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.