AXIS: SOVA

Chicago’s Axis: Sova began as a solo guitar-noise outlet for Brett Sova, accompanied only by a drum machine, the Roland TR-66 Rhythm Arranger. Over the course of many tours and several records (mainly for God? Records, Ty Segall’s imprint for Drag City), Axis: Sova expanded to a larger group, with early members Jeremiah Chiu playing organ on Early Surf, and Tim Kaiser taking on 2nd guitar and vocals from Motor Earth through Shampoo You. Shampoo You displayed an evolution in song-writing within the group dynamic, and therefore a greater emphasis on vocal arrangement began to emerge; the album also signaled the arrival of Jeremy Freeze on bass. The release of this album brought Axis: Sova to Europe for the first time, at the end of 2019. Hunkering down to write new material during the slow period of 2020 and 2021, the band continued to shift both in terms of personnel and sonic direction. Kaiser left the group, and Sova began writing new material to hash out with Freeze while investigating new drum machines and tones. As the songs evolved, the opportunity to make a greater leap emerged: Josh Johannpeter joined the group on live drums to create a more complex rhythm dynamic. Songs Sova began with Freeze were revised and refined in this fashion before the trio flew to Los Angeles to record them at Harmonizer Studios, with Ty Segall producing. The resulting album, Blinded By Oblivion, is at times ferocious; at others, gleamingly diamond cut - and it's out now.