Joxfield ProjeX – Archives EP 7 – Dark Castle (2013)

Tin Can Music

/Space rock, Improvised music, Psych-rock, Avant-rock, Electronic, Art rock, Fusion, Experimental rock, Jazz rock, Avant-prog, Kosmische Musik/

Comment: any time I feel tempted to repeat what I have already said in earlier reviews and add something new to more recent issues with regard to Joxfield ProjeX, the Swedish magical duo of Janne Yan Andersson, and Stefan Oax Ek. I recommend search for my interview with Stefan at Recent Music Heroes taken approximately four years ago where he cast light upon their activity, influences, history and something else. More concretely, they are two gentlemen from the two biggest cities In Sweden who started their collaboration exactly 50 years ago while doing it for 10 years. However, their new activity in the embodiment of Joxfield ProjeX was born in 2005 in a small village (Kolpebo) somewhere in between Gothenburg and Stockholm. They just decided to gather over there to create and produce music for its own sake. Indeed, what dedication! Most albums produced so far are being released on their own imprint Tin Can Music, and Moscow-based Clinical Archives. This year, however, they issued a vinyl release, called Casino Royal in collaboration with Acid Mother Temple`s ex-singer and synth player Cotton Casino. The pre-eminent outing was released on Bam Balam, the legendary French imprint for innovative rock music since 1982. Hurry up, it is the limited edition only! Besides, they have collaborated with such progressive rock luminaries as Geoff Leigh, and Pat Mastoletto, and digital culture sociopath Kenji Siratori during this quite short span of time. By the way, Acid Mother Temple`s frontman Makoto Kawabata featured at Submarine Trees on Casino Royal.

At Archives EP – Dark Castle all the sound is produced by themselves only which does not surprise because the EP is a part of the Archives EP series, a bunch if issues which used to reflect upon their early doings in the 00s. It consists of two compositions (Dark Castle; Heavy Oax Missing) replete with more hidden or unveiled sonic layers. The sound is mostly improvised, yet, it chimes in the way the process to be properly managed. And it is actually very fine because allowing to get more focused and bring forth more ingredients and flavours from within. Despite it the more you listen to it the more you will experience vertigo and feel how your foot lose touch with the ground. By regarding the psychedelic music it is the very goal on its own. Musically there are represented incisive guitar strokes and deliberately dysfunctional guitar riffs (reminding of Jimi Hendrix at times) which are permeated with haunting fusion-alike chord progressions and eerie woodwind whiffs somewhere in the middle of it. The other counterpoints come out from rhythm fuelled levels – those obsessively monotonous punches only accentuate the glowering nature of the issue even more. Highly recommended.  

Joxfield ProjeX - Mystery Of The Stoned Pharaoh

Tin Can Music

• Psychedelia
• Kosmische Musik
• Avant-rock
• Experimentalism
• Psych-rock
• Avant-garde
• Experimental rock
• Avant-prog
• RIO
• Alternative dance
• Electronic

Comment: this 7-track issue ending up at 24.16 is the fourth notch in a series of 9 Joxfield ProjeX archives EP. The compositions are edited from the Swedish combo`s three disc album The Pond Intermezzo initially released in 2006. Mystery Of The Stoned Pharaoh proves that every album by the duo of Oax and Yan is a proper event. Brooding compositions based on hirsute and complicated guitar chords or noisy outcomes are varied with more danceable, volatile endeavours and warped modifications of electronic music and vocals and knee-deep psychedelic insights. I recommend listen to their late albums as well, most of them were issued on Clinical Archives and some of them by the duo themselves. By the way, on some publications they collaborated with such luminaries as Kenji Siratori, Geoff Leigh, and Pat Mastoletto. Enjoy this psychedelic carnival of sounds and impulses.

Joxfield ProjeX - Archives EP 2 - Fivekus (2013)

Tin Can Music

• Avant-prog
• Psychedelic rock
• Kosmische Musik
• Industrial rock
• Experimental rock
• Psych-rock
• RIO

Outstanding tracks:

Hell Is Other Place

Industry Forever

Sirens of Titan

Hell Rain

Joxfield ProjeX - Insult on the Dance Floor (2012)

Tin Can Music

9.7

/Krautrock, Ambient, Trance rock, Progressive rock, Motorik, Avant-rock, Experimental rock, Alternative dance, Industrial rock, Psychedelia/  

Comment: Swedish duo Joxfield ProjeX (Oax, and Yan) arrived after a series of excellent albums issued on Clinical Archives and seminal collaborations with progressive rock luminaries (Pat Mastelotto, Geoff Leigh, Kenji Siratori). This time their brand new one is distinctly related to their personal Tin Can Music. There is plenty of experimental music tendencies out there prompted in part by reconstruction of space rock/ambient rock and krautrock-based elements and in part by dance-appealed propulsions, however, all of that is effectively disseminated and thereafter channelized into a formidable industrial tinged psychedelic groove. More specifically, intense hard rock riffs are seamlessly mixed up with electronic effects and mesmeric rhythm sections below it. Only Floating is the exception due to its blissed-out ambient and concrete sounds blended contemplation. There can be drawn parallels upon the likes of fydhws, Neu!, aboombong, PAS, Faust, Asian Women On The Telephone, Spacemen 3, Vibracathedral Orchestra etc. In conclusion, the whole is on the ball by any means (I got psychedelic vertigo by listening to it twice in a row). Obviously one of the most underrated collectives all around the world.

Joxfield ProjeX - VoxLuxRabax (2011)

Tin Can Music

9.5

/Krautrock, Avant-rock, Experimental rock, Noise, Ambient, Improvised music, Noise rock, Ambient noise/

Comment: the unsung juggernauts of krautrock and the champions of avant-prog/experimental rock are back with their brand new heavy one. The first impression of mine is that the Swedish duo seems to be so loud and defiant as never being before. There are up 4 tracks, first time after a while not being issued on Clinical Archives. However, these long-running compositions are filled in with the shards of abrasive sonic metal and razor-edged smithereens, thereby challenging the eminent noise concept of rock done ever before - from My Bloody Valentine`s charming guitar noise and The Jesus & Mary Chain`s dirty feedback-centered resonation to harsh, obsessive concepts of Fushitsusha, and Gerogerigegege and, on the other side, (Le) Fly Pan Am`s (N`Ecoutez Pas) arty noise episodes and post-rock-mixed vistas and Borbetomagus` free jazz-relied improvised noise. Furthermore, the second part of the 3rd track/part (Ola & The Jugglers) does have managed to acquire a highly rhythmic template below the shrieking massives of guitar riffs and "indecipherable" sort of trash (you can perceive even fusion-alike progressions emitting out from it!) and the closing development Cats Sing Strange Songs fuses some sorts of experimental tendencies into glacial glow-hued ambient music. The result is as powerful as JP`s aspirations proclaimed on a handful of the albums before, though, this times having a little different point of view and galvanized aspect. However, you can call it even the kind of white metal, because of its enormous, braw shape (though having more frantic impetus within it). Well done, Oax, and Yan.