Global Rhythm Magazine

(excerpt) ... On Saturday several Juno nominees mingled with fans at the open-to-the-public Juno Fan Fare event and night two of JunoFest brought a mixed bag of talent. We checked out local outfit Eve Hell and the Razors. While their performance drew rockabilly scenesters, the band mirrored the crowd: more cool to look at than engaging. Axis of Conversation was much more intriguing. Its experimental forays were as much fun to witness as the band seemed to have performing. Fusing sweeping violins with electronic beats one minute, and making noise with childhood toys and glockenspiel the next, it was an engrossing set. Equally impressive was Ontario's Most Serene Republic, whose infectious hooks were matched with a dark indie rock sway. -Althea Legaspi (April 3, 2008-April 6, 2008)

Panda and Rat: AxiCon loves them both

Why are some animals seen as our four-legged friends, while others are considered vermin? This is the question posed by Calgary’s Axis of Conversation, with their new live project The Panda And The Rat. The experimental pop group, which recently swelled to a six-piece with the addition of cello player Cheryl Bergen, has always paid close attention to unusual details. With front man Chris dela Torre’s dreamy vocals, rapping and kaos pad manipulating, Shelly Grove’s violin stylings, the glockenspiel skills of Gerry Dacanay, bassist Eric Estor’s bouncing flow and drummer Matt Doherty’s driving hip-hop beats, their sound is undoubtedly unique. Nonetheless, AxiCon has never attempted anything as ambitious as this half-hour set, which they performed yesterday at Broken City and will play tonight at The Liberty Lounge. The Panda And The Rat is largely instrumental, includes samples from Portuguese television shows (among other found sounds) and is set to archived film footage from biology class education reels. Chris elaborates on the concept behind the project. "The title The Panda And The Rat comes from a conversation I was having with my wife about how some members of the animal kingdom are revered and treasured and ’cuddly’, while others are vilified. But really, they’re all killers. Pandas kill bamboo, rats carry diseases, so why should one be more loved? "I guess if anything, it’s about human nature more than anything else and not just the instinct of wanting to stay alive," he continues. "It’s also about how we prioritize things subconsciously, the panda and the rat example being the primary one. Even if human beings don’t think about those kinds of things all the time, those ideas are just arranged for us. So this is taking a look at those ideas, and asking why they are the way they are." After being approached by the organizers of RAMP (a monthly experimental music event at Broken City) to create something out of the ordinary, the members of Axis Of Conversation spent five weeks writing and perfecting the set. But despite their determination, it didn’t come together right off the bat. "For a while it was like driving with the lights off, just kind of hoping that you turn off at the right spot," says Estor. "Eventually, it started making sense though, and just with the last couple of practices actually I figured out where the changes are and started to have a feel for it." Bergen’s cello playing is another relatively new element to the band that they seem extremely excited about. "One of the biggest parts of the sound of Axis of Conversation, when you take away Chris’ songwriting, the samples and the loops, is all of the emotion behind the songs," says Doherty. "For me, that usually comes from the strings." "I played cello for 13 years, and then took seven years off and now I’ve been playing for half a year again," adds Bergen. "I’m an orchestra, chamber music, play-with-an-accompanist kind of gal, so the freedom of expression is way higher here." As the founding member of AxiCon, dela Torre has been performing his songs in constantly evolving incarnations for several years and is as equally enthusiastic about the band as he’s always been. "The most exciting part of it for me is that I don’t know where it’s going to go anymore, it’s sort of out of my control in a sense," he says. "With The Panda And The Rat especially, I’ve been figuring out how we sound again. When I go back and listen to the first EP, which was really only a year and a half ago, it’s miles away from where we are now. "We’ve yet to really scratch the surface on what the six of us can do, and it excites me that we could be at this for 10 years and never reach the bottom of our barrel." -Jesse Locke, The Calgary Sun (March 7, 2008)

Vue Weekly review of Delusions of Safety

Remember the good old days when rent cheques had three digits, Feist’s “1234” wasn’t perverted by incessant iPod commercials, and indie pop bands clearly indicated their genre by choosing lupine-inspired names? Now in place of Wolf Parade, We Are Wolves and Sea Wolf – who, clearly, wear plaid button-up shirts and have an affinity for keyboards – are bands like Axis of Conversation. Frankly, I had the group pegged as either nu metal or cock rock and prepared to cringe as I put its debut disc Delusions of Safety into my CD player. But as the opening beats of “Readymade Heart Attack” chugged out of the speakers, visions of androgynous haircuts and shirt-tie combinations began to dance through my head: this was a wolf in Chad Kroeger clothing. Lead singer Chris dela Torre laughs when I point this out because, if nothing else, he hopes to use the band to champion the pop music cause. “[Our purpose is] to sort of prove we can carve our own niche in pop,” he says on the line from his home in Calgary. “Be it through the sounds of electronic blips or violins. Pop to me is exciting. It’s an exciting genre because it’s always changing.” Changing, at least, for his band – the group is consistently praised by local media for its experimental nature. From a glockenspiel to a kaoss pad, the members go to great lengths to get the perfect sound without going overboard. “I think [experimental] is a word that’s synonymous with new life,” he states. “It’s flattering that people would think of us that way. I would just hope that it never gets to the point where people expect some sort of stupid audio gimmick with us. It can be easy to focus on the string section or the relationship between the electronic and the strings, but it’s all about writing good music.” Until recently dela Torre was the sole crafter of the band’s songs. Axis of Conversation was originally a solo effort. He enjoyed writing on his own, but when he climbed on stage to perform he realized something was missing. So he enlisted the help of bassist Eric Estor and keyboardist Gerry Dacanay, both friends since high school, and then added drummer Matthew Doherty and classically trained violinist Shelly Groves. During our conversation he also announced that the band will officially be adding Cheryl Bergen, a cellist, to its swelling ranks. The music is well-suited for a six-piece group, but the chemistry wasn’t instant. “We’d sit there and be weird,” dela Torre says, recalling the band’s first practices with a laugh. “We’d make sure we’d bring beer with us. We got really plastered those first two rehearsals.” The band headed into the studio after just a few short weeks of practice. The slightly awkward atmosphere was compounded by a major personal tragedy for dela Torre, but against all odds the group ended up with a finished album that the musicians are proud to peddle. “The week before we started recording my dad died,” dela Torre recalls. “There was so much happening in my personal life there was nothing I wanted more than to make a really good record … Given the fact that I hadn’t worked with most of my band before, I was really nervous. By some miracle it went really well.” The result is a solid collection of pop gems that range from the classically-puncutuated, yet somehow danceable “Autumn in Julliard” to the haunting and slightly eerie instrumental track, “L’Axis de la Conversation.” Dela Torre says the next album will likely sound more like the latter. “Pretty much everything we’ve written since Delusions has been more difficult to penetrate,” he says. “A bit darker, weirder. It will be harder to sell.” That might be true, but he needs to have more faith that indie fans are smart enough to embrace challenging music – and, more importantly, not judge a band by its name. - Alyssa Noel, Vue Weekly (January 17, 2008)

Reflector review of Delusions of Safety

Axis of Conversation shines with artistic and innovative virtuosity on their debut album, Delusions of Safety. Containing 8 mystifying tracks filled with passionate vocals, intriguing lyrics, dreamy strings, and spooky distorted sound effects, the record will leave you in a bizarre state of day-dreaminess. Axis of Conversation is a Calgary-based quintet: Chris dela Torre takes on the role of lead singer/guitar combo, Gerry Dacanay on keys, Eric Estor on bass, classically trained Shelly Groves on violin, and Matthew Doherty on drums. The use of other musical gadgets such as toy keys, a Kaoss Pad, and a glockenspiel are also employed by our multifaceted musicians. "They Can See Your Ghost," "Don't Be Alarmed (there's a carcass)," "Autumn In Juilliard," and "Christian Science" offer catchy melodies. "Stop The Car," "The Pull," and "Readymade Heart Attack" produce a heartfelt dramatic atmosphere, whereas "L'Axis de la Conversation" gives out unbeatable synthesized effects. With love, ghosts, and indecision as their main influences, Axis of Conversation is filed under experimental, indie, pop-electro, and alternative, but what you will hear is beyond all labels. It is a true creation of musical individuality impossible to find elsewhere on the music scene. -Claire Miglionico, The Reflector (October 11, 2007)

FFWD Magazine

From experimenting with answering machine messages to enlisting the efforts of a classically trained violinist, Calgary's Axis of Conversation (AxiCon) are unafraid to push the boundaries of their music. They are now making the jump from jamming in a spare room to a full-length album with Delusions of Safety. Lusciously layered, with a sound that is alternately melodic and experimental, the album is a pastiche of musical influences, but for the five diversely talented musicians that make up AxiCon, the project was about more than just making music. "We almost feel like we are getting away with murder," says ringleader Chris dela Torre. "We are all so busy, we all have established jobs, so the fact that the five of us are bothering to do this still is funny to me. We all care about the band so much. None of us need it financially, but in some other kind of way we need this band." When recording for Delusions of Safety began, the band was being bombarded with doses of reality - the death of a family member, a car accident and the pregnancy of their violinist Shelly Groves. Still, the gravity of those situations was something dela Torre says helped bring what was essentially a band of strangers closer together. "At the time our band got together, we didn't even really know each other," he explains. "The five of us were still not at a point where we could sit comfortably in a room together and not be awkward. I think that says a lot in terms of how all of us love this music and how we believe in what we are doing." The now tight-knit group of accomplished musicians consists of dela Torre on lead vocals, Gerry Dacanay on the kaoss pad and guitar, Groves on violin, Eric Estor on bass and Matt Doherty on drums. With musical influences ranging from classical to jazz and hip hop, the variables available to experiment with were endless. Dela Torre, who wrote most of the lyrics, says that the tight timeline of the band's recording process was the best remedy for sorting out their musical schizophrenia. "It is really a combination of thinking things out for years and having only nine days in the studio," dela Torre explains. "Somewhere in there is just sort of a jumbled mix of over-thought ideas and ideas that were given no thought." All that experimentation and musical diversity could have turned the album into a confusing mess. Enter award-winning mixer Reuben Ghose, who has worked with such talents as Death Cab for Cutie, Chantal Kreviazuk and Kevin Drew. Ghose was the voice of reason during recording, and dela Torre admits having him in the studio was a necessity. "He is so honest," dela Torre says. "If it sucks he will tell you it sucks. You need that when you are making a record." While the band's goals of increased touring and writing together as a group occasionally make things seem more like a chore, Axis is still a labour of love. Ultimately, the group agrees that the project is about far more than pleasing an audience. "I really leaned on this project," he says. "I really came to depend on it, and I still do depend on it for a certain sense of perspective and to keep my feet on the ground. I think for us it just sort of gets us through. You know, regardless of whether or not anyone is listening or anyone is coming to our shows. I think I will always be doing this." -Danielle Suchet (September 27, 2007)

Swerve (Calgary Herald)

From the first notes of Axis of Conversation's debut full-length, Delusions of Safety, the Calgary group stakes out its territory in the realm of intoxicating literate art-pop with razor-sharp focus. Consider it bedroom Radiohead - lead vocalist Chris dela Torre's diatribes on the futility of modern life sit comfortably next to the patron-sainthood diptychs of Thom Yorke and Morrisey, skittering beats and fluttering guitars swirling in stereo. The acoustic centrepiece "The Pull" excels at that sweater-set intellectual ballad thing The Dears' Gang of Losers failed so miserably at, while "Don't Be Alarmed (There's a Carcass)" sets a tale of death to intoxicating melody, and "Stop The Car" flirts with latter-day Beatles chord structures. Shelley Groves' vivid violin impressions weave through "They Can See Your Ghost" and punctuate the keyboard symphony of the aptly named "Autumn in Juilliard," a hilarious indictment of campus life that laps at Belle & Sebastian's rose-coloured memories with a somewhat more accurate portrayal of the inanities of the post-secondary world. Delusions of Safety is the type of record that jumps out from left field, every moment so considered, layered and orchestrated that it's hard to fully pin down after just the first few listens. Radiohead may have waited until its third full-length to pull out the majestic manifesto of OK Computer, but Axis of Conversation has created a work equally self-actualized its first time out, and it's an introduction well worth making. - Mark Hamilton (September 14, 2007)

BeatRoute Magazine

Axis of Conversation challenge the norms of the abnormal, experiment with what you previously thought of as experimental, and innovate the very concept of innovation. How? Interesting and diverse instrumentation by five qualified, passionate musicians (including a full-time, classically-trained violinist), a Kaoss pad loaded with speech samples and electronica, and the unusual lyrical focuses of front man Chris dela Torre are just a few starting points. AxiCon are now set to release their first full-length album Delusions of Safety, which was mixed by Reuben Ghose. The multi-award winning Toronto soundman has worked with everyone from Chantal Kreviazuk to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra to Death Cab for Cutie, and is now hyping up this up and coming act. I picked the band's collective brain about their debut. BeatRoute: Chris, are you responsible for the cohesive vision that informs Axis' music, or are all the band members involved with conceptualizing the songs? Chris dela Torre: In reference to Delusions of Safety, most of these songs were written before the band I guess, so I had a pretty substantial hand in shaping the songs. That said, since the five of us got together, Matt's really encouraged us to improvise more, and to write collectively, which is what we're all trying to do. As someone who's used to writing alone, it's a big challenge for me to write with everyone else. It's something I think we're all excited to work on. The next record, who knows where it's gonna go. BR: What inspires you to be experimental? CdT: When I was growing up, the word 'pop' was synonymous with homogenized, radio, formulaic music, but I truly don't feel that way anymore. Axis is unabashedly a pop band in that we believe anyone can get into it, it's melodic. If this band has any sort of mission for me, it's to prove that pop can be innovative, it can be experimental. I don't want to make music where you can tell that thought is given about what genre it is or how long it is. It just has to feel right, you know? I don't think of Axis' music as experimental or progressive or the opposite of those things either, it just sort of is what it is. What comes out is what it is. BR: Reuben Ghose has worked with some truly awesome acts, and I see he's won quite a few awards. How was your experience of recording with him? Eric Estor: I've recorded before, and it was a lot more structured this time. He gave good direction. Gerry Dacanay: Reuben has a really keen ear. It was really comfortable, I think everyone relaxed. Matt Doherty: It was also like he knew what he wanted. It was a unique experience to have an engineer that would not just say "I don't like how the tone of this sounds," but to actually let you know that hey, maybe you should lean more into it, lay back a little bit, play it with a little more oomph. Too often you have an engineer who's like, "Well how did that feel for you guys? It sounded fine in here." Reuben knew what level of performance he wanted to capture, and if we couldn't capture that there was no compromise. It just got dropped. Shelly Groves: It was a lot of work in some respects and it was a lot of long hours in the studio. I have a lot of respect for Reuben and I think he was the bomb for us, but what i loved the most was the excitement while we were editing. BR: Without having to give details about what was going on, do you feel the tumultuous times the band was going through when you recorded affected the way you played together on Delusions of Safety? CdT: I think so. Lyrically all of the songs were more or less written already, but there was just lots of stuff going on. My dad died the week that we were supposed to start recording, and Shelly was about three months pregnant then. It's just funny how you can write a song and you don't really understand what you were trying to say until three years later. Like Readymadeheartattack. I really thought it meant one thing, but while I was singing it I got it. I got what I was trying to say. BR: Are you looking for label support? Is there a tour in the works to support the album? CdT: We're not immediately looking for label support. We're pretty self-sufficient. I think we'll take the year to find out how self-sufficient we are after that. And there are plans for a tour. We'll try to do the prairies and the west within the year, and then maybe next year the rest of Canada. -Laurie Fuhr (September 2007)

Calgary Sun

They're fans of Fraggle Rock, self-described "weird Asians" and possessors for the last few months of a very pregnant violin player. In other words, Axis Of Conversation are one of the most interesting acts in town. The Calgary five-piece started out as the solo project of front man Chris dela Torre, but have since transformed into a fully cohesive experimental pop group. Last year, Axi-Con released the EP There's Hope For You Yet (Just Kidding) and they have now completed their debut full-length Delusions of Safety. The CD, recorded by producer/engineer Reuben Ghose (The Dudes, White Room), is set for a fall release. "The EP was a real conscious effort to not sound like a band, because the last thing I wanted back then was to be in one," explains dela Torre. "But this one is just about finding our feet as a collective, and to show our more melodic side along with the more experimental stuff." He explains that his inspiration is coming from a classic source. "I really like Phil Spector, and just the idea of getting the fullest sound out of whatever you have in your rehearsal space or studio," he says. "We seem to be moving towards a lot of darker stuff again, more minor key stuff, heavy but grooveable. Matt Doherty, our drummer, has really been encouraging us to improvise more as well. "This record is more melodic than the EP was, but our even newer stuff is moving in the opposite direction - music that's harder to penetrate right away. We strive to cover as much ground as possible while still being at least halfway listenable." Violinist/vocalist Shelly Groves recently gave birth to a daughter, but for the few months proceeding, was performing onstage with a surprisingly big belly. "She's such a trouper, it's ridiculous," dela Torre laughs. "Shelly played the Sled Island show when she was literally days away from popping. She couldn't even play her violin because her stomach was so big." "This kid is going to be the Doogie Howser of music, between Shelly and her husband Tynan, who's a great jazz player. I just hope she still has some hearing, she's been around really loud music basically since conception." AxiCon play tonight at Broken City, where they will be previewing songs from Delusions Of Safety, along with even newer material. The show is also a benefit for a biography on the experimental poet bpNichol. "The other members of the band are all big fans of Fraggle Rock, and he was a writer on that," dela Torre says. "That's our connection to bpNichol. I don't know too much about the other bands or the poets on the bill, but we're always just happy to do something a bit unusual." -Jesse Locke (July 20, 2007)

FFWD review of 'There's Hope For You Yet (Just Kidding)'

"Setting the mood with ghostly murmurs in the opening track, 'There’s Hope for You Yet (just kidding)' tightens its grip by the second track’s two minute mark. Slinking along with the breathy, warm cadence of Tricky, Chris dela Torre’s vocals prove to be the best part of the project. More confident and versatile than usual bedroom recordings, Axis of Conversation strongly distinguish themselves with absorbing melodic experiments in sound." -Aubrey McInnis, FFWD Weekly.

BeatRoute review of THFYY(JK)
	"Though he's experimented with ambient, samply-heavy pop on his own for years, Chris dela Torre's decision to find a full back to back him up was brilliant. On their debut EP, voices, melodies and instruments float in and out effortlessly, like a soundtrack to a pleasant dream." -Jesse Locke, BeatRoute Magazine.