Akira Rabelais creates music that sounds like the physical process of forgetting. It is deeply rooted in the past, often utilizing traditional folk songs or classical piano pieces, but these foundations are subjected to digital erosion. The result is a shimmering, dusty atmosphere where melodies appear as if through a thick fog, never quite fully forming before they drift away into a wash of spectral reverb.
What makes Rabelais truly distinctive is his use of his own custom-built software, Argeïphontes Lyre. This tool allows him to treat audio like a physical substance, stretching, shattering, and smearing sounds until they lose their original context and become pure texture. It is a bridge between the high-tech world of algorithmic composition and the deeply human, emotional resonance of early music and romanticism.
Start with Spellewauerynsherde for a masterclass in how to transform traditional Icelandic laments into a haunting, modern ambient landscape. If you prefer something more grounded in the piano, Eisoptrophobia offers a beautiful, fractured take on Erik Satie that feels both respectful and radical.
Vincent Akira Rabelais Carté is an American composer, poet, software programmer and experimental multimedia artist. He is most known for his 2004 record on Samadhi Sound, Spellewauerynsherde, as well as his experimental audio processing software Argeïphontes Lyre, and his works which take inspiration from magic realism.
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