Anklepants is the solo project of Reecard Farché, an Australian-born multi-instrumentalist, instrument builder and convict. The act begins with the album Pl-easkill, released in 2004 on Farché’s own QWERTY Records imprint, and Farché starts performing live in 2008. By the time of the later releases, Anklepants has a catalogue of more than 20 recordings.

Career and releases

Farché relocates to Europe in 2009. The first 12-inch release, insideyourfacedubstepbeanstalktoheavenfortheatheist, appears in 2011 on the UK label interact records, followed by several more 12-inch records, including Pollen on Detroit Underground in 2018. In 2019, Anklepants releases the ninth full-length album, Ocker, made up of recordings dating back to 2005. That album includes a cover of Dalis Car’s His Box, which shows a more conventional side to Farché’s songwriting and vocals.

Also in 2019, Farché records a cover of Gentle Giant’s Proclamation with EDM producer Mr Bill, using human-form vocals. A solo improvised release, Santur improvisation (Şur), appears shortly before Farché leaves Germany in 2014. It uses only the Persian santur tuned to the Maqam Şur, and leads into later material based on non-12EDO tunings. An unreleased album, Memory loss after incarnation, contains further work with maqams and material developed during Farché’s time living in Neukölln, Berlin.

Live work and performance system

Anklepants draws attention at Boiler Room in Berlin in June 2014, and performances follow across Australia, Europe, North and South America. The project appears at Glastonbury and at Day For Night in Houston, where it is billed alongside artists including Aphex Twin, John Carpenter and Björk. Farché also performs on Adult Swim’s Bloodbath, and attracts the attention of Conan O’Brien.

The live set centres on a self-built hardware and software system called facé_control, introduced with the first custom microphone in 2008. The system is in its fifth iteration and combines the facé_control_suit and facé_control_5 microphone to track movement such as back angle, finger and hand movement, footsteps and heart rate. These inputs control effects, vocal and beat manipulation, looping, triggering arrangements, and feedback through mechanical movement and light. Farché performs within an augmented-reality setup using more than 50 simultaneous wireless inputs.

Instruments and later development

Farché continues to build new acoustic and electronic instruments for the project, including facé_control_teeth, a tooth percussion instrument, and the Reecard farché intonarumori, a hybrid string instrument controlled by DC motor and breath. The next microphone, facé_control_6, expands the input count from 25 to around 100 outputs on the microphone alone. The updated facé_control_suit adds shoulder granular controllers, while facé_control_shoe adds heel and angle input to each foot. Farché also works on three further mechanical characters, which are intended to feed into future albums and stage work.

Style and collaborations

Anklepants is associated with genre-crossing, heavily improvised electronic music and a wide range of vocal personae. Farché works with the Persian santur, oud and saz, and later develops material from bird song and communications from other Australian animals. Recorded collaborations include work with Jochen Arbeit of Einstürzende Neubauten.