Mxrcxl
Music is art, music is poetry, and music represents the inner most thoughts and feelings of those who are responsible for it, often acting as a means to unleash feelings that would otherwise be stored and never shown. It’s striking therefore when a CD arrives on my door mat with a write up which demonstrates this in the most perfect way, immediately suggesting that what is in store is something special.
Allow me to elaborate.
I was recently sent through the EP, A Laughing Matter, from MXRCXL to check out, accompanied by the following write up (written as it appears here, also with German accompanying it):
Hello
My name is marcel
But as a music maker
I thought it would be better
To put an x or two in that name
So mxrcxl it is
I’m from Rotterdam
But that’s ok
I’m inspired
By many
I won’t name them
It would be too many
But I’m an eighties kid
So go figure
I write songs
And in 2010
I released a demo
on which all the instruments
except for the drums
were played by me
people liked it
so
I searched for musicians
To perform live with
And I found them
They’re great
So
On this new cd
That lies in front of you
They play with me
It’s here
For you to enjoy
To fall in love with
To desire
Or to despise
To throw up on
And walk away from
Simply to ignore
Or whatever
It’s up to you
It’s yours now
But whatever you do with it
Do it with conviction
Thank you
Seeing as I was already captivated by this mysterious record that had arrived, I figured I’d check things out for myself to see what sound was on offer, to see if it was going to be as artistic as I was expecting.
Opening with I Will, You Won’t we’re tossed into a bass heavy melee of hammering drum lines, fuzzy guitar work and faint synth sounds, immediately setting the pace at a solid beat and running with it. Shifting sideways as the vocals come in with an off-piste approach, the track adopts an almost controlled chaos approach during the initial sections, before pulling back and adopting a more straight forward form for the chorus. What’s interesting here is that the song doesn’t sit still, it jumps from movement to movement, changing and adopting the whole time, resulting in a sound which is out there, raw and powerful, yet melodic, diverse and interesting from start to finish. Immediately matching the artistic approach of the write up, this track seems to kick things off in an appropriate manner, keeping things interesting throughout and proving that music is indeed an art form, just waiting to be created, shared and loved.
Big Mistake continues things in much the same manner, picking up where the opening track left off and thrusting us into another mix packed with those awesome vocals, hammering guitar lines and bass heavy rhythms. Raw and gravelly at times, there’s an almost grunge feeling to things here, combining that raw and powerful approach with a sense of familiarity, immediately putting you at ease and pulling you further into the track. Most interesting though I thought was the middle section of the track where everything breaks and we’re thrown into an almost electronic melee, showing the diverse range of influences which led to the creation of this music, and showing just how well Mxrcxl understand music. I Forgot To Smile once again continues things in an upbeat fashion, this time moving back towards the more straight forward rock spectrum whilst still managing to harness a sound which is in your face and deep with different elements. There’s something about this track which once again pushes the boundaries of things, refusing to settle for one specific sound or genre and instead, crossing between different ones to result in this unique yet appealing sound which is on offer.
It’s only then left to Photographs to close the EP, finishing with another track which refuses to accept boundaries, and once again causes you to truly think about what you’re hearing. Sounding almost anthemic as it kicks into being, the power of this track is simply stunning, sounding somewhere between an 80’s power metal ballad and something from the stadium rock bands – it’s a mix which is accessible, easy to listen to, and the sort of thing people are sure to love. Closing as it began, my one complaint is that there’s only 4 tracks here, I’d have liked to have heard more!
Since the CD from Mxrcxl arrived in the post I’ve given it a few listens, had it in the car a few times and generally played it whilst I’ve been pottering around the house. What’s been striking is that pretty much every time I’ve played it, I’ve ended up stopping what I’ve been doing and have just sat and listened to it, it’s captivating. This isn’t conventional, it’s not even something I can put in a genre to be honest, but it’s music in its most true form, that of art.
To find out more about Mxrcxl, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Allow me to elaborate.
I was recently sent through the EP, A Laughing Matter, from MXRCXL to check out, accompanied by the following write up (written as it appears here, also with German accompanying it):
Hello
My name is marcel
But as a music maker
I thought it would be better
To put an x or two in that name
So mxrcxl it is
I’m from Rotterdam
But that’s ok
I’m inspired
By many
I won’t name them
It would be too many
But I’m an eighties kid
So go figure
I write songs
And in 2010
I released a demo
on which all the instruments
except for the drums
were played by me
people liked it
so
I searched for musicians
To perform live with
And I found them
They’re great
So
On this new cd
That lies in front of you
They play with me
It’s here
For you to enjoy
To fall in love with
To desire
Or to despise
To throw up on
And walk away from
Simply to ignore
Or whatever
It’s up to you
It’s yours now
But whatever you do with it
Do it with conviction
Thank you
Seeing as I was already captivated by this mysterious record that had arrived, I figured I’d check things out for myself to see what sound was on offer, to see if it was going to be as artistic as I was expecting.
Opening with I Will, You Won’t we’re tossed into a bass heavy melee of hammering drum lines, fuzzy guitar work and faint synth sounds, immediately setting the pace at a solid beat and running with it. Shifting sideways as the vocals come in with an off-piste approach, the track adopts an almost controlled chaos approach during the initial sections, before pulling back and adopting a more straight forward form for the chorus. What’s interesting here is that the song doesn’t sit still, it jumps from movement to movement, changing and adopting the whole time, resulting in a sound which is out there, raw and powerful, yet melodic, diverse and interesting from start to finish. Immediately matching the artistic approach of the write up, this track seems to kick things off in an appropriate manner, keeping things interesting throughout and proving that music is indeed an art form, just waiting to be created, shared and loved.
Big Mistake continues things in much the same manner, picking up where the opening track left off and thrusting us into another mix packed with those awesome vocals, hammering guitar lines and bass heavy rhythms. Raw and gravelly at times, there’s an almost grunge feeling to things here, combining that raw and powerful approach with a sense of familiarity, immediately putting you at ease and pulling you further into the track. Most interesting though I thought was the middle section of the track where everything breaks and we’re thrown into an almost electronic melee, showing the diverse range of influences which led to the creation of this music, and showing just how well Mxrcxl understand music. I Forgot To Smile once again continues things in an upbeat fashion, this time moving back towards the more straight forward rock spectrum whilst still managing to harness a sound which is in your face and deep with different elements. There’s something about this track which once again pushes the boundaries of things, refusing to settle for one specific sound or genre and instead, crossing between different ones to result in this unique yet appealing sound which is on offer.
It’s only then left to Photographs to close the EP, finishing with another track which refuses to accept boundaries, and once again causes you to truly think about what you’re hearing. Sounding almost anthemic as it kicks into being, the power of this track is simply stunning, sounding somewhere between an 80’s power metal ballad and something from the stadium rock bands – it’s a mix which is accessible, easy to listen to, and the sort of thing people are sure to love. Closing as it began, my one complaint is that there’s only 4 tracks here, I’d have liked to have heard more!
Since the CD from Mxrcxl arrived in the post I’ve given it a few listens, had it in the car a few times and generally played it whilst I’ve been pottering around the house. What’s been striking is that pretty much every time I’ve played it, I’ve ended up stopping what I’ve been doing and have just sat and listened to it, it’s captivating. This isn’t conventional, it’s not even something I can put in a genre to be honest, but it’s music in its most true form, that of art.
To find out more about Mxrcxl, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls