Martin Lukanov aka Gokkun has made an album that challenged
my perception of noise. I had no idea who he was before putting the tape in and
when I looked at the floral print on the j-card I thought for sure I was in for
either some emo or house bullshit. No no no. What I got was so abrasive to the
point it made all my prior conceptions feel like a joke: a noise concept album.
Lukanov states his take on love and romance through noise
compositions. Each track has a female name tied to it. There is no further
narrative to explain the context around the songs. Whether they are based on
real experiences or characters is irrelevant. The story remains the same and
the emotion of love has been properly captured. It is chaotic, it doesn’t
always make sense, but each piece has a definitive ending. An impression is
made on the listener similar to how the inspirations behind the compositions
made an impression on him. Each is distinctly different.
Noise is a nontraditional way to express views on love. Yet
that doesn’t mean it is an invalid one.
“Love Hits ‘09” is good execution of a
big idea. Give it a try if you are up for it.
-- Roy Blumenfeld