Crux and the never ending battle on "Living in Dystopia" (Official Video)

 

image by Chris Ord Photography

Newcastle, UK alt-rockers Crux have a lot to say on "Living in Dystopia" (track and Official Video). Sonically, the track feels big, anthemic actually, with the heavy guitars and Max Houghton's (rhythm guitar, and keyboards) vocal aesthetic and melodies pushing into an art rock theatricality. The staggered almost rock tribal rhythms and sci-fi illusions made me think of a strange chemical coded amalgam of bands like Muse and Rage Against The Machine. 

The song, that unfortunately has timeless themes, is informed by dark themes as Houghton shares: 

“In my second year at the University of York, I was in a seminar on surveillance as part of my Crime and Criminal Justice Studies course. At the time, I was reading the dystopian novels, Brave New World and 1984. I thought our world was far from the dystopian levels in the stories I was reading and used this as an argument to justify surveillance. The seminar leader quickly shot my view down, opening my eyes to the similarities the world currently is to both of these novels, almost a cocktail of dystopia. This was back in 2017, and it’s only got worse since then. I wrote the lyrics in late 2018/early 2019 and think they reflect on the world’s troubles now more than ever. One hundred and seven thousand deaths is not just a number. Each one is a person with a family.”

As I step into the Official Video for "Living in Dystopia" I am flooded with a sense of sadness and anger and maybe that is the point. The images of middle glass gluttony against food spoiling, Covid deaths, social injustice, social engineering and the pervasive division of governmental power versus the people are constant reminders that since we started electing people (eons ago) to gain a sense of security and order we have, instead, been embroiled in a (worldwide) system of competition and insecurity instead of simply helping and caring about each other. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

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Crux was born when Max Houghton (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and keyboards) and Jake Waldock (lead guitar) were studying at the same college together. After years of experimenting with music and finding their sound, they wanted to keep the band going but they were in need of some assistance. After scouring musician forums and holding auditions, they soon recruited Hallam Press (bass) and drummer Joe Reid, completing the Crux line up.

Since then, Crux have regularly gigged in and around their hometown of Newcastle, UK, headlining the O2 Academy, playing at Scoop Festival, Canny Fringe Festival, and releasing the single “Bigg Market” to local success. The song went on to be featured in a documentary about the infamous party street in Newcastle and then became Crux's first music video, attracting 25k views on YouTube organically. The independent band's last single, “Slaving Away”, was played on Tom Robinson’s show on BBC Radio 6 and attracted 11k organic views on YouTube.

Previous video “Slaving Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQwCK76YL0A

Crux are hoping to inspire change through their music and so are not afraid to discuss real-life, social or global issues; "Slaving Away" talks about "wage slavery", previous release "Bigg Market" talks about alcoholism/escapism (two band members are teetotal) and new single "Living in Dystopia" is a commentary as to the state of the world currently.

Listening to Crux, you can hear their deep but varied influences. Max’s vocal style draws heavily on a Matt Bellamy/Thom Yorke/Jeff Buckley synthesis. Jake’s rapid fingerstyle playing is straight out of Dire Straits, Hallam’s bass chops trace back to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Joe’s obsession with progressive rock is always creeping into his drumming. Massive riffs, classical piano, slap bass, and political rhetoric all come together in Crux’s sound.

Crux, alt rock, post punk, art rock, post rock, indie rock, heavy guitar rock, Max Houghton, "Living in Dystopia". Newcastle, UK