new music: stream the lo-fi anthems on king azaz’s ‘tunnels’ ep #soundcheck

Named for the great King Azaz the Unabridged, ruler of Dictionopolis Philly lofi band King Azaz’s downtempo minimalist punk rock defies its namesake by cutting right to the chase. Their music is skin and bones, taut and unadorned. Norton Juster would be proud. Or horrified. Throughout their EP Tunnels, the duo of Christo and Sarah tear up their songs leaving a mess of noise and feedback in their wake.

By Nathan Leigh, AFROPUNK Contributor

It seems almost criminal to describe this record outside the context of a basement show. It’s dirty and noisy, and if that’s not your thing, well, I’m sure Rick Ruben has recently overproduced a band that used to be good that might suite your tastes better. The record opens with “The Midwest Is Only a Home,” nodding to The Fiery Furnaces “South Is Only a Home.” It’s hard work to out-noise the Fiery Furnaces, but someone’s gotta do it. “Shithead” is noisy indie rock of the old school variety, the kind of music that once littered many a cassette in the days of yore when Dinosaur Jrs walked the earth.

On “Elm St.” Christo and Sarah indulge in some classic hardcore riffage. If it weren’t for the crispness of the drums, you’d swear the record was recorded in one take on a tape deck in a PBR-littered punk house. (That’s a compliment.) The record closes out with the two longest cuts. “Graveyards” and a noise-take of Cat Power’s “Rockets.” The band unleashes their fury on the Cat Power cover, converting the beautiful indie rock classic into a messy lofi anthem. No-one will mistake this music for subtle. No-one needs to. This is a glorious mess.

“‘In this box are all the words I know,’ [Azaz] said. ‘Most of them you will never need, some you will use constantly, but with them you may ask all the questions which have never been answered and answer all the questions which have never been asked. All the great books of the past and all the ones yet to come are made with these words. With them there is no obstacle you cannot overcome. All you must learn to do is use them well and in the right places.’”

– Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth