AXXONN Debut EP

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Reviews

Foxy Digitalis - Certain discs have a habit of catching you completely unaware. Unaware in this case that the music belonging to such mediocre cover art and cringe inducing online self-promotion could actually be worth listening to. Axxonn are a two-piece from Brisbane who tread what presently seems to be the almost overbearingly familiar territory of ambient synth noise action with vaguely kraut overtones. Yet that disclaimer aside, it seems that if anything Axxonn serve as a reminder of why this particular cluster of sounds and influences is so popular at the present moment, that is, it seems to be yielding consistently interesting and inspired results.

This self-released CDR begins with quiet ambient synth washes that immediately recall Stars of the Lid or Eluvium. Yet it is probably more accurate to point to the overwhelming influence throughout the disc of classic German synth experimentalists such as Klaus Schulze. It is the details that prove the most transfixing, rather than an overwhelming torrent of keyboards. This first section of the disc (entitled “White Glare”) hints at a transcendence that glistens underneath the slowly melting drone.

Transcendence finally arrives in the second section (“Stolen Pens from the Hyatt”) when a sudden increase in volume is met with sudden stabs at the keys walking a fine line between the previous section’s technologic dreaming and hints of a more trash-rock aesthetic.

The third and final section of the disc is where the kraut influence comes to the fore. The loud and distorted synth sounds disintegrate and a strange wobbly rhythm takes it place. The sound of gurgling electronics and a plodding drone in the background achieves an ominous effect that is positively industrial, recalling some of the best bits of Nurse with Wound and Throbbing Gristle. A very pleasant surprise indeed. 9/10 -- www.foxydigitalis.com/foxyd/reviews.php?which=4557

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Before Hollywood - Should You Fear Hell?, the debut release from experimental noiseniks AxxOnn, is by no means a groundbreaking release. That having been said, most music typified as experimental these days is done so mainly to make it vividly clear that it is an entity distinct form any form of pop music. Indeed, this EP isn't hellish, nor is it heavenly. Rather it is in limbo, or purgatory if you will.

AxxOnn, as you have no doubt read in Cam's previous post, is a collaboration between electronic artist Tom Hall, and No Anchor/Iron On bassist Ian Rogers. Should You Fear Hell? doesn't stray far from either of their previous work (excluding Iron On); rumbling bass, floating soundscapes, and then a few more bursts of abrasive bass tones. The pair take their name from David Lynch's Inland Empire, and there is unlikely any more fitting reference. AxxOnn's music exudes the same sort of tension and subtle perversity that is found in Lynch's works.

The EP consists of one 24 minute track broken up into three sections. The first of these is entitled 'White Glare', and that pretty aptly describes what the 7 minute plus section consists of. The swirling, interstellar synthesizers instill a sense of ethereality, yet at the same time they obscure the slightly menacing growls of bass.

After 7 minutes of drones it comes as a bit of a shock when the synths punch in at a different frequency to initiate the second part of the EP, 'Stolen Pens From The Hyatt'. This section works as almost a crossfade between the passive (at least in terms of listener involvement) first section and aggressive final section. Hall's synths (I say synths for want of a better term - I have absolutely no idea what instrumentation he is using here) slowly give way to Rogers' trashed to fuck bass sound; a buildup to the oncoming Götterdämmerung.

The last 11 minutes of the EP consists of the section entitled 'Shit Rainbows (And Unicorns)'. Now I didn't actually look at the titles before listening to the EP, and rainbows (shit or otherwise) and unicorns definitely did not come to mind. Rather this resonator heavy piece evokes some bizarre factory line, where all the robots happen to produce beautifully distorted tones. The droning synths return, carrying the listener downwards like a conveyor belt past the array of unidentifiable beeps and buzzes, until the song gets as sonically low as possible and fades to static.

While Should You Fear Hell? doesn't answer the question it poses (at least not for me), it does mark an excellent debut for this AxxOnn. If they can take us on a trip through the underworld in 24 minutes, one can only imagine where they would journey given a full length release. Brisbane has been putting out a huge amount of great experimental/avant-garde/post-rock music in recent times, and Should You Fear Hell? is a great addition to that canon. before-hollywood.blogspot.com/2009/02/review-axxonn-should-you-fear-hell-ep.html