Jaxson Payne is an UK musician who takes drumming to a completely new level. Well beyond what one could call the “beta” stage, Jaxson seems to be one of the few artists who reinvents what it means to actually play the drums in front of an audience. With a MIDI drumset and tons of samples that he improvises upon, he manages to blend various styles into something that is coherently dark and technoid. And this is without anything prerecorded to boot; quite a delicate task in itself. To actually get it to sound good and impress the folks who come to watch you is a different thing altogether.
Listen to the above video. It’s part of a live gig recorded in 2008. Reportedly the last gig Jaxson performed under his moniker Derehctub. It gives you enough to be able to catch a glimpse of what sets this artist apart from his peers.
I haven’t had the time to delve into his numerous album releases over the years, but I expect seeing him perform live is an entirely different experience. You can check out some of the mp3 samples on his website to get an idea of what to expect. After some searching, I actually found a three-inch CD and mp3 release titled Ehff from back in 2002. It’s an IDM-esque two-track oddity with soft lingering voices and the stuttering randomness that is very much part of the genré. Not totally unlike some of Aphex Twin’s work. It is straight up my alley and is highly recommended, even for those who normally avoid IDM. Another LP release, also from the Koept label, aptly reads: “Do not expect consistency.” With Jaxson Payne, I suppose we won’t. I am personally very much interested in listening to what he comes up with after leaving his Derehctub moniker behind.
Where will the final frontier of electronic music stand? And more importantly, will this place serve a decent cup of tea?
