Axorst2k, aka Cyan1degh0st, is a Chinese music producer and independent designer. Through the label Cyanide System, he is dedicated to spreading and promoting uncompromising voices from Asia and around the world. Axorst2k reached out casually to Swine Daily via Instagram DMs. We chatted a little bit, and Axorst2k said he is finishing his debut album but also moving from China to Tokyo. Finally, six months later, we gathered our interview, and the album is out now. You can find it here on Bandcamp.
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We decided to let the artist narrate the story himself ➜
„Protection Destroy is the story of my first EP. It is a soul-searching journey, tracing back four years of memories that began before the pandemic. The visuals were crafted by Zyber0n, an independent visual artist from China, while the music video was guided by Linml, a 3D artist, as the art director.
The album itself can be seen as a tale in two parts. The Virtual Series narrates my emotional journey, filled with a light-hearted yet melancholic atmosphere. Each tone and arrangement is a reflection of my state of mind during that time, with sound design becoming a mirror of my inner world. The first track to emerge was „309 Angel“, where I sculpted the soundscape of a personal world—an empty, cerulean abyss. In this space, a fallen angel is illuminated by a solitary sliver of light, gazing toward the distant shore. This vision encapsulates the aesthetic language of the album cover, beautifully brought to life by Zyber0n and Linml.“
„Three years later, I revisited this vision, interpreting it with a fresh sonic language, and thus „The final 309 Angel“ was born. If 309 Angel was a reflection of the environment, then The Final 309 Angel speaks directly to the angel’s internal emotions. With these two tracks complete, I extended the same aesthetic to the creation of QIANJIBUPO. Then, I softened the sharper edges of my sound design and composed Pisces—as a reflection of my own zodiac sign. It is a coexistence of tenderness and sharpness. Out of this contrast came Tears, where I used a melody by RJ Pasin as the main motif, bringing more fluidity and emotion to the track.
After moving to Tokyo in April, I completed „decomposition“ and „fragmentary“. In these tracks, I aimed to imbue more energy, experimentation, and darkness. For the first time, I intertwined my own voice into my music.
Growing up as an anime nerd, I have always carried a deep pessimism towards myself, which I’m now trying to overcome.
Perhaps this darker expression fits the times we live in. As for the „Axcyxonstnotes intro“, the melody comes from a track by one of my favorite producers from a decade ago. It was this sound that carried me through the depths of my most fragile mental state. Their aesthetic philosophy continues to influence me to this day, and through this melody, I seek to honor that legacy.“
0 Axcyxonstnotes intro
1 309 angel
2 Pisces
3 virtual rain 虚拟雨
4 virtual night 虚拟夜
5 virtual water 虚拟水
6 Tears 泪
7 decomposition
8 fragmentary
9 QIANJIBUPO
10 The final 309 angel
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SWINE DAILY: Can you tell us more, about your beginnings as a producer and designer? When did you start producing music?
Axorst2k: Let’s start with music. Everything probably began in 2012, when I was 14 years old. In fact, I had been exposed to electronic music long before that. Due to certain unique circumstances in my family, I have been surrounded by both electronic and traditional folk music since birth. But it was at 14, after coming across some MPC brostep live videos, that I felt a profound impact. It inspired me to create music, though I didn’t rush to release anything right away. It wasn’t until I entered university that I began to pursue music professionally.
S: When did you start with visual art and design, did you go to some art school or university?
A: As for design, I have been learning art since I was a child, though it was mostly traditional education. I first started creating during high school, but it was more about idealizing scenes from daily life or collaging internet materials. It wasn’t until college that I truly began to create seriously.
I attended a comprehensive university, where I majored in Visual Communication. However, I felt that formal education couldn’t teach me much about the things I found interesting or avant-garde. So, I started to teach myself and create from my dorm room.
S: What was the music you enjoyed as a kid, do you remember the first music albums, that you liked as a youngster?
A: When I was younger, my taste in music was broad. From classic Korean pop to J-core, artcore, hard trance, brostep (like UKF Dubstep 2011, Never Say Die), and even some R&B — I loved them all and explored each deeply. The first album I truly loved was Acuticnotes‘ Encryption. During those years, my mental state was on the verge of collapse, and it was this sound that saved me.
S: On your Bandcamp, it is written something about „Radio Magnet System Chair“, can you tell us more about it?
A: I founded and currently manage a music station and label called Cyanide System. It all started just before the pandemic when I grew tired of the conventional sounds dominating most clubs. This realization made me understand that I didn’t fit into that scene, so I created my own organization to host events and seek out young talents with unique sounds and tastes from around the world. That was its original purpose. Over time, as my aesthetic subtly evolved, I began to change the way it presented itself, both visually and musically. I now call its aesthetic Theosophical Engineering, a pursuit of independent, whole, and sacred digital angels in song (not excluding Lucifer, of course). That’s the kind of vibe I aim for.
We once released a compilation, mostly featuring young Chinese producers. Their technical skills and aesthetics were impressive, but the broader environment made it hard for them to be recognized globally. I wanted to help them get discovered, so we created Cyanide System Collection 001.
S: What about your new album, how was the creative process? Are you sampling on the project, or creating every sound from scratch?
A: My new album, and also my first, Protection Destroy, is a reflection of my life experiences. From the first track to now, it’s been in the making for almost five years. Most of the early songs were born out of emotional upheavals in my life (the Virtual Series was inspired by love). But as time went on, I learned how to sustain these emotions, to make them more socially accessible, and I also improved my production skills to make everything sound more complete. Most of the tracks are original, but I’ve also included samples that hold significant personal meaning, embedding them within the music.
S: We can hear a lot of musical inspirations, ambient, soundtrack, anime, trance, memes, hard club music, electronic music… What emotions did you want to convey on this project?
A: More than anything, I think I simply want to use sound as a medium to express my perception of the world, and to reveal the deepest parts of my inner self. These might be emotional debris, but they are still part of me, so I want to capture them. I also try to blend them with elements more easily accepted by the world, in hopes of giving them some semblance of reason.
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⋐ Interview: Krištof Budke / You can follow Axorst2k on Instagram / Also check out the visual artists @linml_ and @Zyber0n ⋑
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