With their sophomore album about to drop, the Tel Aviv duo deliver an exclusive mix for the August instalment of our Mix Series.
Red Axes are an atypical combo. Their unorthodox approach to electronic music brought a much needed blow of fresh air back in the early 2010’s and became instrumental in putting the Tel Aviv sound on the map, now a scene that has burst onto the world stage.
Their debut album Ballad Of The Ice on Cosmo Vitelli’s I’m A Cliché was possibly the real turning point for the Axes, but idiosyncratic follow-ups on revered imprints such as Correspondant, Multi Culti or Hivern Discs proved that the pair invested a great deal of time and discipline to mature their sound. Releases on Crosstown Rebels and Permanent Vacation opened the doors to more straight forward – and bigger – deep house dance floors and after a couple years of touring the world, is safe to say their music is now widely embraced.
A brief hiatus at the end of 2016 from their busy traveling schedule was enough for Red Axes to record their second album. Out via their own Garzen imprint this August, their sophomore is a new psychedelic cosmic adventure that explores further the marriage between the duo’s musical heritage and their agnostic approach to electronic music. As a taster of what’s to come, check one of the forthcoming tracks premiered by yours truly some weeks ago here.
We caught up with them ahead of the release and, while we were at it, managed to get an exclusive mix from them too. Check it out below!
Hey guys, hope the summer is treating you well. What have you been up to so far?
Hey guys, it’s an interesting summer so far. Different, new experiences and excitements from weekend to weekend, we did some cool gigs and festivals such as Coachella, Melt, Dour, Farr, and many more. We have also been recording some new tracks and remixes, and working on more releases from our label. We are looking forward to the upcoming events and the release of our new album.
Speaking of which, your new album The Beach Goths is about to drop. Tell us how and when it was recorded and what inspired the concept behind it.
It was recorded in last December within one month in our studio. After intensive months on the road we felt ready to explore some sounds and ideas. It happened fast and we felt it was a natural process. The inspiration was a diverse and random combination between all the stuff we dig and influences from the past and present, the old passion of writing songs and the life on the road, clubs and the good artists and records around us.
We can sense an evolution on your sound, the signature post-punk, eastern and exotic influences are still there but I’d dare to say the output is even more eclectic, spanning a myriad of moods and tempos. Was this a conscious move or is it, perhaps, the result of channeling even more diverse influences due to touring the world?
It felt like it was a natural process. We can tell for sure that travelling around the world had a big impact on our mind and will. And it gave us an interesting perspective of look backing on our roots, trying to figure out the place where we come from aesthetically and culturally. We were exposed to a lot of good things thanks to that. And we are sure the new album will reflect this in some way.
The scene in Tel Aviv seems to be thriving at the moment, with several homegrown acts getting international visibility. How would you describe it for those who are not familiar with it and what are the promoters / labels / producers we should keep an eye on?
It seems like something is blooming and it makes us very happy. There are great musicians and DJs. People take risks and make some real stuff, it’s inspiring and gives us hope. The electronic scene has been bubbling up for a while now with artists like: Autarkic, Ryskinder, Shame On Us and Abrao, great club producers like Uriah and Yotam Avni. And also labels like Moscoman’s Disco Halal, Katzi and Asaf’s Malka Tuti are doing a great job from overseas with nice releases from Israeli artists. We already heard a nice upcoming record that will be out soon on their label, it’s from a new band called The Plazmot so stay tuned… Also the Rock’n’Roll scene is on the move with fantastic bands and musicians like The White Screen, The Crotches, Deaf Chonky, Hila Ruah and Xen.
Tell us about the mix, when and how was it recorded? Where there any particular thoughts or themes behind it?
It was recorded live at home. A selection of records that we played in our DJ sets recently. Some of them are original some are from our dear friends and some are just good records that we found lately.
When it comes to performing, do you feel more comfortable DJing or playing live?
We like both. There’s a big difference and there’s many parameters for each performance but we feel very lucky playing music in front of other people. It’s just important to make the right decision on how to perform in which setting. Sometimes it’s challenging and takes a lot of energy and sometimes it’s a wonder. There are also times when it’s just shit and it’s also fine. Let’s say that it really depends.
Could you share with us a couple of your all time favourite records?
X-Ray Pop – La Machine À Rêver
It’s an ace belgian synths record reissued at dark entries some years ago. Sexy and emotional.
Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds – Dracula Boots
Kid Congo is a great musician. The man played with The Cramps and The Bad Seeds and there’s a lot to learn from him in many aspects. This record is a tour through a futuristic, spooky and foggy guitar world.
On top of a surely busy schedule touring the album, do you have any other releases in the pipeline for 2017?
Yes there are two other EPs coming out soon after the album. A 4 track EP on Life And Death and an interesting 12inch on Dark Entries with 2 originals and 2 edits.
Thanks for your time guys, we are stoked to feature you on our Mix Series. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
TRACKLIST
Russian Girls – Amfetamíngangsterar
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Autarkic – How to cheat
Lena Platonos – Lego (Lena Willikens Remix)
Red Axes – Piper Work
Mt. Ambiant – Faulter
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TRIBAL Blood Wine Or Honey – Anxious Party People (Factory Floor Remix)
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Blind Rape – Long Journey to Liman
BGM edit???
17 Pygmies – Waiting to Arrive
