Argumentix built bulk pressured tight in a crock pot for several years stretching out its infant T-Rex arms to 4-track awkward exploration and vague focus producing charming mistakes.

Ballads of suicide victim mothers splashed kiddie-pool waves in nocturnal slumber. A configuration of electronic devices leaded w/ unintentional tape loops, minimal beats and grating scrapes of amplified scratching metal and loads of appropriation of adult contemporary... the dream was a diagram and puzzle to solve revealed the results were what Argumentix is today.

My biggest influences are a culmination of every sound ever heard, but a good starting point for the results would be Christian Death's first album (effeminate punk goth), Throbbing Gristle, Elton John, Nick Cave, Supreme Dicks, Jandek, Edward Ka-Spell (of Legendary Pink Dots), my friend's bands and DJ Screw's production.

From previous band's powers... Alarmist's tight frightening punk edge, Sex with Girl's no boundaries identity leaping and Space Hawk's drugged out epic story telling, Argumentix was born from combing experimentation and defining my singular focused vision, creating a product that is uniquely only myself.

Every time I breath, I feel the slight pin prick of despair. A deep darkness bubbles beneath the gregarious enthusiastic clown. Pushing limits of sonic sense and collaging a junk noise rummage sale, I can sing a duet with any combination of found sound.

At war with everything inside, I loathe that I love myself so much. Every 5th word carefully weighed, silence would beg obscurity.

I mowed lawns at all your punk shows. I destroyed friendships with bad discretion. I've already lived a few lives and I hold hands with the past. If I died today I would wake up in a crib and start all over. I'm hoping for an upgrade in wealth, confidence, a non-addictive personality and a desire to begin performing at a young age.

Main Page-------------------
History of Argumentix, timeline and some ideas/theories-----------------------
Past Shows w/ notes-----------------------
Bio / Onesheet for Tarantula Downpour 7" + DVD on Trash Skull Records

-photos:

photo by Michael Moya
michaelmoya.com

photo by Michael Moya
michaelmoya.com

photo by Jane Srisarakorn

Tarantula Downpour 7" cover

photo by Shoosha
collage by argumentix

photo by Shoosha
scarf by Kevin Shields and Brian Miller

Review of "Hoarse Whisperer"
...I immediately have to say that it reminds me of To Live and Shave in L.A., not to mention Nandor Nevai's A Capella Cantata (2000). Which is to say that the guy sings a lot, in a deep wailing voice that can sound quite a bit like Misters Myth and Nevai. I can't help but bring up the similarity -- not too many people really sound like that, you know. But there's something going on other than mere imitation, and maybe there isn't any imitation going on at all, just coincidence. This is clearly a solo work, and in fact could be live with no overdubs, Squeaky singing into pedals and setting up loops, often thunderous, and singing more over those, with tons of lyrics as would befit a more West Coast / SST approach, and who knows, maybe not Tom Smith but Jack Brewer is the real secret influence...
Reviews, Blastitude, Author, May 2006
http://blastitude.com/19/RECORDS.htm

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"Eyes Without a Face"
2 lengthy explorations of the Argumentix sound and songs. Most simular release to the ever-flowing live sets that morph in and out of improv and songs. If Morressey started making noise, he'd be ripping off Argumentix.
description from neonhatesyou distro of Eyes Without a Face cassette on Barf Records
Brian Miller, May 2006
neonhatesyou.com

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Review of "Tarantula Downpour 7"
...On the first track "Tarantula Downpour", the listener is treated to the sound of dubbed out noise clatter topped off with Squeaky's foreboding vocals. The B Side features much more melancholy vocals at times reminiscent of Ian Curtis of Joy Division, accompanied only by piano and what sounds like waves of static in the background...
Review, Smokable birth control, Author, May 2006
http://smokablebirthcontrol.blogspot.com/

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Show Preview
Ever seen the peyote scene in Young Guns on six separate TVs all piled atop each other while a new age composer plays a giant, state-of-the-art (for 1988) synthesizer in the next room with a wall-size fan blowing his gorgeous mullet? This is the modern-day Portland version.

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Argumentix is Soothing Napalm
...It's trippy stuff—vocals half spoken, half crooned; the new age etherealities bubbling below the surface are soothing, but there's a shit-ton of brain-sizzling napalm amid the tranquility...
New Age Redux, Portland Mercury, Adam Gnade, Dec 23 2005
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/
Content?oid=35775&category=22153

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Argumentix interview
...Hoarse Whisperer, is a loose series of chaos duets between Squeaky's voice and a table of sound manipulators. The album follows no musical rules, taking (often found) beats and melodies and uncovering myriad ways to destroy them...

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Review of Argumentix live performance 5/20/06
...James proved he is indeed the boss of gothwith a wailing, ranting mini set backed by some nasty harsh beats and industrialish screamscapes. It was just him and a table of electronics on stage, and the man went wild, jumping into the crowd, flashing out his own light show, and laying down some serious NOIZE and disturbing half-sung, half-shouted vocal madness...

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InStudio: Argumentix and Dead/ Bird
...At the most basic level, Argumentix's music is about two things: tapes and voices. Collecting discarded and damaged tapes of music and field recordings, James Squeaky - the man behind Argumentix - layers drum machine beats and queasy, processed vocals and finds sounds to create something that sounds not unlike Ariel Pink doing musique concrète...

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Review of "Tarantula Downpour" 7" + DVDR
For a first record on a new label, this is a really really well-done record! Beautiful package, no corners cut on quality, excellent fidelity...and you can tell this person's a record freak 'cos the first release has a catalog number (TS-01).

"Lend Me Your Blanket" is Argumentix' best solo moment on any format so far...I didn't know about James' mom...no wonder that song's so heart-wrenching. I've seen him sing it in live performance three times, and each time, everyone in the audience is uncomfortable, and yet totally captivated.

This Argumentix EP doesn't set a minimum standard or even raise the standard. Rather, it excels a work of art and an example of a higher standard.
Messageboard, Threeoneg, Rick Ele, May 2006
link

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