Khan Of Finland: »NICHT-NUR-SEX« (Shitkatapult, Strike 162, 2017)
»NICHT-NUR-SEX« is a user profile on a literally gay forum named Gayromeo that's serving the purpose of organizing its users needs for fleshly pleasures. The transvestite's user name is programmatic, has an explicit meaning: it's more than sex! That breakthrough in superficiality appearing also proclaims Khan of Finland aka Can Oral – artist- and real name go hand in hand. Of course it's about sex. There's more than that, though. The title previews an album that forces bystanders to take a deeper look but it also clearly states: here a few points can be found sex isn't satisfying without. Khan's musical aesthetics are glamourous, dub-like pop packed with samples and alienated voices – a musical tradition leading back to Grace Jones and Marianne Faithfull in their Island Records era of '80/81. We're able to hear moaned phrases, phrased moaning, artificial ejaculation.
»NICHT-NUR-SEX« creates a melange of an intense life-style, here the untamed before-and-after finds a musical counterpart as well as the in-between finds a starting point. Even the album cover is held in a similar fashion: The archive of Khan's snapshots mirrors our voyeurism so we finally recognize we're most intrigued by picky details found in the hidden. Between fragments and snapshots secrets unveil, obsessions materialize. And desires dance. To prove this view is of political nature the song »H&M Freedom« depicts various forms, shapes and conditions of dependency in today's world of consumerism.
Khan's a page that's got to be written on from both sides regarding it's fidgety character in music and pictures: the Berlin based artist produces, sings every so often, remixes, releases his own records under his finish moniker or as a member of a band named Wild Style Lion, has recently formed a bridge between electronic- and guitar-music with the aid of J. Mascis and Kim Gordon, has been a club owner in NYC, organized events at the infamous Berghain, plays theater, travels with Goethe – or speaking metaphorically: melodizes live!
In associative cut-ups which intersect organically Khan has invited a legion of guest artists: Joe Volume, swinging between Tom Waits and Michael Gira, performing the cinematic character of the album with his narrating voice, Mexican rapper Alemán, focussing his fiery solar beam onto Khan's album, Julia Kent, cello player of Anthony & the Johnsons, creating deepness with her instrument and finally the very present Icelandic musician Urður, known from GusGus featured on three tracks. Through Khan's arrangement a diverse interdependency of emotions is created compiling the ten tracks into a listening-album where a soundtrack can be found. A soundtrack for our sexuality – and basically everything in between!
–Hendrik Otremba
photo: Jacopo Benassi
++ 20 Jahre Shitkatapult ++ Khan of Finnland – »NICHT-NUR-SEX« is the first release in the year of Shitkatapult's 20st anniversary and acts as the initial record of a line of special artist releases e.g. from Si Begg, T.Raumschmiere & C. Brötzmann and many more of our catalogue artists.