ÜBER | BEITRÄGE | WORKSHOP | INSTALLATIONEN | KONTAKT | 2013
Can "Khan" Oral
Of Turkish-Finnish descent, Khan began life as Can Oral and spent his early days in Frankfurt before the itch of the restless wanderer soon took hold of him. A true citizen of the world, Khan’s artistic existence as a 21st century wandering troubadour has been marked by a ceaseless movement that has taken him to Cologne, New York City, Mexico, Turkey and now Berlin.
His career in music spans over 15 years, beginning with a period in New York during which he established his HQ at his own record shop Temple Records NYC and produced hundreds of records in a wide range of styles under at least 10 different names, including Bizz OD, El Turco Loco and 4E. Among his countless projects and collaborations were Kid & Khan (with Kid Congo Powers), Global Electronic Network/Khan & Walker (one half of Air Liquide) and Legally Jammin (with Little Annie). But he is best known as the co-founder of the decadent dance duo Captain Comatose who, along the way, became the pioneers of electronic disco-trash with hits like "$100" and "Up In Flames".
Over the years as musician, composer and DJ, Khan has managed to take techno to another level by hijacking the structures of electronic music, shifting from the use of sampled vocals to narrative lyrical content. Infusing wit, sleaze and elegant carnality into what was up until then a cold, functional, binary-coded genre, Khan can be credited with making techno sweat, and also with legitimizing the role of the laptop as a musical instrument at a time when it still had to struggle for its rightful place. For him, the emancipation of machines was a logical progression, and it made just as much sense to integrate acoustic and rock elements into electronic music.
Khan carries on the tradition of some of the most talented underground psychopathic divas with whom he has had the privilege to work with: Diamanda Galas, Brigitte Fontaine and Julee Cruise among others. These improbable legends inspired him to create his own individual, constantly evolving artistic universe, an approach that dates back to his signing to indie rock label Matador Records in the late 90s. His raucous live performances feature an ever-changing roster of "living persona" that captivate the audience with camp, flamboyant drama and real-time action: the male hustler of from his debut 1-900-Get-Khan; the faceless, blond space invader; or the latest, a long-eared, gothic bunny from hell, gracing the stage in a tuxedo. He is the electronic blues traveler as modern-day entertainer, MC and host, here to enthrall us with seamy tales, torch songs, twisted romance and his own observations about life and love.
His larger-than-life presence is also the centerpiece of the wayward trio Khan Of Finland, featuring human beatbox Mark Boombastik and pianist Boris Bergmann. With an eclectic, all-acoustic approach, they experiment live with existing material and the odd cover, switching roles and improvising with sounds that veer from metal riffs to dubbed-out cabaret.
Khan's own label project “I’m Single” got off to a raging start in 2008 with a 12” of exclusive remixes from his 2007 album “Who Never Rests” (Tomlab). The label provides a platform for Khan’s own experiments, re-issues as well as releases from friends around the world such as dOP, DJ Kaos, Zero Cash, Rodion, Brigitte Fontaine, Little Annie & The Legally Jammin', Lay Low, President Bongo (Gus Gus), Khan Of Finland and many others.
http://www.captaincomatose.com
Dank an:
