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axel kryeger

Live exhibition of Axel Krygier, Llega enero, in Toulouse, 2011

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Axel Krygier is an experimental musician and composer from Buenos Aires.

His style is a fusion of South American music, folk, jazz, tango, groove, psychedelic and other genres.

Band: Juan Ravioli (bass), Jean Thevenin (drum), Matt Warsky (bass), Axel Krygier (keyboard, voice).

Biography

Singer, composer, producer & multi-instrumentalist

Although he is an artist strongly associated to the history of Argentinian rock from the second half of the 80s, Axel Krygier is one of the most unique and out-of-the-pattern musicians of his country. He was even praised for his singularity by the leader of Sumo, a great icon of local underground, a compliment which became a stigma.

Nonetheless, from that moment, when he was just 18, to the release of his first album Échale semilla! (1999) twelve years passed, a period in which the singer, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist devoted himself to outlining a musical identity driven by the impulse of polyrhythm.

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Between porteña contemporaneity & Caribbean histrionics

It is not fortuitous that Latin popular music is the first distinctive characteristic evidenced in Axel’s work, which goes along with him since folklore appeared in his adolescence. When he discovered the post-punk -the artist born in Buenos Aires in 1969- instead of turning his back on tradition, he set the basis of a song format struggling between porteña contemporaneity and Caribbean histrionics.

In order to consolidate this esthetic and sound project and after his participation as saxophonist in La Portuaria, he didn’t only resorted to a solo career, but also took it forward with the keyboards as its main instrument, which allowed him to improve as a producer, later song-writer and front man.

Provocation, impertinence, hustle, bustle & joy

A long time before bedroom pop appeared, Axel built up a home studio where, with a multi-track recorder, he gave birth to musical Frankesteins that opened doors and minds, achieving nowadays a sound in which Dominican bachata coexists with surf music, as drum n’bass with klezmer, without even being perceived as weird.

This musician, whose inventiveness and talent were recognized and required by Latin rock stars such as Soda Stereo, became almost unintentionally, driven by provocation, impertinence, hustle and bustle and joy, a redeemer of class equality by joining the styles that would divide the Latin American society, into high and low culture.

Digital cumbia and electronic folk

As introduction to the political and social events that hit Latin America in the 2000s, Axel’s first album help predict the change in music order of the region in the following years. The critics and journalists proclaimed him “best new artist”, while a new generation of musicians and public celebrated his late debut as soloist. A great occasion because he was invited by Zizek, the digital cumbia and electronic folk label, to be part of their parties. Although for the collective this meant the incorporation of an experienced and renowned figure, for Krygier it was the opportunity to have his artistic aims contained by a scene and to start refining his live show.

SOURCE: Axel Krieger Official website