Akiani by utelo

AKIANI is a long running project I started working on about 10 years ago.

Each song is a transition between two states, and the first seven form a closed circle which represents the eighth track "Into the Crocodile's Egg".

Man → Bird → Storm → Sun → Ocean → Soil → Spirit → Man

The listener is taken on a journey, which might be perceived as an initiatory one, a journey of redemption, transcendence... the absence of an intelligible text and the repetitive and hypnotic aspect of the music leaves the door wide open for each person to project their interpretations.
This project makes reference to different cultures; it speaks as much of transmigration as animism and draws on sonority linked to Siberian Shamanism. However, it does not belong to any of these cultures and has its own cosmogony. It should not be mistaken for something other than what it is: the expression of a lived experience and a personal interpretation of the world, which aims to touch on the foundations of human experience in each of us.

It started by a track shared with my band UB°K, and its concept expanded since then: each track was refined and edited, then added a free poetry text and a instinctive drawing.

Tracklist

1.	The Wanderer	7:54

2.	A path to the North	5:43

3.	Hunting the Sun	4:49

4.	Falling from the Sky	7:07

5.	The Call	5:04

6.	All Stones are made of Sky	14:17

7.	Light from inside	5:26

8.	Into the Crocodile's Egg	6:00

Credits

released June 28, 2025

This is my first solo album, and even if it comes from my guts many people got involved in making it real and I want to thank them all:
- Francois Montaufray, who hosted me when I was down and let me do the first recordings in his attic.
- Marta Cine, who was there from the beginning and gave me the AKIANI name as a present.
- Nicholas 'machete' Benier, whose artistic vision tremendously enhanced my tracks.
- Mlle Kiliko, who accepted to join the project with her spirit-filled drawings and never let me down since then.
- Elizabeth Jervis, who managed to translate my poetry with great talent.
- Caroline, who supported me all these years in all my crazy wanderings and suggested the drawings.

I am so very grateful to you all... I could never have finished this release without you.

License