Punk isní¢â‚¬â„¢t dead. But I know it seems that way when you hear the latest generation of punk rockers. Punk revival and other post-post-punk genres aside, ití¢â‚¬â„¢s the spirit of the 70s punk movement thatí¢â‚¬â„¢s important, and thankfully, it has survived to this day. Forget My Chemical Romance, Blink, or whoever else is masquerading as real punk today. You caní¢â‚¬â„¢t get any more punk than Andy Dixon.

Andyí¢â‚¬â„¢s what you would call digital punk. Digital punk is term that groups like the Prodigy and Atari Teenage Riot used in the 90s to describe their hybrid techno/rock sound. These two groups came from electronic backgrounds commandeering a term typically situated in rock culture. Having made both punk rock and electronic music, Andyí¢â‚¬â„¢s music sits smack in between the two genres. Andyí¢â‚¬â„¢s brand of punk is 100% DIY, non-conformist, utterly original, and odd as it may sound, often in an electronic veiní¢â‚¬ ¦ but not exactly.

Plays is the sixth release under Andyí¢â‚¬â„¢s Secret Mommy moniker. And ití¢â‚¬â„¢s easily his best. Glitch is a genre that has been used to define Secret Mommyí¢â‚¬â„¢s output. But like Andy himself, his music doesní¢â‚¬â„¢t fit neatly into a category. While fellow glitchsters like Oval, Kit Clayton, and Matmos have a similar take on splicing samples to form beats that make tracks, Andy has never been comfortable with the glitch label. The same goes for the larger electronic label placed upon him: í¢â‚¬Å“I didní¢â‚¬â„¢t come from a techno background, so I doní¢â‚¬â„¢t really relate to people on that level.í¢â‚¬ 

Andyí¢â‚¬â„¢s lack of affinity to a particular genre or scene began when he started to get disillusioned with punk music. At twelve, Andy and a couple of buddies formed d.b.s., a melodic punk group with Andy singing and playing guitar. The group dissolved in his late teens around the same time as his love of the genre. í¢â‚¬Å“Now that scene doesní¢â‚¬â„¢t mean anything because ití¢â‚¬â„¢s totally obliterated. At the time, it felt so good. Everyone was doing stuff. There was so much energy going around,í¢â‚¬  says Andy.

Ever on the quest to satisfy his creativity, he formed The Red Light Sting, a post-punk outfit with a short life but loud catalogue. Not content just making the music, Andy created Ache Records, which not only releases his own output, but has pressed records by Hot Hot Heat, Death From Above, and Hrvatski. í¢â‚¬Å“When I was younger, techno was the enemy. It was what the jocks and rich kids listened to when they were beating us up,í¢â‚¬  says Andy giggling. He claims he feels lost in musical scenes, í¢â‚¬Å“Ií¢â‚¬â„¢m a little too electronic to fit in with my older punk crowd, and not electronic enough to fit in with the newer people Ií¢â‚¬â„¢m starting to get to know.í¢â‚¬  Where his music has found a home is in pages of Wire magazine and electronic audiences across Europe. Yet he is still relatively unknown in North America apart from those who know him in the Vancouver indie rock scene and electronic music lovers with a taste for the experimental and playful.

Unlike many in the electronic genre, Andy likes to sample himself, not others. On Plays, heí¢â‚¬â„¢s invited the whoí¢â‚¬â„¢s who of Vancouverí¢â‚¬â„¢s indie and experimental scene to contribute their multiple instruments and styles to the project. The result is a collection of tracks made from í¢â‚¬Å“organicí¢â‚¬  instruments like guitars, violin, knitting needles, and more, sliced and diced into an intoxicating gem of an album written and arranged by Andy, who incidentally, also designed the album jacket. To pay the bills, Andy designs web-sites and funnels the money back into his label and numerous projects like his recent noise-loving musical duo, Winning. All this output from a one-bedroom basement suite in Vancouverí¢â‚¬â„¢s east side.

Being intensely DIY means that Andy has to work hard and sometimes not profit from his art. í¢â‚¬Å“Are any labels whoí¢â‚¬â„¢re interested in it going to be able to get it out to people whoí¢â‚¬â„¢re interested?í¢â‚¬  questions the gaunt and spectacled musician on whether or not to release his album on a bigger label than the one run from his bedroom. Judging by the accolades his critics have thrust upon the album, Plays could possibly sell more copies had he penned a deal with a larger label. But that isní¢â‚¬â„¢t important to Andy. Neither is playing live. His performance two years ago at the New Forms Festival amongst friends Gold Chains and Canadian techno stalwart Thomas Jirku was interesting but possibly not the right fit for him: í¢â‚¬Å“My idea of a good show would be a house party with a couple of fun electronic acts and a couple of bands.í¢â‚¬  Andy is obviously a complex character.

While the new Secret Mommy disc will likely continue to garner favourable reviews, it woní¢â‚¬â„¢t necessarily have Andy on the next line up of Coachella or Sonar festivals. But this is fine for a guy like Andy whoí¢â‚¬â„¢s truly not in it for the money. Where Andy will go next, heí¢â‚¬â„¢s not sure of. But if ití¢â‚¬â„¢s like anywhere heí¢â‚¬â„¢s been before, it will be all punk, and all Andy.

Robert Robot

check out the following links:

www.secretmommy.com
www.acherecords.com