Artist Info

The unique place that Aka Moon occupy in today’s music scene is probably down to the fact that, independent of any particular trends, they combine art with inspired musical craftsmanship, allowing them to exploit oral as well as more conventional, scored, musical traditions from the world over in their work.

One cannot understand Aka Moon without grasping their greater context, for this is a collective who beat to the rhythm of their own Mother Earth, going beyond mere technique and text-book formulae, thus avoiding all the associated clumsiness so often indulged in by musicians for their mere powers of seduction.

Since Pygmées Aka, Aka Moon’s focus has shifted towards various different African, Indian, Maghrebian, Cuban, Arab, Afro-American and, of course, European traditions. This vast sphere of synchronization, encompassing as it does both written and oral traditions, conveys like nothing else the true complementarity of musical custom throughout the world by drawing on their vast common, pulsing foundation; rhythm itself.

These influences are expressed in Aka Moon’s constantly evolving musical language, rather than through any superficial stylistic nuances, for theirs is an attitude to music that refuses to limit itself to the mere discovery of the Earth’s musical secrets, but continues on to a genuine transmission of these to their audience through mutual exchange and listening.

It is hardly surprising then that the sacred magic of Aka Moon’s live performance constitutes a veritable laboratory producing not just the sounds of tomorrow, but its entire musical universe.

In its initial trio format, the musical personalities of saxophonist and composer Fabrizio CASSOL, electric bassist Michel HATZIGEORGIOU and drummer Stéphane GALLAND cross over in a kaleidoscopic, virtuoso and elusive way, a whirlwind of unclassifiable, transcending and cosmic music.

Aka Moon jumps at you, knocks you over, seduces or annoys you, but never leaves you indifferent.