SongVault Artist Profile

The AKIBA Band represents a symbiosis of many different musical theories and influences. Originally a blues/rock musician, Viktor Wise provides jazz and blues influenced performances on various saxophones, woodwinds and flute to provide an earthy and elemental force that weaves-into to the ethereal, new-age ambiance that Bruce Geller adds on piano, synthesizers, samplers and guitar. Their musical and sonic interactions generate a unique hybrid of fusion jazz and electronic "soundscape" that audiences have found to be both unique and appealing. As a classically-trained musician and composer on both keyboard and guitar, Bruce provides Vik's woodwind performances with a stable foundation to play his melodies from. Vik is best described as an improvising multi-instrumentalist who is equally comfortable playing flute, saxophone, electric violin, clarinet, oboe, guitar and bass. Since 1989, AKIBA has been and will seemingly go on as a duo: AKIBA relies on electronics to accomplish the task of creating the complex textures that typify their compositions, but are also dependent on their acoustic instruments to make the music real. When their music is not based solely on live piano, guitar, flute, sax or an occasional electric violin, the MIDI-based sequencers and samplers provide the 'missing-link' between their live performance and the 'studio sound' that audience have come to expect of their compositions.

Since their inception, AKIBA has performed at an enormous listing of concert stages, coffeehouses, corporate, charitable and philanthropic events and city festivals. AKIBA has also released an album of their original works, and will be back in the studio sometime soon to record another CD. Until then, enjoy the tunes!