Axis

Both solo and as part of Brooklyn trio Kill Alters, Bonnie Baxter makes punishing electro-noise spiked with playfully twisted vocals, and occasionally snippets of innocent yet disturbing conversations taken from an extensive family archive. Following 2018s Ask Me How Satan Started, a jaw-dropping amalgamation of juke, hardcore techno, punk, and industrial, Baxters second solo tape is another mind-blur of goofy voices and skittering beats seemingly designed to make listeners uncomfortable as well as amused. Her vocals switch from Strawberry Shortcake squeals and chirps to choking noises and gag reflexes without warning, and theres no telling how long a discombobulated pattern will loop before suddenly cutting out to something totally unrelated. The majority of the second side is a continuous string of interrelated thoughts, all building up to the overwhelming finale Skyrat. Baxter flails and shrieks over Thunderdome-grade gabber beats for several minutes before abruptly ending it all with a cheeky giggle. Axis feels a little more jokey and scatter-brained than Ask Me How Satan Started, but in some ways its a bit more exploratory, and its never lacking in manic energy. ~ Paul Simpson