Originally a solo project by Illinoisan transplant Kyle Tigges, Xylofaux now has a full lineup and surprisingly makes quite a racket. The atmospheric quality that comes across as simply moody in the solo recordings has become dark and dissonant. The band draws more energy out of Tigges while effectively elaborating on the tone set by his impressive, effects-laden guitar work and fragile vocals. They had been playing sporadic shows in Brooklyn and Manhattan but I'm guessing are now holed up recording their first (hopefully not self-titled) full length as a completed outfit. I’m very much looking forward to see what they emerge with.The sample tracks below span the group’s two iterations and its brief recording history, which comprises two EPs and a full-length album, all inconveniently titled “Xylofaux.” “Usual” is from Tigges’ original EP, self-produced and self-released in 2008, and is my favorite track of the bunch. It was more professionally recorded for his 2009 album with some female backing vocals and ambient effects, but I still prefer the original version. That album is a very good one but does suffer from a bit of overproduction in a couple of other areas as well. The track I’ve included from it, “Cleveland,” is one of his bouncier songs but has what I find to be an unappealingly distant quality due to the compressed vocals. Finally, there’s a full-band track, “Violent Violet,” from their most recent EP, which has a rough, live sound. It's three tracks actually might have been recorded live entirely, in one go. It starts with “Violet,” and from there segues seamlessly into more aggressive territory with the other two.
1 comment:
Our debut LP is out now! You can download it from iTunes or preview it in it's entirety on reverbnation.
Post a Comment