Akotcha - Sound Burger (Pork)

Continuing Pork's (uninterrupted?) run of pure quality, Akotcha release Sound Burger. This debut LP from the Brighton/London fusion of Jude Alfred and Russ Jones is minimal in presentation, so about them I can tell you little. What I can say is that their album merges funky bass, eerie atmospheres, trippy drum loops and laid back guitar and pours it onto the vinyl with a smooth lacquer of production.

'Sound Burger', the title track, combines all these elements and if the title sounds familiar, cast your mind back to pre-CD times when there were some weird and wonderful ways to play records. Like the little van that drove itself around the grooves and the 'Sound Burger', a hand-held wheel clamp that looked a lot better than it sounded!

But enough hi-fi trainspotting. Buy this album and skip directly to 'So Far So Good', which is the smoothest tripped-out version of trip-hop known to man. Saucy French vocals and ruffed-up beats, anyone? 'We Have The Technology' is also worth checking out. Full of subliminal melodies and perfect for either rainy Sunday afternoon listening or late night radio play. 'Gosub' and 'Entirely Synthesised' are the tracks I'll probably keep going back to. They hint at an affinity with early eighties technology (also found on Fridge's 'Ceefax' back in the spring) which thankfully doesn't carry into the actual music. 'Gosub' is actually an epic drum & breakdown finale that would fit with either a dark DJ set of electronica or stella transmissions into the unknown. Certainly an accomplished debut. 8/10


This review also published in: DJ magazine