GOKKUN - “Love His ‘09” (Amek)



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