“Electo's Gay Young Guns” Feature: Alan MX - Public Service Broadcast #9

From GayDar Radio, by Anna Rutherford on 1 February 2008

As the artists of 2007 fade into distant memory, there are two figures that refuse to follow. Alan MX and the colourful Psycho Fag!!! (yes, three exclamation marks is correct!) first ventured onto the underground scene in 2007, but these dashing purveyors of electro-pop have 2008 firmly in their sights.

Both artists are creating something of a stir among critics and gig-goers alike. Both are bright young things; electronic wiz-kids blessed with good looks, natural talent and an effortless collection of X-factors that Leon Jackson can only dream of.

As Alan MX and Psycho Fag!!! excitedly prepare for 2008, we take a peep behind the hype and find two very different musical prospects….

Alan MX
Since he created his first MySpace page, Alan MX’s contagious blend of electro-pop has been slowly spreading, hooking internet surfers into his musical world (even DJs at Radio One have succumbed to infection). His music is difficult to describe - it’s electro certainly, and fans of Peaches, CSS and Le Tigre would enjoy his post riot grrrl wizardry. But like all exciting new music there are other elements in the mix. He has the commercial pop-sensibility of a Timberlake, but this flair is accompanied by a sense of vulnerability, richer vocals, and a fresh inventiveness currently found in alternative icons like M.I.A.

Although not fully polished, the expansive sound of Alan MX is remarkable. His songs were not recorded in plush studios, but rather, in the more humble surroundings of his bedroom. Perhaps it’s this conflict between the grand, ambitious sound and the intimate feel that make them so addictive. Tracks like ‘Annie Get Your Gun’, ‘Strange Bird’ or ‘Captain America Video’, could both fill a dancefloor and provide the perfect i-pod soundtrack to a solitary train journey home.

Refreshingly, although the music is at the forefront of Alan MX’s appeal, he does not hide his sexuality. There’s a sense of gay pride and integrity to his lyrics. He reveals glimpses of inner torment, but steers away from the 'diva' approach, instead adopting a style he has termed “intimate exhibitionism”.

Alan MX’s artistic honesty allows him to play with sexuality in his songs. How many artists could get away with an insanely catchy song called ‘Kill All The Fags’?. Similarly the forthcoming single, ‘Captain America Video’ sets theoretical love for a girl in the video shop ( “I know I’m gay but I’d make an exception”), besides a physical attraction towards the Marvel hero of the video she lends him.

Recently signed to an independent label SmallTown America and with an album on the way, there are plenty of indications that Alan MX’s lo-fi bedroom electronica can no longer be confined by its four walls.

Find out more at www.myspace.com/alanmx.