AKUFEN – MUSIC 2 WIGGLE 2 (TELHARMONIC TEXTURE) (FEB 2018)
Marc Leclair aka Akufen, has long been considered one of electronic music’s most fascinating producers. An early pioneer of the so-called ‘microhouse’ sound, he’s perhaps best known for his work on Perlon and aside from Akufen, his Horror Inc. alias. His latest comes at us from emerging Italian label, Telharmonic Texture. The label’s third release (following releases by Jeff Samuel and Paradroid ft. a remix by label boss, Pressure Point), ‘Music 2 Wiggle 2’ sees the Canadian perk up with three original tracks. As always with Aukfen, they’re striking in their originality and level of detail especially.
Getting us underway is the sounds of ‘The Sketchiest Sandwich in Town’. A curious, off-kilter track that steers the listener in various different directions throughout, it’s never lacking in carefree, good-natured vibes, although it does keep us guessing from the get-go. In case you’ve yet to experience Akufen’s music, ‘The Sketchiest Sandwich in Town’ is precisely the sort of unusual, albeit beguiling track he’s built his musical career around. Suffice to say, that’s no bad thing.
Middle track ‘I Love 2 Wiggle’ follows a (somewhat) more straightforward path, although this one too isn’t lacking in dancefloor aesthetics. Full of twinkling melodies and gorgeous keys, its vocals help lift the track to further planes still. An exceptional piece of music that’s sure to light up any dancefloor, it neatly paves the way for the record’s closing salvo, ‘Ritalin Swing’. As you might imagine, this one is indeed full of glorious, jazzy overtones, with its tongue-in-cheek title pretty much summing up a release that, despite boasting seriously impressive music, is all the better for not taking itself too seriously.
