Musician ~ Composer ~ Educator

Mind Noise, the newest album by Andrew Dixon, is even more Avant Garde than his previous works.

It's lean, raw, and hauntingly beautiful, vacillating between incredibly delicate ballads and more intense electronic pieces. Showcasing two different bands, each with their own style, Mind Noise moves back and forth from electric to acoustic. This reflect the events we have dealt with in the 2020's, filled with up and downs, hard hitting, yet with a sweet side that allows us to relax.

Reaching beyond the sounds of the previous album Renegade, Mind Noise begins with a bang, or rather with a scream, as a homage to John Zorn. The intro song, Pesadilla, which means Nightmare in Spanish, says Wake Up! and Here you are! The challenges we all faced these past couple of years proved to be pure inspiration for Andrew Dixon. For example, the song Depression Episode spells out what was happening for him during the pandemic. The value of family is also illustrated, with Lament for a Father as a tribute to Andrew's recently deceased father, as well as songs that Dixon composed for his children and one for his wife. The suite Head Hand Heart was written for David Liebman, at the time that Andrew was blessed to study with David during the pandemic. "This is very interesting, as well as passionate, cutting edge music — get it out there!!", says David about Mind Noise.

For this fourth album, Andrew has limited the instruments he plays to Alto and Tenor Saxophone, giving it a lamenting, earnest quality which comes from this unique instrument that is both brass and woodwind. Taking inspiration from groups like The Stooges, Yes, Ornette Coleman, Pharaoh Sanders, John Zorn, Bjork, and the Charles Lloyd Quartet for the acoustic portion, Andrew has composed a series of original tunes that go against the typical jazz fare, while tapping into his eclectic musical roots.

Featuring Justin Rock, Dahveed Behroozi, Mike Quigg, Ian McArdle, and Giulio Xavier, Mind Noise is guaranteed to bring you a different perspective about how we hear the noise in our heads, how those sounds play out to become music, and how we identify with it. Andrew Dixon’s new album lets us review and define what is needed so that the music can come to us, inviting us to be in a state of temporal oscillation.

Check out the single from the new album: East Fourteenth (International)