Shadowbox aka Bonnie Baxter plus husband on guitar, started this creation in 2003 and has seen it change from a hard rock outfit to the intensely beautiful and strange beat, electronic, rock, borderline performance art it is today.
At Piano the other day, there was something otherworldly about the way Baxter presented herself, a gash of blood red lipstick and a twitching , provocation of sound and movement.
On her myspace (http://www.myspace.com/shadowbox4u) things are equally oblique but at least here you have the opportunity to really listen to what she is doing.
A song like “Art Of Plague” is borderline house while another “Devil’s Eye” is straight up rock with an accent on the bass.
“Blue Drain” is where the rock girl and the fembot meet in the middle, the beats program is pretty terrific and though it would be improved if Baxter’s vocals were higher up in the mix, that’s the only complaint on this terrific, bizarrely beautiful, ambient cum dance song. And though Bonnie’s voice isn’t pretty as such, it does have a tonal distractedness perfect for Shadowbox’s sound.
There are only 4 songs on myspace and no mp3s to be purchased yet, but it is just a matter of time. Shadowbox are cutting edge, beat obsessed rockers. All four songs go instantly to the top of the class.