OPERATING FROM THE SHADOWY SPACE BETWEEN THE GLASS-BLOWN AMBIENCE OF YANN TIERSEN AND THE “WHAT IS HE BUILDING IN THERE?” STURM-UND-DRANG OF BROKEN CLOCK-PARTS ERA TOM WAITS, MUSICIAN / INVENTOR THOMAS TRUAX IS SOMETHING OF A VISIONARY.

The American’s creation of his own arsenal of mutant junk instruments means an ugly-beautiful sound that’s often difficult to pin down. In Truax’s world (which he’s christened Wowtown) spindly drum machines are built from broken bicycle wheels, the sci-fi jet-pack Backbeater pounds out wing-like rhythms, the microphone-cum-everything-you-might-need Hornicator is fashioned from an old gramophone player and (our particular favourite) the multi-purpose Stringaling – a combination of dryer hosing, whistles, wheels and guitar strings – offers seemingly endless sonic possibilities. Truax exploits them all, like the wired ringmaster at a vaudevillian carnival freak show… Recorded the day after playing his recent showcase gig for The Mouth Magazine, Truax talks about his music and his life on the road (he’s currently in the middle of a UK tour). This podcast also features an airing for the forthcoming single from excellent Leeds-based swamp-rockers Fighting Caravans…

Thomas also performed an exclusive video session for us.
This will be published in the near future…

Buy Thomas Truax’s latest album JETSTREAM SUNSET (and much more) here