Moving On Kan Wakan

• 1Forever Found04:25
• 2Moving On03:44
• 3Like I Need You03:32
• 4Space Owl (Cut The Rope)04:28
• 5Are We Saying Goodbye04:05
• 6Sawdust04:41
• 7Clear Divide05:32
• 8Why Don't You Save Me?03:41
• 9Mont Blanc04:11
• 10Midnight Moon Pt. I04:23
• 11Midnight Moon Pt. II06:45
• 12Moving On04:34
• Total Runtime54:01

Info for Moving On

Kan Wakan arrive with a striking breadth of vision that immediately places them among modern pop’s most beguiling and inventive new artists. The Los Angeles­-based group’s extraordinary new album introduces their ornate amalgam of psychedelic soul, post rock, noir jazz, and orchestral pop, all reshaped and rearranged to create something startlingly original and utterly contemporary.

While Verve is known for being home to several jazz legends, Kan Wakan instead emanates from a musical background entrenched in classical minimalism. Bulgarian­born Gueorgui I. Linev (mastermind behind Kan Wakan) originally set out to create instrumental music inspired by his fascination with 60′s and 70′s film scores, namely compositions from the revered Jean-Claude Vannier, Ennio Morricone, and Phillip Glass. However, with the addition of vocalist Kristianne Bautista and producer/guitarist Peter Potyondy the group found itself evolving into the soulful orchestral-pop outfit that they are today.

The Los Angeles-based band recorded the collection with engineers Darrell Thorp (Radiohead, Gnarls Barkley, Atoms for Peace) and Tom Elmhirst (Arcade Fire, Beck, The Black Keys). It was mastered by Bob Ludwig (Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, Daft Punk).

'Impressive Arctic Monkeys-endorsed debut from LA-based newcomers Kan Wakan.' (The Daily Mirrow, UK)

'Moving On is a glorious, swirling, joyous and notably un-ironic take on a time when pop could be grand and orchestral, as well as playful and arch.' (The Independent, UK)

Gueorgui I. Linev, all instruments
Peter Potyondy, guitar
Kristianne Bautista, vocals

Kan Wakan
emerged in early 2012, the musical brainchild of composer/producer/multi-instrumentalist Gueorgui I. Linev who was recently named one of the 10 best young songwriters in Los Angeles by the LA Weekly. The Bulgarian-born musician originally set out to create solely instrumental music inspired by his lifelong passion for classical minimalism.

“Initially the project began as an outlet for me to perform some of my bedroom instrumental ideas with a small chamber ensemble comprised of strings and brass” Linev says, “After some time it felt right to introduce guitars, keyboard and drums into the mix, and around then is when I met with guitarist/co-producer Peter Potyondy, who was interested in getting involved in the project early on. It took a very natural course as we spent the next year or so experimenting and finding our groove whilst we searched for vocal collaborators and more like minded musicians to round out the band live.”

As the core group built upon a truly variegated palette of influences, common musical themes began to manifest, including a epic but cinematic deep soul approach inspired by such icons as Bill Withers and Nina Simone. “Forever Found” – the band’s first fully fleshed track – proved the aural template from which Kan Wakan lit out on their exploration of what Linev refers to as “the juxtaposition of song and symphony.”

“Many roots of the music are inspired by moving picture and fiction. A lot of arrangement ideas usually start with a quick sentiment, and develop viscerally undocumented over some time before I feel comfortable enough writing them down.”

Kan Wakan’s opening demos earned them well-deserved attention, including significant airplay on the one and only KCRW. Having made an instantaneous impact, the band then spent the better part of 2013 recording at studios around the greater Los Angeles area. Produced by Linev (aka Crooked Waters), engineered by GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Darrell Thorp (Radiohead, Beck, Air, Gnarls Barkley) and Mixed by GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Tom Elmhirst (Adele, Florence and the Machine, The Black Keys, Arcade Fire, Amy Winehouse) the sessions were adorned with sumptuous strings performed by the Metamorphosis Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Linev’s beloved uncle, Bulgarian Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra music director/conductor Stefan Linev.

This album contains no booklet.