AXXONN or (AXX)off?
Super lo-fi synthers AXXONN are set to release their album Let’s Get It Straight this coming October. Off-putting drone and noise you’d expect to hear only seconds from death (and even then, you’d be asking “Can anyone else hear it too?”) isn’t everyone’s thing. But if there is one thing the debut title track ‘Let’s Get It Straight’ needs, it’s more of it.
The first few seconds are a touch confusing as the track sways from speaker to speaker, but eventually, a drum beat starts up and we’re off. But not completely off. For a four-minute track, ‘Let’s Get It Straight’ feels like it never quite gets things straight. There is some sort of a build-up happening, a drop back on the main melody and the bass starts to build. It feels like you’re only seconds away from feeling the music pound from your feet, through your chest and reverberate up into your skull. But when things get going again, it’s not as intense as you’d first anticipated.
Next thing you know, the tracks fading out. The not nearly loud enough noise is getting softer and you’re left wondering what just happened for the passed three minutes and 59 seconds.
I like AXXONN. And if you listen to any of their other tracks they make it there. Everything’s just that little bit noiser, the bass is a little bit deeper and the synth…? Well, the synth is just great. But ‘Let’s Get It Straight’ isn’t quite there.
Not having heard the rest of the album, I’m going to say leave (AXX)on(n). This track is obviously just the opener for noisier things to come. And hopefully, there’s much more noise to come.
(Photo by Alex Gillies)
