Previously likened to Throbbing Gristle, local electro-noiseniks AXXONN have a new album out – in cassette format. DENIS SEMCHENKO and Dr Sonic Destructo TOM HALL try and reverse the technological evolution.

There must be something in the hot and humid Brisbane air that helps breed towering, beautiful noise – one has to have a listen to AXXONN’s massively distorted electronic compositions in order to see the above point. Having started as a collaboration of two likeminded musicians – Tom Hall and No Anchor’s Ian Rogers (also formerly of Iron On), these days the decibel-friendly project is essentially the former’s baby.

“I was curating one of the Audiopollen clubs in West End and I booked Ian’s band No Anchor and they blew me away,” Tom recalls, “Later on, I was playing with Secret Birds on a lot of bills with No Anchor; Ian and Alex [Gillies, drummer] were quite into the noisy element I was bringing into Secret Birds and the idea of us collaborating came about.”

The three then became two... “It was hard to organise a jam session where Alex could make it along,” he continues, “but Ian’s just up the road from me, and after a few months an idea of us playing live as a band came up and AXXONN was formed.”

…And then one. “Basically, last year was pretty insane: AXXONN took off a lot and the intensity grew,” Tom replies. “We went over to Europe and the UK and had a really successful tour there, but when we got back Ian didn’t want to continue with the intensity; he’s really supportive of me continuing on as he’s one of my best mates in Brisbane and he’s still behind it. It’s now becoming a solo project, which is funny because I have a solo career with my avant-garde sound works, so now one is Tom Hall and AXXONN’s the alter ego.”     

Releasing AXXONN’s first LP Below The Dead Ones on a humble cassette is far from being a gimmicky move, according to Tom.

“I really like the cassette as an object and I’ve always had a big love of them,” he reckons. “Everyone’s putting out CD-Rs these days, but it’s not that easy to put out a cassette – there’s a lot of time and effort in putting together and folding the artwork folding it. I like the aesthetic of the cassette – it comes back from my late childhood and having a Walkman.”

BELOW THE DEAD ONES is out now on Bedroom Duck. AXXONN launch the new cassette LP at The Step Inn on Sat Feb 13 (with Blank Realm) and support US post-metallers Isis at The Hi-Fi on Thu Feb 18 and current noise-rock sensations Health at The Step Inn on Thu Feb 25. Check www.myspace.com/AXXONN1 for more info.

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