Localized: AUXO

This month’s SLUG Localized showcase on Thursday, September 19 features the unique, upbeat sounds of DJs from all across Utah: Olivia Bigelow, AUXO and kimmi! This all-ages electronic extravaganza at Kilby Court, sponsored by Riso-Geist, costs just $5 for entry. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and music kicks off at 8:00 p.m.

AUXO’s new album CIRCA is a 28-minute whirlwind of drum and bass, EDM and pop in exquisite balance. It’s an experimental and danceable concoction that cooks with jungle and footwork ingredients to create a work reminiscent of Machine Girl and microwave-nuked vaporwave. There’s no wasted space, either—almost every track is high energy and moves you to dance, and it considers what would be an interesting way to do that through lyrics, samples, vocals and unexpected drops, never resting on just an incredible rhythm and beat. It’s easily the best and most dense of what the duo have made so far.

“Davie started producing tracks, and we started to make little funny songs.”

Benjamin Davie and Austin Cannon, both from St. George, comprise the group. Davie, the producer, moved to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah to study graphic design, and Cannon, the singer, still lives in St. George. The two are close friends and have been since middle school, when they found themselves gravitating to one another in a larger friend group and goading each other’s music tastes to new heights. “There wasn’t a lot to do in St. George,” Cannon says. “Davie started producing tracks, and we started to make little funny songs.” They got into Yung Lean and vaporwave and liked the all-encompassing sound of reverb. “It turned serious, I guess,” says Davie.

That was 2019–2020. Now they live far apart, but their chemistry survives the distance. Cannon sends vocals to Davie, who chops and bakes them into whatever tracks he’s currently toying with. Though they miss the days of spending all day making music together in a bedroom, they say the separation has brought growth. “You can have your times where you’re alone and your lyricism can be, like, truly yours,” Davie says to Cannon. “I can see where your writing has just improved over time, and it’s just beautiful. I don’t know. I love it.” The heart grows fonder.

“I’ve always thought it’s interesting to try to make something that’s extremely palatable, but also [has] experimental elements.”

Their early music was under a different name and leaned more $UICIDEBOY$-inspired with rap-heavy instrumentals. Under the AUXO name, the duo has moved more toward a drum and bass foundation that edges into pop. It’s hard to pin down, but the music emphasizes explosive, euphoric moments that happen in surprising ways, even when you hear a drop coming. There’s always a little extra detail that pushes every moment over into something sublime, such as the heavy panting over the opening synths of “Werk 2nite” that lend the song a pounding heft. “I’ve always thought it’s interesting to try to make something that’s extremely palatable, but also [has] experimental elements,” says Davie. “To just push this—whatever genre we’re doing—forward.”

Cannon’s vocals bring another edge. His breathy delivery brings a Dangerous Muse-esque sex appeal that dredges up the aughts-era party boy persona. And then there are the confessional moments on “Navigation” that play like a voice memo: “We’re our happiest when we do us. Silly little rant: Like, it’s not fully a bad thing to like, grow into your ways. Fucking grow into your ways! People will love you. It’s fine. Do what you fucking want to do. You don’t want to use Google Maps? Or Apple Maps? Fine. It’s no reason to fuck off. Just love each other. It’s a goddamn map service.” The orchestral synths sear back up and drown him out. The boys complement each other’s creative impulses that way. They provide cover for the other to do their thing and divulge that elusive sense of pop authenticity, which ultimately comes as a feeling, one that lives and dies by the creator’s willingness to be themselves in front of others. “For me, it’s always just been like, how does this make me feel?” says Cannon. “If I turn on a song … I just ask myself that question. You’ve got to stay true to what you like, and that’s just what I’ve always done.”

Find AUXO on Spotify or follow them on Instagram at @benauxo and @austinauxo.

Read about more icons in the September Local Fashion Issue:
Localized: Olivia Bigelow
SLUG Style: Felix Diaz