Going thru the high increase of electronic music projects in Mexico, we can say there is one that has have maintained the most original sound, creating the perfect combination of ethnic roots and electronic contemporary elements, we are talking about the project called Axkan.

Kraftwerk, Skinny Puppy, Orbital, Richie Hawtin, Jorge Reyes, among others, have been source of inspiration to create the musical basics of Federico Sanchez, known as Axkan. Since his early ages, Federico was a devoted participant in the electronic movement of Mexico; together with Luis Flores and Álvaro de la Rocha (Chetos), they produced for many years in Jalisco the first radio show dedicated to present exclusively electronic music: “La Fabrica X” (The Factory X), where representative bands of the 80’s like Front 242 y Skinny Puppy were played fluidly.

As a teenager, Luis as well as Federico started buying musical instruments, to start assembling a
project focused in the Industrial music and the E.B.M. The first tools were a sampler Ensoniq EPS-16+, a synthesizer Yamaha YS200 y the sequencer Cadenza for Windows. Later on, Jorge Hernandez a.k.a. (DJ Jorge HM) was invited to the project; this created the first phase of “Double Helix”.

Few months later, Federico had the opportunity to live some experiences which made him conceive the idea of a different type of music where the percussions and the ethnic elements were more obvious than usual and then blend those with the electronic atmospheres from the end of XX century. For that reason, after working sometime in both projects simultaneously, Federico leaves Double Helix y creates his own project: Axkan, which means: “now” o “the present”, in náhuatl (native Mexican tongue).

Up to this day, Axkan keeps morphing, it doesn’t sound so ethnic anymore like in his first works; also, his musical expression musical has been changing towards a more modern sound, which could fall into minimal techno; maybe due to the influence of living close to Detroit and Chicago, this last one where he lives since 1999.

Like a musician, Federico has always been trying to create his unique sound, without trying to fall into a specific genre, without trying to make music that sell records, although he’s been very successful and Axkan have had the opportunity to play within most of the cities in Mexico, but mainly in Guadalajara where he keeps a continuous schedule. He also had taken his music to Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Russia and the USA off course, especially in Chicago.

He has recorded tracks in several compilations, like Toltécnica 2004 from label "Arteria"; a Spanish compilation called “The Secret Sounds of Latin-America”; “Tranceformation” and “Toltécnica I” under "Opción Sónica". He is founder of the Mexican label "NopalBeat" and has included traces in all their compilations albums. He has also produced many remixes within the label, as well as presented some tracks in vinyl. Now in NopalBeat, Federico incorporates the classic atmospheres of the label, which reminds the age of the mambo, rumba and salsa so characteristic of the 50’s y 60’s. Although we should mentions that his particular sound has never sound as Latin as the other projects in the label, he still maintains his unique sound, brighten by his intensity and density.

He currently works in a project with Jorge Hernandez (DJ Jorge HM), composing loops with Technoid tendencies. Also, Jorge Hernandez will be in charge of remixing and producing some of the tracks for the new album of Axkan, which will be out somewhere in 2005.

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