Akotcha

Akotcha - Sound Burger - 1997- Pork

Britain’s Pork label gave us some wonderful original downbeat electronic recordings, exploring dubbed out mellow territories well outside of the normal music media spotlight. Often fusing electronics with live instruments, Pork released many brilliant downtempo releases, mainly from Hull based artists. Check out releases from Fila Brazilia, Moss, Baby Mammoth, The Solid Doctor, Heights Of Abraham, Leggo Beast, and more. Akotcha's "Sound Burger" is a from a crew composed of Jude Aldred and Russ Jones, who had been involved in the London and Brighton live music scenes playing keyboards and guitar in a variety of bands. The two met up, and shared musical tastes led to them setting up a studio together. Their "Sound Burger" debut is immediately more melancholy than other Pork releases and at times is reminiscent of the soundscapes conjured up by DJ Krush. Slow breakbeats tick away under creeping loops in combinations of fantastic chill-out grooves that will grab your mind. There is info on Heights Of Abraham "Two Thousand And Six" album @ HOA/2006 HOA's stunning classic album, "Humidity" can be found @ HOA/HUMY Bullitnuts "A Different Ball Game" album is @ BULNTS/ADBG Baby Mammoth's "Swimming" album is @ BABMAM/SWMG These are all superb albums from Pork Recordings. Check out the PORK RECORDS website, and Moss' wonderful "East Coast Chip Shop" album, a Pork classic can be located @ MOSS/ECCS

TRACKS

1. Sound Burger
2. Kobyashi Maru
3. Entirely Synthesized
4. So Far So Good
5. Spy Movie
6. Pork Fiend
7. We Have the Technology
8. IMG.00.37
9. The Breather
10. Gosub

CREDITS

Producer - AkotchHefner
Written-By - Jude Aldred , Russ Jones

REVIEWS

As this CD begins, if I closed my eyes and made believe, I would swear that Zapp had come back to life and was run through a rack mount. The steady bass and computer vocal cinch it. As the CD progresses, you can look forward to precariously looped bass samples along with some seriously wicked-awesome Moog and old-school analog whooshes. This whole CD has a kind of 1970's players feel that has been drastically reworked for the here-and-now. In the same respect, Sound Burger possesses its fair share of mellow, electro easy-listening. Not quite ambient, not quite drum-n-bass, not quite, well anything... which is good! Actually, if I had to say it sounded like anything, I would say it sounded like a Pork Records release. Pork have slowly come into their own by playing host to an impressive roster of musicians making really cool music for the '90s and beyond. The best thing about their releases of late is that I don't think they will sound dated in 3 years, like many current electronic releases will. Always cool, never dull and feeling very fresh, about the only thing missing from Akotcha's Sound Burger is a bag of chips and a pickle. Highly recommended. © Christopher Juul, © 1991-2009 Ink 19

A rainy and gray afternoon on the first day of the new year 2001 and after all the superficial excitement of the year-change is extinguished by now, it's time to sit down and present some music for your mind and soul. I'm taking you back to 1997 for a forgotten pearl on the monumental British Pork label being Akotcha and Sound Burger. Recently discovered at the freshest music store in Belgium at this time, Stereophonic at Antwerp, Sound Burger is the type of album you listen to and making you say the long big time shout wwhhhaaaaaawwwwww. Sound Burger captures the pre-"lounge hype"-type of musical spirit of back in 1997. Being released on the Pork label, you already know this album has that little extra that makes it different from the rest. It presents an atmosphere of slow smokey beats all spiced up with funky, jazzy and dubby ingredients that satisfy every music sensitive braincell in your head. But let's not keep the nec plus ultra for the last this time, but we'll throw the absolute killer track of this album right in your face : "Entirely synthesized". Trippy, funky and deep breakbeats with long swirling complex atmospheric moogs that not only make you say wwhhhaaaaaawwwwww but whhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwh. It's simple. Hear this, and you're sold, as well as the album if you're in a record shop. But that's not all J. Aldred and R.Jones of Akotcha and Hefner have for you. Discover "Gosub" for trippy dubby slow beats, subtle scratches and spacey gimmicks. Or "Sound Burger" itself, for an equally slow deep beat in a funky outfit, sounding a little monotone at first but the subtle changes and styling will take your mind slow but sure. Or the "Spy Movie" for a more jazzy groovier experience. Or "IMG.00.37" for a touch of electro and future jazz on slowish beats. If you liked the Deadbeats and "Lounging" album, you'll without doubt like "Sound Burger". Enjoy your meal of phat slow beats. © ez, jan 2001, © www.freestylegrooves.com