We live in noisy, nihilistic times. Foundations are crumbling—both literally and figuratively—and the ground beneath our feet seems to shift at a moment’s notice. But what’s the sound of our fraught era? In Milwaukee, that sound sounds an awful lot like Action Building System, the latest album from veteran Milwaukee experimental/electronic provocateur The Demix.
“This project exists because not everything resolves cleanly,” says the man behind The Demix, Paul Demix. “It’s about acting inside unstable systems where intelligence, belief, technology, and control overlap. ABS is committing to motion without waiting for certainty.”
As Demix’s quote and the title of the album suggest, things aren’t necessarily all doom and gloom. Action Building System is the sound of something being built from the chaos. The title track’s heavily distorted and staccato opening eventually gives way to snatches of melody and structure. “Unpretty Rockstar” is a classic industrial banger that recalls Front 242. And while the digital-only 15-minute closer “Diary Of The ABS” is more restless sonic collage than proper “song,” it’s a track that mimics our information-addled age while still arriving at a satisfying conclusion.
“ABS isn’t asking ‘Is this real?'” Demix says. “It’s asking ‘What do you do now?'”
To celebrate the physical release of Action Building System, The Demix will host a free tape release party on Friday, March 13 at Canni. The end/rebuilding of the world begins at 9 p.m.
Want more Milwaukee Record? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and/or support us on Patreon.
RELATED ARTICLES