible remix album for The Unclosed Mind, all of which makes you wonder how Gray-Kontar will ever manage to find time to write his dissertation. "The professors here knew in advance what was happening with the signing to the record label," he says during a short phone interview. "They embraced it because they know I'm interested in looking at hip-hop and culture and figuring out how to balance that with teaching kids. Since I'm in the field, it provides a new perspective. My tours will likely be over the course of the summer. When I'm not rockin' a show, I'll be secluded somewhere writing the dissertation."

Even though Futuristica, a London-based label, is issuing The Unclosed Mind, Gray-Kontar hopes to have a few copies for sale at the show. "Since the label is based in London and Japan, it's a lot more expensive because the dollar is so weak," he says. "I hope to be able to sell it here at regular US prices." - Jeff Niesel

Former Black Death Drummer Passes Away

Phil Bullard, drummer for '80s Cleveland power-metal legends Black Death, passed away from colon cancer on Feb. 6 at age 59. Formed in 1977, the leather-and-chains-adorned quintet featuring vocalist/guitarist Siki Spacek, guitarist Greg Hicks, bassist Darrell Harris and Bullard, gained public attention with two tracks on the 1983 Cleveland Metal compilation LP. Its self-titled full-length and a 7-inch were released on local metal label Auburn the following year. The fact that they were one of the exceedingly rare African-American metal ensembles created a hook, but the band delivered the goods with over-the-top live shows.

Like the rest of the band, Bullard had dropped out of the music scene in the late '80s to live a normal life and raise a family (he leaves two daughters and four grandchildren). He returned a couple of years ago to drum for local metal ensemble Mandrake, along with former bandmate Hicks, and continued to play until he became too ill late last year. The band's mystique has persisted and Auburn Records will reissue the 1984 album, expanded to a double-CD with additional material, this summer. Go to auburnrecords.com for more info. - Anastasia Pantsios

Trina Shoemaker Comes to Rock Hall

Trina Shoemaker broke into the male-dominated profession of engineering and record production in the mid-1990s when she cut her teeth working with an interesting assortment of artists including EmmyLou Harris, Soul Asylum, Iggy Pop, Throwing Muses, Midnight Oil and Patti Griffin. Since then, she's worked steadily, earning Grammys for her engineering work on Sheryl Crow's The Globe Sessions and Steven Chapman Curtis's All New Things. She'll be talking about her career at a From Songwriters to Soundmen session at the [url=http://rockhall.com/] Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum[/url]'s 4th Floor Theater at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 19. It's free with a reservation; call 216.515.8426 or e-mail edu@rockhall.org. - AP

Azimuth Dream Issues New EP

Ambient rockers Azimuth Dream celebrate the release of their new EP Using Lies to Tell You the Truth at the Agora Ballroom (5000 Prospect Ave., 216.881.2221) at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 22. Sound of the City, A Phoenix Down and Arlia share the bill. Tickets: $5. - AP