Balam Acab

Alec 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.[1][2][3]

Koone began creating hardcore and metal at the age of 13 with a group of musician friends.[2][3] While studying music at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York in 2009, he began to experiment with post-rock and ambient music.[3] He eventually dropped out of Ithaca College to focus on his music career.[3] His first release, the 2010 EP See Birds,[4] got him categorized as witch house according to Pitchfork.[5] He followed that up with his first full-length album, Wander/Wonder, in 2011.[6] 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.[7] His song "See Birds," title track of the See Birds EP, was featured in a L'Oreal mascara ad starring Beyoncé in early 2011.[7][8]

After a long hiatus, Balam Acab self-released his second official album, CHILD DEATH, on December 17, 2015[9] via Bandcamp. In April 2016, the album was pressed on vinyl and released by the DIY record label Orchid Tapes.[10] Since the release of CHILD DEATH, Balam Acab has released many singles and collaborations in a variety of styles through SoundCloud[11] and Bandcamp.[12]

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.[7][13][14]