Defenders of the Axe #1

DEFENDERS OF THE AXE #1 an exploration of local guitar sounds Held January 31st 2006 at: Loop Bar. 23 Meyers Place, Melbourne. http://www.looponline.com.au Audio captured by Zac Keiller.

Clinton Green & Zac Keiller: are two guitar players from the Western suburbs of Melbourne. Together they created a unique atmosphere of quiet hushed notes & intricate scrapings. Field recordings of both frogs & birds created & intensified an atmosphere evoking images of dawn & dusk. SAMPLE 01 - SAMPLE 02		Three Month Sunset: Performed a set consisting of thick ambient guitar that ascended further & further into the heavens. The key to Gabe’s sound lies in his stereo guitar & three amplifiers utilized to create a sonic environment that can completely immerse the listener. In this case he pulled it off, with the undivided attention of the audience. SAMPLE 01 - SAMPLE 02

Northatlantic Audio: had a sound that felt quite slow & measured out, almost with a cinematic quality. Very little guitar effects were present besides various looping devices to multi layer the clean sound. Accompanied by drums & other rhythmic devices such as prerecorded electronic drums & foot tapping. What made this set special was the deadly silent atmosphere & visual elements of the film Halloween 2. The music & visuals became entrancing, as if the duo were composing a live soundtrack to the film itself. SAMPLE 01 - SAMPLE 02		Ben Frost: Ben recorded the album Steelwound, in 2003. Created with nothing but guitars, in a personal recording studio on the isolated ocean road region of Victoria. The recording process used various microphones strategically placed all over the studio, with both amplifiers & effects turned to maximum, achieving a new kind of intensity this writer had not heard in a long time. Ben’s performance this evening was eagerly anticipated by many, due to the fact he had not performed or recorded in this way since the Steelwound sessions. Using roughly five amplifiers of varying sizes scattered about the room, some light laptop manipulation, & Andrew Yardley (Laura) on co-guitar, they journeyed through howling chunks of feedback which punctured into giant, eerie glacial ambience, & I stress the word glacial. An extremely loud but comforting atmosphere that swept through the entire venue. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. If this was the first in a potential series of shows, I cannot wait to see what’s in store for show number two. SAMPLE 01 - SAMPLE 02

Photo credits: Greg Wadley, James McGauran, Claire Haby. Visuals were by: National Geographic, Jon McCaferty, Heath Yonaites, Aaron Molina, HR Giger, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Salvador Dali, Caspar David Friedrich,Tim Keiller, Zac Keiller. Resources: Clinton Green works are available via Shame File Records. http://www.shamefilemusic.com Zac Keiller works are available via his official page. http://www.dreamlandrecordings.com/zackeillermusic.htm Samples of new/unreleased works can be heard at http://www.myspace.com/zackeiller Three Month Sunset’s album “Interpretations of Air” can be purchased directly: http://www.threemonthsunset.com or from Missing Link Records http://www.missinglink.net.au For new tracks please visit: http://www.myspace.com/threemonthsunset Northatlantic Audio’s “A Forest of Masts” album is also available from Missing Link. Ben Frost’s “Steelwound” can be purchased at either Synaesthesia Records http://www.synrecords.com or via the Room40 web site: http://www.room40.org