CHRIS KORDA - Akoko Ajeji (Perlon)

CHRIS KORDA - Akoko Ajeji (Perlon) It's been a long time between drinks for Chris Korda, a transgender artist and activist whose last releases of note came on famed electroclash label International Deejay Gigolo way back in 2004. New album "Akoko Ajeji" is very much a surprise return to action, though its melodious, ear-pleasing and accessible blend of house and techno drums, digital synthesizer sounds, and cheery post-synth-pop refrains are both striking and hugely addictive. Korda's compositions offer subtle nods towards various vintage house and techno styles - particularly turn-of-the-90's deep house and early Chicago jack - but never sound anything less than thrillingly DIY productions giddily made in back rooms and bedrooms over the last decade and a half. 

Akoko Ajeji means “Strange Time” in Yoruba. All the tracks on the album are in complex polymeter, determining not only the rhythm but the harmony too. The result is an intricate but non-random pattern of interference. Vizyon means “trance” in Haitian Creole. Its polymeter repeats after 155,195,040 beats (roughly 805 days) and has a Greatest Prime Factor of 19. Asiri means “secrets” in Yoruba. Its polymeter repeats after 14,894,880 beats (roughly 80 days) and has a Greatest Prime Factor of 31. Iyika means “circles” or “revolution” in Yoruba. Its polymeter repeats after 58,198,140 beats (roughly 300 days) and has a Greatest Prime Factor of 19. Ala Aye means “dream world” or “space-bound” in Yoruba. Its polymeter repeats after 118,731,810,156,960 beats (roughly 1.7 million years) and has a Greatest Prime Factor of 37. Awose means “template” or “stencil” in Yoruba. Its polymeter repeats after 5,785,219,440 beats (roughly 85 years) and has a Greatest Prime Factor of 349. Ra Bayi means “buy now” in Yoruba. Its polymeter repeats after 629,909,280 beats (roughly 8.6 years) and has a Greatest Prime Factor of 23. Ra Mi means “buy me” in Yoruba. Its polymeter repeats after 480 beats (3 minutes and 26 seconds) and has a Greatest Prime Factor of 5. Egungun is Yoruba for “bones” or “ancestors” in the collective sense. Its polymeter repeats after 27,720 beats (3:33:14 in elapsed time) and has a Greatest Prime Factor of 11. Dek Sep Bluso means “seventeen blues” in Esperanto. Its polymeter repeats after 16,336,320 beats (roughly 91 days) and has a Greatest Prime Factor of 17. Fazo Kanto means “phase song” in Esperanto. Its polymeter repeats after 78,540 beats (roughly 10 hours) and has a Greatest Prime Factor of 17. [info sheet from distr.]