- "Two musical worlds become one in this fine cooperation between two stringed instruments the harp and the guitar. Legendary Danish guitarist Mikkel Nordsø, and award winning harpist Tine Rehling have launched a musical collaboration that has sparked interest in the worlds of both jazz and classical music."
-"Tine and Mikkel who are cousins first started playing together 10 years ago in the family based band Timewave, but through the years they have also played with jazz pianist Thomas Clausen, in his Brazilian Project.
Five years ago they started their own duo. Their collaboration has matured and intensified over the years, and in the summer of 2008 they released their first CD, Tine Rehling and Mikkel Nordsø Duo.
It is clear to the listener just how much these two musicians enjoy performing these compositions, most of which have been composed by Mikkel.
The sounds of the two instruments intertwine in an elaborate picture shaded with Middle Eastern and Arabic colours, at times imaginatively lyrical, at others driven by the rhythmic passion of flamenco.
It's a heady, almost addictive experience, listening to Tine Rehling and Mikkel Nordsø. The music has an almost meditative effect, but the rhythmic drive and sheer beauty of it will hold your attention for hours.
In 2008 the duo performed at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, at the Copenhagen Jazzhouse, at the Aalborg International Guitar Festival, and in several churches and other venues all over Denmark. In May 2009 they played at the International Harp Festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil."
- http://www.tinerehling.com/english/
Another Definitive release I saw - Art Tatum The Complete American Decca Recordings, 4 disc set, again from an import CD box, older stuff than the Concord era Group or Solo Masterpieces I'm more familiar with (especially now thanks to Guvera), with some repetition, maybe a little on the old time side.
New jazz label, er, gravedigger guild, something - Filton The Orchard - only 5 releases so far but cheap for the albums.
Edit - yes, the Medical Examiner's report is in - e.g. the Grant Green album there, Alone Together, is in fact the 5 original tracks from the Blue Note album Green Street, all of which I have on the much more ambitious 45 track Grant Green gravedigger comp Jazz Guitar Classics. Well, I least I sussed out one of the component parts of that comp now.
Freshly discovered and fairly freshly dropped:
About the vinyl reissue:
Maurizio Bianchi - Endometrio - "First ever vinyl reissue of the highly coveted classic LP by Italian noise composer/ sound visionary Maurizio Bianchi. Originally released in an extremely limited private press quantity in Italy in 1983, Endometrio showcased M.B. at his most crucial turning point, delving into the uncharted waters he aptly titled bionic music, blending unfiltered electronics with contorted sounds of the human body to compose one of the most organically beautiful ambient records to date. Copies of the original LP are practically non-existent and hard to come by, therefore making this reissue an important addition to any experimental aficionados audio library. Complete with current liners and artwork insert from Maurizio Bianchi."
- Dais Records - (a fairly new label @ music)
From the New This Week this caught my eye - on Ace Records a collection of old and pretty obscure blues - Blues For Dootsie:The Blue and Dootone Sides - a label started by bandleader turned entrepreneur Dootsie Williams ( page from Ace with info here). Not the everyday stuff, jump or even pre-jump blues, leaning towards the jazz side . Old source material so definitely not hi-fi, but clean.
New to me and freshly dropped: Deux Filles - SILENCE & WISDOM / DOUBLE HAPPINESS
- - "Back in 1982, many were happy to believe that Deux Filles really were tragic French orphans Claudine Coule and Gemini Forque. In reality, the ambient/instrumental duo comprised Simon Fisher Turner, former child star/teen idol and future soundtrack composer, and songwriter/technician Colin Lloyd Tucker. As Deux Filles the pair released two highly collectable albums: Silence & Wisdom (1982) and Double Happiness (1983),"
- "'With numerous friends, including versatile Matt Johnson and Annie Hogan, the girls have built an insular solitude which breathes calm and order. Like an early French film soundtrack with melodramatic overtones, the sound is jagged and disjointed but never harsh. Lilting guitars and ample use of echo smack of Vini Reilly, relying on the hypnotic qualities of the sound rather than abrasive noise'"
(Sounds, 03/1983) http://www.ltmrecordings.com/deuxfillescatalogue.html
A fairly new label @ Emusic: Spool
- With artists such as Anthony Braxton, Peggy Lee, Fred Frith, John Butcher and many more . . . http://www.spoolmusic.com/
Caveat emptor on this "new" release at eMu - Fania Records 1964-1984 - The Incendiary Sounds Of New York. While it is not the same as Fania Records 1964-1980 - The Original Latin Sound of New York, I am finding many, many of these songs were present on the Fania box set El Barrio mentioned here a couple of years ago, which is of course no longer to be found over there - a sort of ongoing Fania shell game.
There seems to have been a significant number of titles from the Hightone label, ?introduced/reintroduced? over at eMu last week. They carried some fine artists in their time, at least some of whom I think most of us might enjoy.
Good new eMu feature on the Vampi Soul label, which I know has some fans here. Looks like there have been some new releases over the last year or so. I want all this stuff, basically...
New Soundway comp, always cause for celebration. Same $12 price tag across the board, even eMu...iTunes may be the choice this time, as you get the liner notes
Outside of collecting old jazz and blues eMu hasn't done much to excite me lately but this new release does - Keb Darge and Little Edith's Legendary Wild Rockers Volume 3. The CD doesn't come out until next month at Amazon, but eMu has it somehow. Totally obscure but wild and funky garage/rockabilly/surf in a blender. If you dug the Lux and Ivy's Favorites from WFMU you will like this. This stuff put a smile on my face which has not been easy lately.
Freshly grabbed, discovered and fairly freshly dropped by Soleilmoon (dec. 2012) Soleilmoon - 2001 . . . ."Subtitled "An Emergency Broadcast", Greif specifically borrows from Orson Welles panic inducing radio broadcast version of H.G. Wells "The War of The Worlds". But the idea is expanded, metamorphosed into a metaphor for humanity's wars with ourselves (note the change to singular in Greif's title) and technology: disinformation, technological "advancements" and organic versus digital life. And ultimately, someone or something out there will receive the signals we project into deep space and come to dispatch of us with ease. The 55 minutes is conceptually divided into three 3 track parts - 'exhale', 'meeting' and 'aftermath' - but it flows as one continuous piece. Greif's approach here is similar to "Alice", only far less narrative and far more obscured as his sound collages characterize the data glut. Often fractured bits of reports, speech and Conet Project style number station transmissions are folded into found sounds, static interference and electronic textures. At times it's disorienting, frustrating and confusing for you, the listener, as if you were desperately trying to tune in a frequency to find out what the hell is going on. Other times it's soothingly ambient and carefree such as the culminating liquid gurgle fade, as though no matter what, even if they wipe us out or we wipe ourselves out, it won't much matter. Another great idea skillfully brought to fruition by Mr. Greif. Brainwashed http://www.swingingaxe.com/
Freshly discovered because of Caleb Burhans (Itsnotyouitsme):
- "Newspeak is a potent (Alex Ross), fierce (Time Out NY) and innovative (New York Magazine) politically-charged octet, working under the direction of composer David T. Little and clarinetist Eileen Mack. Named after the thought-limiting language in George Orwells 1984, Newspeak explores the grey area where art and politics mix, seeking to reconsider, redefine, and ultimately reclaim the notion of socially engaged music. David T. Little describes the ensemble as forged in the fires of Black Sabbath and Louis Andriessen, Dead Kennedys and Frederic Rzewski. On sweet light crude, Newspeak brings stories of hope, loss, inaction and rage. Throughout, the group shows its unique ability to reach the transcendental highs of a great rock band while maintaining the lyricism, dexterity, and nuanced intricacy of classical chamber music.
The disc begins with Oscar Bettisons furious B&E (with aggravated assault) a mixed-meter revolution followed by Stefan Weismans understated, enigmatic and passive I Would Prefer Not To. Passivity turns to obsession in David T. Littles dark and crooked love song to oil, sweet light crude, which gives way to a glimmer of hope in Missy Mazzolis In Spite of All This, the quiet before the storm. That storm comes in Pat Muchmores apocalyptic, Nine Inch Nails-infused Brennschuss, which roars upon the listener with Pynchon-esque imagery, with guest vocals from Morean of the German black metal band Dark Fortress. When the storm clears, were left with a dust bowl, and the sounds of the howling wind, setting the scene for Caleb Burhans Requiem for a General Motors in Janesville, WI, which brings the album to its cathartic conclusion." New Amsterdam - 2010
(L-R): Eileen Mack, Taylor Levine, James Johnston, Brian Snow, David T. Little, Peter Wise, Caleb Burhans, Mellissa Hughes.
"NEWSPEAK, named after the thought-limiting language in George Orwells 1984, is a powerhouse ensemble that became an early standout within New Yorks indie-classical scene. The current stellar line-upCaleb Burhans (composer/violin), David T. Little (composer/drums), Mellissa Hughes (voice), Eileen Mack (clarinet), Taylor Levine (guitar), Brian Snow (cello), James Johnston (piano), and Peter Wise (percussion)began performing together in 2008, and released their first CD with New Amsterdam Records in November 2010, to critical acclaim. NEWSPEAK has been featured as part of the Tune-In Festival with eighth blackbird at the Park Avenue Armory, the Ecstatic Music Festival in NYC, on New Sounds Live, and at the International Festival of Arts and Ideas. They have headlined on the MATA Festival, shared bills with The Fiery Furnaces as part of Wordless Music, and performed as part of John Zorns Full Force festival. Actively committed to the music of its time Newspeak has commissioned and premiered work by David T. Little, Caleb Burhans, Corey Dargel, Oscar Bettison, Ted Hearne, Judd Greenstein, Missy Mazzoli and many others. You could call this punk classical, Lucid Culture wrote, fearlessly aware (and) resolutely defiant. New Sounds host John Schafer called them important players on the new music scene here in New York. http://newspeakmusic.org/home/ - Bandcamp
The Capitol Vaults Series added a couple sets recently, the Donaldson above being one of them. I want to say there was a Horace Parlan and, crap, I forget the other(s).
And, yes, I do believe they are/or associated with the Mosaic peeps.
The Donaldson Blue Note releases... I have a bunch of them on my shelf, and while none of them are anything that I'd ever pack for an extended stay on a desert island, I find them comfortingly reliable... solid albums that pretty much give just what I've come to expect... some decent playing, a nice influence of blues and soul and funk in a hard bop session, and plenty of warmth for winter days. One of those artists that I keep buying on sight, even though I don't expect my listening habits to keep up with my purchases. Whatever. I don't mind them just sitting on my shelf, just in case.
This is an admittedly narrow niche but if you fancy oldie car songs this is quite a collection - blues, R&R, C&W - One For The Road. I don't pay as much attention to comps these days but the quality of songs and artists on this one caught my eye.
I can't remember if this label has been there before but they have dropped 278 albums in the past few days
- With artists like: The Claudia Quintet, Steve Tibbetts, Steve Lacy, Univers Zero, Soft Machine, Robert Wyatt, Matching Mole, Doctor Nerve (Nick Didkovsky), Curlew (Tom Cora) and many many more . . .
- Interesting, me thinks . . .
BN, good looking-out! Cuneiform is definitely new...that was one of the labels for which I'd save up iTunes cards.
A slam-dunk is Wadada Leo Smith's majestic "Ten Freedom Summers," only $6.49 here. I'm also a fan of Sao Paolo Underground and other Rob Mazurek projects. Would be interested if others are familiar with any of the other things here. A new thing they have, which I have not heard yet, is Robert Wyatt's pre-Soft Machine '68'
Freshly dropped: - "The second step in our Renaldo & The Loaf re-issue programme! After Struve & Sneff, we are proud to offer you a remastered and expanded version of "Songs for Swinging Larvae". Originally released in 1981 on The Residents' Ralph Records, "Larvae" is no doubt one of Renaldo & The Loaf's most loved albums. The original vinyl/CD release has been carefully remastered, disc 2 brings you rare material and unreleased tracks from around the time of the album. To be more precise, the second CD, "Songs from the Surgery", is made up of improvisations, early/ alternative versions of a few Larvae tracks and unreleased pieces contemporary with Larvae, in all totaling over 50 minutes. In the band's opinion this material will surprise people because it is quite different to most of the material on Larvae. They think it will particularly confound people who saw Renaldo and the Loaf as merely the English Residents! We agree." Klanggalerie
A real find over at eMu actually thanks to the Recommended Albums function - two volumes of the Jeff Beck 1999 Tokyo tour - see the import CD review here - so I'm pretty happy with them for something. Jeff Beck Live In Tokyo 1999 Volume 1 and Volume 2 - eight clams and change gets you both, and sounds good. Rec highly for any Beck fans.
Freshly dropped, discovered and brilliant - And hopefully the first of many.
From 1991: - "Urban Sax is an ensemble founded by the French composer Gilbert Artman made up of massive numbers of saxophones, accompanied by percussion and sometimes voices. The group is directed by Artman and performs his compositions, which are generally repetitive and minimalist, often sounding somewhat mechanistic rather than conventionally expressive.
The group was formed in 1973, when Artman organized a concert by a group of eight saxophonists he had produced at a classical music festival in Menton, in the south of France. In subsequent years, the number of players grew to 12, 16, 20, 24, and 30, and by the early 21st century, the group consisted of 52 musicians (with saxophones ranging from the soprano to bass registers). Artman frequently integrates local musicians and dancers into his performances, and thus the ensemble can encompass as many as 200 performers.
Urban Sax has performed throughout Europe, in Asia and at Expo 86 in Vancouver. The group's performances are performance art happenings; players wear metallic space suit-like costumes together with gas masks, and each performance is a unique ritualistic event that is planned for the particular architectural or natural space where it is to take place" Wiki
In the wonderful world of serial reissuement eMu has had a large drop of not so new releases from Shout!, formerly known as Shout Factory, and this includes a lot of albums that originally came out on the Hightone label. These are old, which is to say not lengthy, releases so they are not much of a bargain at $6.99, but if you got Double Booster bucks there are some gems here. One of my favorites to rec from the batch would be The Pleasure Barons, a wild and strange collaboration - check out Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant. Other treasures abound here too. Dick Dale's Tribal Thunder was a comeback album of sorts at the time of its release and the King Of Surf Guitar was smoking on that album. Joe Ely, Dave Alvin, Deke Dickerson amongst many others.
Comments
- "Two musical worlds become one in this fine cooperation between two stringed instruments the harp and the guitar. Legendary Danish guitarist Mikkel Nordsø, and award winning harpist Tine Rehling have launched a musical collaboration that has sparked interest in the worlds of both jazz and classical music."
-"Tine and Mikkel who are cousins first started playing together 10 years ago in the family based band Timewave, but through the years they have also played with jazz pianist Thomas Clausen, in his Brazilian Project.
Five years ago they started their own duo. Their collaboration has matured and intensified over the years, and in the summer of 2008 they released their first CD, Tine Rehling and Mikkel Nordsø Duo.
It is clear to the listener just how much these two musicians enjoy performing these compositions, most of which have been composed by Mikkel.
The sounds of the two instruments intertwine in an elaborate picture shaded with Middle Eastern and Arabic colours, at times imaginatively lyrical, at others driven by the rhythmic passion of flamenco.
It's a heady, almost addictive experience, listening to Tine Rehling and Mikkel Nordsø. The music has an almost meditative effect, but the rhythmic drive and sheer beauty of it will hold your attention for hours.
In 2008 the duo performed at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, at the Copenhagen Jazzhouse, at the Aalborg International Guitar Festival, and in several churches and other venues all over Denmark. In May 2009 they played at the International Harp Festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil."
- http://www.tinerehling.com/english/
Edit - yes, the Medical Examiner's report is in - e.g. the Grant Green album there, Alone Together, is in fact the 5 original tracks from the Blue Note album Green Street, all of which I have on the much more ambitious 45 track Grant Green gravedigger comp Jazz Guitar Classics. Well, I least I sussed out one of the component parts of that comp now.
Bvdub's new one for n5md records 3 tracks therefore cheap for us in the Uk and Europe, will download this when come of hold later this month
Homepage:
Wikipedia:
About the vinyl reissue: - Youtube
Deux Filles - SILENCE & WISDOM / DOUBLE HAPPINESS
- - "Back in 1982, many were happy to believe that Deux Filles really were tragic French orphans Claudine Coule and Gemini Forque. In reality, the ambient/instrumental duo comprised Simon Fisher Turner, former child star/teen idol and future soundtrack composer, and songwriter/technician Colin Lloyd Tucker. As Deux Filles the pair released two highly collectable albums: Silence & Wisdom (1982) and Double Happiness (1983),"
- "'With numerous friends, including versatile Matt Johnson and Annie Hogan, the girls have built an insular solitude which breathes calm and order. Like an early French film soundtrack with melodramatic overtones, the sound is jagged and disjointed but never harsh. Lilting guitars and ample use of echo smack of Vini Reilly, relying on the hypnotic qualities of the sound rather than abrasive noise'"
(Sounds, 03/1983)
http://www.ltmrecordings.com/deuxfillescatalogue.html
- With artists such as Anthony Braxton, Peggy Lee, Fred Frith, John Butcher and many more . . .
http://www.spoolmusic.com/
New Soundway comp, always cause for celebration. Same $12 price tag across the board, even eMu...iTunes may be the choice this time, as you get the liner notes
Soleilmoon - 2001
. . . ."Subtitled "An Emergency Broadcast", Greif specifically borrows from Orson Welles panic inducing radio broadcast version of H.G. Wells "The War of The Worlds". But the idea is expanded, metamorphosed into a metaphor for humanity's wars with ourselves (note the change to singular in Greif's title) and technology: disinformation, technological "advancements" and organic versus digital life. And ultimately, someone or something out there will receive the signals we project into deep space and come to dispatch of us with ease. The 55 minutes is conceptually divided into three 3 track parts - 'exhale', 'meeting' and 'aftermath' - but it flows as one continuous piece. Greif's approach here is similar to "Alice", only far less narrative and far more obscured as his sound collages characterize the data glut. Often fractured bits of reports, speech and Conet Project style number station transmissions are folded into found sounds, static interference and electronic textures. At times it's disorienting, frustrating and confusing for you, the listener, as if you were desperately trying to tune in a frequency to find out what the hell is going on. Other times it's soothingly ambient and carefree such as the culminating liquid gurgle fade, as though no matter what, even if they wipe us out or we wipe ourselves out, it won't much matter. Another great idea skillfully brought to fruition by Mr. Greif.
Brainwashed
http://www.swingingaxe.com/
- "Newspeak is a potent (Alex Ross), fierce (Time Out NY) and innovative (New York Magazine) politically-charged octet, working under the direction of composer David T. Little and clarinetist Eileen Mack. Named after the thought-limiting language in George Orwells 1984, Newspeak explores the grey area where art and politics mix, seeking to reconsider, redefine, and ultimately reclaim the notion of socially engaged music. David T. Little describes the ensemble as forged in the fires of Black Sabbath and Louis Andriessen, Dead Kennedys and Frederic Rzewski. On sweet light crude, Newspeak brings stories of hope, loss, inaction and rage. Throughout, the group shows its unique ability to reach the transcendental highs of a great rock band while maintaining the lyricism, dexterity, and nuanced intricacy of classical chamber music.
The disc begins with Oscar Bettisons furious B&E (with aggravated assault) a mixed-meter revolution followed by Stefan Weismans understated, enigmatic and passive I Would Prefer Not To. Passivity turns to obsession in David T. Littles dark and crooked love song to oil, sweet light crude, which gives way to a glimmer of hope in Missy Mazzolis In Spite of All This, the quiet before the storm. That storm comes in Pat Muchmores apocalyptic, Nine Inch Nails-infused Brennschuss, which roars upon the listener with Pynchon-esque imagery, with guest vocals from Morean of the German black metal band Dark Fortress. When the storm clears, were left with a dust bowl, and the sounds of the howling wind, setting the scene for Caleb Burhans Requiem for a General Motors in Janesville, WI, which brings the album to its cathartic conclusion."
New Amsterdam - 2010
(L-R): Eileen Mack, Taylor Levine, James Johnston, Brian Snow, David T. Little, Peter Wise, Caleb Burhans, Mellissa Hughes.
"NEWSPEAK, named after the thought-limiting language in George Orwells 1984, is a powerhouse ensemble that became an early standout within New Yorks indie-classical scene. The current stellar line-upCaleb Burhans (composer/violin), David T. Little (composer/drums), Mellissa Hughes (voice), Eileen Mack (clarinet), Taylor Levine (guitar), Brian Snow (cello), James Johnston (piano), and Peter Wise (percussion)began performing together in 2008, and released their first CD with New Amsterdam Records in November 2010, to critical acclaim. NEWSPEAK has been featured as part of the Tune-In Festival with eighth blackbird at the Park Avenue Armory, the Ecstatic Music Festival in NYC, on New Sounds Live, and at the International Festival of Arts and Ideas. They have headlined on the MATA Festival, shared bills with The Fiery Furnaces as part of Wordless Music, and performed as part of John Zorns Full Force festival. Actively committed to the music of its time Newspeak has commissioned and premiered work by David T. Little, Caleb Burhans, Corey Dargel, Oscar Bettison, Ted Hearne, Judd Greenstein, Missy Mazzoli and many others. You could call this punk classical, Lucid Culture wrote, fearlessly aware (and) resolutely defiant. New Sounds host John Schafer called them important players on the new music scene here in New York.
http://newspeakmusic.org/home/ - Bandcamp
What ho? This is newly added, I think...Presume it is a Mosaic set.
The Capitol Vaults Series added a couple sets recently, the Donaldson above being one of them. I want to say there was a Horace Parlan and, crap, I forget the other(s).
And, yes, I do believe they are/or associated with the Mosaic peeps.
The Donaldson Blue Note releases... I have a bunch of them on my shelf, and while none of them are anything that I'd ever pack for an extended stay on a desert island, I find them comfortingly reliable... solid albums that pretty much give just what I've come to expect... some decent playing, a nice influence of blues and soul and funk in a hard bop session, and plenty of warmth for winter days. One of those artists that I keep buying on sight, even though I don't expect my listening habits to keep up with my purchases. Whatever. I don't mind them just sitting on my shelf, just in case.
Cheers.
- With artists like: The Claudia Quintet, Steve Tibbetts, Steve Lacy, Univers Zero, Soft Machine, Robert Wyatt, Matching Mole, Doctor Nerve (Nick Didkovsky), Curlew (Tom Cora) and many many more . . .
- Interesting, me thinks . . .
http://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/68 - http://www.cuneiformrecords.com
A slam-dunk is Wadada Leo Smith's majestic "Ten Freedom Summers," only $6.49 here. I'm also a fan of Sao Paolo Underground and other Rob Mazurek projects. Would be interested if others are familiar with any of the other things here. A new thing they have, which I have not heard yet, is Robert Wyatt's pre-Soft Machine '68'
- "The second step in our Renaldo & The Loaf re-issue programme! After Struve & Sneff, we are proud to offer you a remastered and expanded version of "Songs for Swinging Larvae". Originally released in 1981 on The Residents' Ralph Records, "Larvae" is no doubt one of Renaldo & The Loaf's most loved albums. The original vinyl/CD release has been carefully remastered, disc 2 brings you rare material and unreleased tracks from around the time of the album. To be more precise, the second CD, "Songs from the Surgery", is made up of improvisations, early/ alternative versions of a few Larvae tracks and unreleased pieces contemporary with Larvae, in all totaling over 50 minutes. In the band's opinion this material will surprise people because it is quite different to most of the material on Larvae. They think it will particularly confound people who saw Renaldo and the Loaf as merely the English Residents! We agree."
Klanggalerie
Jeff Beck Live In Tokyo 1999 Volume 1 and Volume 2 - eight clams and change gets you both, and sounds good. Rec highly for any Beck fans.
Bandcamp
- Jay !
From 1991:
- "Urban Sax is an ensemble founded by the French composer Gilbert Artman made up of massive numbers of saxophones, accompanied by percussion and sometimes voices. The group is directed by Artman and performs his compositions, which are generally repetitive and minimalist, often sounding somewhat mechanistic rather than conventionally expressive.
The group was formed in 1973, when Artman organized a concert by a group of eight saxophonists he had produced at a classical music festival in Menton, in the south of France. In subsequent years, the number of players grew to 12, 16, 20, 24, and 30, and by the early 21st century, the group consisted of 52 musicians (with saxophones ranging from the soprano to bass registers). Artman frequently integrates local musicians and dancers into his performances, and thus the ensemble can encompass as many as 200 performers.
Urban Sax has performed throughout Europe, in Asia and at Expo 86 in Vancouver. The group's performances are performance art happenings; players wear metallic space suit-like costumes together with gas masks, and each performance is a unique ritualistic event that is planned for the particular architectural or natural space where it is to take place"
Wiki
http://soundcloud.com/urban-sax