Shadow Logic is the debut album from Axon Radio, an American jazz duo made up of bassist Corey Carleton and drummer Travis Brant. For their first release the pair employ a variety of musicians, and work their way through a mixture of styles over a brief yet interesting track list.
The opener, Jimmy The Unicorn, begins with a shimmering synth, before a bass riff and drums kick in to propel the swirling electronic sounds. In contrast, the following track, Pea Pie And Sissy, maintains the bass riff and grooving drums, but introduces vocal samples and funky organ and clavinet sounds from Matt Rohde, before a series of sections of clean jazz piano improvisation.
Stocking Shelves, on the other hand, features guitarist Oz Noy, who provides wild soloing and an overdriven, choppy rhythm as the rest of the band move through straightforward riffs, samba piano and some more glistening synths. The fourth track, Green, is stylistically much more complex that the other tracks, combining clean jazz guitar, electronic percussion, vinyl scratching, and a lot of slapped bass. The final track, Skunk Sausage, is a strange mixture in a similar format to the others, as variations on a repeated bass riff underpin a combination of piano and organ comping, with intermittent horns and drum samples.
The quality of the musicianship stands out across the album, and unifies the blend of styles, which at times is somewhat jarring. At only just over 24 minutes, Axon Radio’s debut album is an interesting and experimental release, and certainly worth a listen.
Discography
Jimmy The Unicorn; Pea Pie & Sissy; Stocking Shelves; Green; Open & Shut Case; Skunk Sausage (24.06)
Cory Carleton (b); Travis Brant (d); Oz Noy (elg, 3); Matt Rohde (kyb, 2); Sandy Williams (elg); Greg McGuirk (kyb). No location or date given.
Def Left Ear 195269004972
