Gueorgui Linev known professionally as Kan Wakan, is a Bulgarian-born, Los Angeles and UK-based
electronic music producer, composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Linev has released two studio albums under the name Kan Wakan (''Moving On'' and ''Phantasmagoria Vol. 1''). He is currently signed to the Bristol-based labe
3tone Records He has done collaborations with
Moses Sumney,
Thundercat Thundercat or Thundercats may refer to:
* Thundercat (snowmobile), a series of snowmobiles produced by Arctic Cat
* Thundercat (musician), stage name of Stephen Lee Bruner, an American musician
* ThunderCats, a media franchise, featuring a fictio ...
, and toured with
Lianne La Havas, and
Arctic Monkeys, just to name a few. Well-known for his cinematic approach, Linev wrote the music for Brian Klemesrud's 2016 crime thriller ''Dead Draw''.
Musical style
Gueorgui Linev incorporates both electronic and acoustic instruments into his compositions, often featuring instrumental solos such as his use of
harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...
on "Molasses." With Kan Wakan, Linev often uses live orchestras in compliment to
Analog Synthesizer,
Electric Guitar and
Bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
, and various other instruments.
His music is described as "touching the borders of
trip-hop, acoustic balladry, and
psychedelia" according to ''The Fader''. ''
LA Weekly
''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...
s Jeff Weiss described his music as "Striking a smooth, sinister balance between crepuscular
trip-hop and experimental minimalism, Kan Wakan’s debut artfully recalls
Air and
Portishead,
Mazzy Star and
The Cinematic Orchestra."
Career
Kan Wakan
Kan Wakan formed in 2010 and began putting out songs two years later. In 2013, Kan Wakan released its debut EP, produced by Linev and engineered by Grammy Award-winning engineer
Darrell Thorp
Darrell is a given name derived from an English surname, which was derived from Norman-French , originally denoting one who came from Airelle in France. There are no longer any towns in France called Airelle, but is the French word for huckleber ...
. Those entrancing early tracks quickly earned him airplay on Los Angeles'
KCRW radio station, a publisher, management and a contract with Universal's sub-publisher
Verve Music Group
Verve may refer to:
Music
* The Verve, an English rock band
* ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve
* ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album)
* Verve Records, an American jazz record label
Businesses
* Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...
. The EP featured orchestra performances via the Metamorphosis Chamber Orchestra led by Linev's uncle, Bulgarian Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra conductor Stefan Linev. In 2014, Kan Wakan returned with his debut full-length album, ''Moving On''. Upon release, 'Moving On' peaked at #37 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. Yahoo! Music listed Kan Wakan as one of the "11 Best New Artists of 2014" and the success of 'Moving On' lead to Gueorgui Linev being named one of "The 10 Best Young L.A. Songwriters" by LA Weekly in 2014.
In August 2016, Kan Wakan released 'Molasses,' which was named "Today's Top Tune" by Los Angeles based radio station KCRW, and premiered in Nylon Magazine. Followed by positive reviews from notable music blogs, including Indie Shuffle, the track hit #2 on Hype Machine. Following the successful momentum of 'Molasses,' Phantasmagoria's second single 'I Would' reached #2 on Hype Machine after Clash Magazine
premiered the track, calling it "Absorbing" and was later placed in Indie Shuffle's "Best of October" Playlist.
''Phantasmagoria Vol. 1''
In 2018, Kan Wakan released his second studio album ''Phantasmagoria Vol. 1''. His song ''Molasses'' (ft. Elle Olsun) was used on season 1 of the American drama
Queen Sugar.
Discography
References
External links
Kan Wakan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Linev, Gueorgui
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Electro musicians
Trip hop musicians
Experimental musicians
Psychedelic musicians