About me

Axel Kacoutié is a creator who's been crafting sound, music, and words to challenge the familiar and revive a magic in the mundane. Their work has featured on the BBC and spaces like the Barbican. They've received awards from Third Coast: Best Documentary Gold Award, Sarah Lawrence College International Audio Fiction Award, British Podcast Awards, and many more. They are also the Creative Director of Sound for Guardian Podcasts (UK) and the sound designer and theme composer for its flagship daily news podcast, Today in Focus.

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Projects

• 15

  A Mother Tongue by Axel KacoutiéWhat is the etymology of your being? Axel Kacoutié offers a vivid personal essay reflecting on language, bilingualism and the curated gaps they have to navigate in order to access their culture and sense of self.
• 1

  Precious Hair & Beauty by John OgunmuyiwaAn ode to the mundanity and madness of the high street, told through the window of an African hair salon.
• Decode: PsychodramaGet to know the albums that matter. In series one we take a sonic journey into Dave’s award-winning concept album, Psychodrama.
• 2

  ALLUMUAH by Curtis EsselAllumuah [Pronounced: ‘A-Loom-Wah’] is a short film by Curtis Essel that explores the path of intersectional/generational relationships which vividly depicts the beauty in culture and the characters within it.
• A Sound Poem by Axel KacoutiéWe are wrong to look for uniformity and objectivity. We have all mapped associations to what our subjective experience is like.
• 1

  How to Remember by Axel KacoutiéA meditation on Blackness

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Projects credited in

• 10

  Axel Kacoutié, in Brockwell ParkPortrait from a set of photos commissioned by multi-award-winning audio artist and poet Axel Kacoutié. One of the big hitters, his work is described as "surprising, original and fresh". Among other successes Axel is also the sound designer for The Guardian daily news podcast, #todayinfocus This was one of those moments where you automatically just connect with someone. We found ourselves conversing about our experiences as black artists, the importance of craft and of course a lil chat about f

Work history

Creative Director of Sound of Guardian Podcasts (UK)The Guardian
Jun 2021London, United KingdomFull Time
Upgrading and developing the sonic identity of new and current podcasts offerings at the Guardian
Music Composer & Sound DesignerThe Guardian
Oct 2018London, United KingdomFull Time
Axel Kacoutié is the award-winning Sound Designer for the Guardian's daily news podcast, Today in Focus. They also compose bespoke music for mini-series specials such as Freshwater Five and Pegasus.

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Skills

• Music
• Audio Editing
• Live Radio
• Audio Technician
• Audio Mixing
• Podcast Production
• Poetry
• Creative Arts
• Voice Over
• Music Composer

Education

B/a Honours Music Production for MediaRavensbourne University London
Sep 2010 - Aug 2013London, United Kingdom

Awards

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Best Sound DesignerAudio Production Awards
Gold
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Best New ProducerAudio Production Awards
Silver