Wigan-based noise alchemist Joe Oxley aka TVAM creates music that is both alien and familiar. His skill is to infuse the often hard and experimental electronica with an organic and tangible feel.
Taking influences from the likes of Suicide, Thee Oh Sees, Boards of Canada and Tobacco his sound is one of nostalgia; nostalgia burnt through the flickering monochrome of a CRT television. On stage, he plays guitar backed by loops and samples synchronised with a TV set displaying the visuals (played on VHS) he has designed and constructed. It is a remarkable experience and the sounds he produces veer from ambient drone to searing electronic pugilism.
Single Porsche Majeure is a kaleidoscope of warped guitar, growling synths and fizzing layers of noise and static. Oxley’s voice is so deep in the mix it is sometimes difficult to distinguish it from the layers of sound and production; this suits the style of the music perfectly as his voice becomes another instrument into the mix.
Oxley has also created the video, editing clips together to form a narrative akin to a car advert if realised by JG Ballard. It is a psychedelic trip into an alternative post-modern commercial world. When combined with the music it morphs into a multi-coloured trip of sound and flickering visuals that burn the retina with a technicolour hue. Slogans and lyrics flash across the screen declaring ‘FEEL THE PUSH OF AN UNSEEN HAND’ or ‘WE CAN ALL BREATH UNDERWATER’. It borders on sensory overload.
TVAM has only been going 18 months but already he has a distinctive sound and look. The lights are bright for TVAM and expect him on a flickering TV screen near you soon.
Porsche Majeure is out on Static Caravan Recordings.
TVAM on the web:
website | facebook | twitter | soundcloud
