Auxilla

I've had my fair share of sensory overloads.

Generally they were in the backyard of a sharehouse while wearing headphones and chain smoking [which is why I can get a massive endorphin rush during the breakdown of some songs].

This reminds me of those times.

Auxilla have three guitarists, and they create a wall of sound that pushes your brain right up to the point of melting - but are skilled enough for it to all still make sense to the mushy puddle that remains between your ears.

The first half of this track wouldn't seem out of place on the next Karnivool album. It'd be called an interesting and appropriate evolution for them. But then at 3:20 it turns into some kind of epic 80s "True Fuckin' Heavy Metal" battlecry.

Knowing that they were recording at Deep Blue with Reid from Mammoth Logic got me excited enough, but seeing their standout episode of 6 on the St really put these guys on the map for me.

Auxilla: you just made the top of the play / pause / play Hit List. - play / pause / play

Auxilla @ The Jade Monkey
Friday 6 May

“They say Auxilla have cut the power before, and I’m surprised it didn’t happen again. There was so much sound and energy pumping off the stage, not to mention the seizurematic light show by Tomass Begg.”

I’ve stood outside The Jade Monkey before, wondering what goes on in there. From Sunday to Wednesday it seems as if it were abandoned a long time ago. But on Friday night it was vibrating the clothes off the mannequins next door… Auxilla had the stage.

The Jade Monkey has become a launching pad for many local bands but on Friday night it wasn’t just about the music – it was also celebrating the 6 on the St doco series, which showcases emerging Adelaide bands like Auxilla through a 6-minute flick. As Auxilla took the stage, the 6 on the St doco was projected onto the wall, revealing a softer side to the band…like a Beirut-esque wandering on acoustic guitars, ukulele and bass drum.

As the doco finished, a countdown appeared on the projection as Auxilla’s five members began to silently dance like steroid-injected string puppets. When the countdown hit zero, Auxilla exploded out of the speakers.

They say Auxilla have cut the power before, and I’m surprised it didn’t happen again. There was so much sound and energy pumping off the stage, not to mention the seizurematic light show by Tomass Begg.
To really enjoy Auxilla, you need to be ready for anything. From the gentle opening of the 6 on the Street doco, we were pulled into anything from frantic dance, to dirty distorted grunge, to the strange addition of punk. The songs are long and often incorporate medleys of covers and other sound bites, turning the band into a monster reincarnation of a DJ, moulding tracks and shifting direction unexpectedly.

It must be said, despite the frantic nature of the music, Auxilla were extraordinarily tight in their delivery. There’s a lot going on up there on the stage, all members contributing a brick to that thick wall of sound that really penetrates your head and makes you ache behind the eyes. - Chris Brunner, Fringe Benefits

Well, 6 on the St followers, I'm very pleased to present to you the final episode of this series about local South Australian talent from us here at Your Take Sessions. Throughout the 6 on the St adventure, we've always endeavoured to introduce you to quality acts that are doing interesting things and being proactive in this lovely city of Adelaide, whether they be unknown, established, mainstream or even a little bit out there. Deciding who to feature as the twelfth of twelve episodes in the series was not an easy decision- we essentially had every band in SA (barring 11 we've already done) to choose from. In the end, we decided to stick to our guns and choose an up-and-coming band who are doing all the right things. That band is Auxilla- a post-rock 5 piece with great creative flair. See the episode here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX5GhmAxPgw

This episode, like most of them, was shot in one take. We thought it best not to push our luck and risk arrest or fine. No-one has ever seen Auxilla play acoustically, so what they served up in this episode is not only remarkable, it was also a complete surprise. I just love the harmonies going on here. The way the composition moves segmentally, but seamlessly at the same time, the texture of the 3 guitars and ukulele all building upon eachother- layer after layer of finger-picked bliss, and of course the plugged in finale. Recording rock music in what is essentially a big tin shed is not easy to capture sonically, but between the audio recording devices we had we were able to mix together something near how good it actually sounded at the time. This was one of our favourite shoots we've done. The mixture of organisation and spontaneity was at its optimum- we were able to run with ideas as they came (like the idea of Auxilla running through a banner made up of old building plans that were in my boot), but didn't have any worries about anything not working. - Thom Owen Miles: Timber and Steel, Your Take Sessions