Search - Akufen :: My Way

The Secret Radio

P. Gunderson | San Diego, CA USA | 01/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

""My Way" was put together by sampling radio waves, slicing these sounds into small parts (voices, flashes of static, a bowed string, a vocal line, computer blips and the like) and reassembling them into house-inflected techno. It sounds like the radio waves have a secret life of their own when they aren't doing their jobs broadcasting Top 40 drivel--and boy do they like to cut loose.Akufen never lets his experimentalism get in the way of a good time. All of these tracks groove in the funkiest of ways. Highly recommended."

"My Way" indeed

darkagez | Montreal, Canada | 07/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Isn't it odd? A few years ago, any so-called "serious" music fan would have been crucified for admitting he liked a genre as bland and repetitive as house, and not unjustly so. With the exception of Leftfield, Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx and a select few other artists on whom it left a minor influence during the early 90's (Primal Scream, Massive Attack, The Orb, Underworld, etc.), it is widely acknowledged as a stain in the history of electronica.Quite surprising then, that two the most innovative and vital artists in the underground community right now produce... house. The first of these is Matthew Herbert, who under several different aliases is creating a stunningly consistent body of work, basing himself on an anti-corporate manifesto that includes sampling broken cans of coke and modifying regular kitchen appliances - in order to extract the desired sound, then disembowel it until it becomes something different altogether. But while some avant-garde noisemen would content themselves to leave it at that, Herbert balances this radical post-modern approach with a love of jazz and melody (and the striking vocals of Dani Siciliano) that bring a heart-warming humanity to his music.The second is (you guessed it) Montreal based glitch-house producer Akufen (born Marc Leclair), whose vision is quite similar to that of his peer. Aside from the identical clinically delivered 4/4 click-beats and the occasional melancholy synth fills, he also shares a passion for sonic deconstruction, albeit in a divergent manner. Where Herbert's sources are always spontaneous and "real", Akufen samples everything indirectly: radio shows, TV programs, some unremarkable random noise during a commercial, etc. This procedure is hardly fresh (think Scott Herren), but Leclair brings it to new levels by concentrating the samples to a dizzying point, and by doing it well. I don't know how much time or patience a production as dense yet cohesive as "Deck the House" requires, but it certainly is impressive.Akufen is no one-trick pony either; even if he exploits his gimmick on each of the 10 tracks, he does so wisely, and it's with a welcome ease that you can discern every track from one another, which isn't necessarily true of every electronic LP being released lately. "Even White Horizons" introduces the album in a relatively understated manner, with a beautiful backing of strings and nicely placed evocative vocals until the light-absorbing "Installation" kicks in, deftly managing to hold attention with a finely executed glitch-rhythm and a few minimal motifs throughout its entire 8 minute duration. "Skidoos" continues in the same vaguely atmospheric vein, though with gorgeous synth washes to keep it afloat.Yet it's the subsequent tracks that truly set the pace and mood for the meat of the record: the aforementioned "Deck the House" being the most extreme example, filled with more samples in 6 minutes than the Avalanches' entire "Since I Left You", and the similarly celebratory highlights "Wet Floors", "Jeep Sex" and "Late Night Munchies" keep the party rollin' with funky basslines, thumping grooves and, of course, engagingly weaved snippets of sound.It all comes to a close with the somewhat straight-ahead techno of the title track, which provides a suitable ending to a brilliant, innovative record. Perhaps it's a tad too early to declare it a classic, but if the novelty of it all manages to be transcended, it might just reach that status."

Several inspirations......

Ryan Schweitzer | Bismarck, ND USA | 09/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Akufen. As all the reviews here basically sum up, his style is basically if John Oswald, Todd Edwards, Larry Levan, Daft Punk, John Cage, Bootsy Collins, George Clinton (along with Parliament/Funkadelic), James Brown, Avalanches, (Matthew) Herbert, Scott Herren, and Matmos all decided to cram themselves in a studio equipped with several AM/FM radios and make an album. In other words, Mr. LeClair has made an excellent, beautiful and groovy-and-funky-as-hell album worthy of being a legend. It's in heavy rotation in my domicile...."