Akufen (Marc Leclair) is a Montreal-based electronic music producer who takes his name from the French word for tinnitus ("acouphene"). His music is based on a technique which he calls "micro-sampling": basically, he records hours and hours of radio programming, then extracts short (like half a second) clips from these tapes, and finally weaves these micro-samples into a new track (the generic classification for this type of music is micro-house (thanks Sasha Gabba Hey!)). While Akufen's music can sometimes sound a little too much like someone holding down the "seek" button on a radio, it's usually strangely musical. The clearest example of his approach to sampling is "Deck The House," while his most accessible track is probably either "Skidoos" or "Jeep Sex." The first track shows up from time to time on 12" vinyl (with a Matthew Herbert remix); all three tracks are on the album "My Way." Akufen wrote most of "My Way" while in near-isolation at a winter cottage in northern Quebec, which explains why the above-mentioned "Skidoos" is named after a brand of snowmobile.

Discography:1

My Way (Force Inc., 2002)

  1. Even White Horizons
  2. Installation
  3. Skidoos
  4. Deck the House
  5. Wet Floors
  6. Heaven Can Wait
  7. In Dog We Trust
  8. Jeep Sex
  9. Late Night Munchies
  10. My Way
Album on Force Inc; catalog numbers FIM060CD, FIM060LP

Singles:

  • 01-02 (Oral, 2000)
  • Architextures (Hautec, 2000) (Also appears on Swayzak's "Groovetechnology" mix album)
  • Psychometry, Vol. 1 (Trapez, 2001)
  • 03-04-05 (Oral, 2001)
  • Psychometry, Vol. 2 (Trapez, 2001)
  • Dada (Background, 2001)
  • Quebec Nightclub (Perlon, 2001)
  • Psychometry, Vol. 3 (Trapez, 2002)
  • Psychometry Remixes by Oliver Hacke (Trapez, 2002)
  • Psychometry Remixes by Thomas Brinkmann and Process (Trapez, 2002)

Akufen has also recorded a single as "Anna Kaufen":

  • Drive In (A Touch of Class, 2002)

1Discography source: allmusic.com

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