| Balam Acab | |
| Birth Name: | Alec Jeffery Koone[1] |
| Birth Date: | 14 April 1991 |
| Origin: | Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genre: | Electronic Witch house |
| Years Active: | 2010–present |
Alec Jeffery Koone (born April 14, 1991), better known by his former stage name Balam Acab, is an American electronic musician and producer originally from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.[2] [3] [4]
Koone began creating hardcore and metal at the age of 13 with a group of musician friends. While studying music at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York in 2009, he began to experiment with post-rock and ambient music. He eventually dropped out of Ithaca College to focus on his music career. His first release, the 2010 EP See Birds,[5] got him categorized as witch house according to Pitchfork.[6] He followed that up with his first full-length album, Wander/Wonder, in 2011.[7] Wander/Wonder was recorded entirely in the same bedroom he slept in as a child and heavily incorporated Creative Commons-licensed nature recordings he found on the Internet.[8] His song "See Birds," title track of the See Birds EP, was featured in a L'Oreal mascara ad starring Beyoncé in early 2011.[9]
After a long hiatus, Balam Acab self-released his second official album, CHILD DEATH, on December 17, 2015[10] via Bandcamp. In April 2016, the album was pressed on vinyl and released by the DIY record label Orchid Tapes.[11] Since the release of CHILD DEATH, Balam Acab has released many singles and collaborations in a variety of styles through SoundCloud[12] and Bandcamp.[13]
Among numerous side projects and aliases, Balam Acab recently teamed up with producer Goodbye to form the duo hospice_dreams, releasing the debut demo "because i am true". A full release is expected to be released late 2018.
The name "Balam Acab" was taken from a rainbow-creating deity in Maya mythology that Koone learned about in Spanish class.[14] [15]