Glitchy beats with an off-grid feel? Check! Harsh, cold machinery synths? Check! A necessary dose of experimentation? Check! Evo Auxilium’s latest work is a total surprise that delivers on every front. Check out our discussion below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Visceral. Animated. Surreal.
“DO NOT DISTURB (redux)” is part of a surprise album released on September 26, 2025. What was the motivation behind dropping the album as a surprise, and how has the initial reaction been?
Love this question. I’ll begin with a little background. I started Evo Auxilium back in 2014, and I had managed to put together and release an album each year from 2014 to 2018. I call those first five albums my ‘canon discography’ (not to sound too pretentious hopefully lol). 2019 was an extremely difficult year for me, and I didn’t manage to put together a project I was really proud of. Then, of course, 2020 happened, and we all know how that went.
I picked back up where I left off in 2021 and 2022 with a new experimental EP each year plus several singles (non-canon releases), but I found myself in a place where I wondered if I had lost my creative flame for putting together a full length LP like I used to love doing. I had solid bones for a few projects, but I just couldn’t bring myself to push anything over the finish line.
2024 was an amazing year for me, musically. I was suddenly bursting with inspiration and managed to release two of the biggest songs of my entire career: “PROLIFERATE” and “chop it up!” This really fanned the flames, and I’ve been on a roll ever since. I defeated the “album block” demon and “LAPSE,” the new surprise album, finally came to fruition this past summer!
To cut a long story short, I decided to surprise my small but loyal and growing audience with a brand new full length “canon” album because the last one was basically an eternity ago–“These Simulations” in 2018. So far, the reaction to “LAPSE” has been surprisingly positive! A lot of excitement and kind words. It genuinely makes me so happy that my music connects with anyone at all, so it’s going fantastic, all things considered.
You are based in Minneapolis. Does the city or its music scene play any role in influencing your electronic, alternative, and experimental soundscapes?
Minneapolis, in my opinion, has always been incredibly rich in musical talent. You have some obvious legends from here like Prince, The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Atmosphere, and many others, but the real magic of Minneapolis is the underground scene. Now, I would never claim myself to be the arbiter of good music here because I don’t get out to enough shows these days. But truth be told, I’ve seen enough to know there must be something in the water here. Some of my favorite performances I’ve ever witnessed were from local artists at small cap venues here. Velvet Negroni, Psymun, Corbin, Alien Book Club, Gramma, Lapdogs, Fog–the list could go on and on and on.
Did this have an influence on me? One million percent, and it’s a serious possibility I never would’ve even entertained the idea of chasing my dreams without having experienced the Minneapolis underground music scene.
What made you gravitate towards electronika?
Growing up, I was really big into rock music and hip hop pretty much exclusively. I was in a band when I was a young lad, and we played some original alt rock tunes but mostly covers–Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Green Day, stuff like that. I played my guitar obsessively back then, and I was pretty much only interested in listening to stuff I could learn to play on my guitar, so I kinda actively disliked most electronic music.
However (and this is probably hilariously cliché), when I first heard “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” by Skrillex, my whole musical world blew wide open. Electronic music became my new obsession, and as I learned how to use FL Studio, I went down the rabbithole of EDM, IDM, electronica, and beyond.
Artists and people that have influenced you?
One artist who’s had probably the biggest impact on me would have to be Flying Lotus. I absolutely adore his music, and Cosmogramma just might be my favorite album ever made. I’ve met him a couple times, and I even gave him a USB drive with a bunch of my music on it in hopes of getting onto his label, Brainfeeder. Unfortunately, I never heard back, but he was incredibly kind both times I met him. I shot my shot though, ya know? Haha.
Another artist who made a big impact on me is Psymun. I found his music on SoundCloud in 2013 or 2014, and his tunes absolutely blew me away. I went to a few of his shows in Minneapolis and ended up getting to know him. He’s such a genuine and great guy. Every time he puts out a new song I just can’t stop listening to it. He’s such an amazing producer, and he’s even been super supportive of my music over the years. Love that dude.
Some other artists who have massively inspired my music are SOPHIE, Arca, Baths, Radiohead, Boards of Canada, Fifty Grand, Flume, Burial, Eastghost, Joy Division, Caribou, Shlohmo, Deftones, Aphex Twin, Clams Casino, Nine Inch Nails, and Mr. Carmack. I could list like 50 more, but I already put an absurd amount here haha.
Which is your go to synth (analog or digital) when you start a new project?
Without a doubt, it’s 3xOsc in FL Studio. From what I understand, it’s just a basic Minimoog clone, but it can do so much more than you might expect. There’s a classic saying – “limitation breeds creativity.” That’s a huge part of my philosophy when it comes to making music. I challenge myself to push that beautiful, simple little synth to its limits and I even try to break it sometimes just to see what happens. It’s honestly one of my favorite activities to partake in. I’d say 90%+ of the synths across my whole discography are from 3xOsc.
A song you would pay to hear for the first time again?
I would pay a lot of money to hear Radiohead’s “Kid A” for the first time again. When the synth at the start of “Everything in its Right Place” hits my ears, it brings my world to a standstill. “Kid A” is also a serious contender for my favorite album of all time. But yeah, the opening track in particular is just… perfection.
In which place or state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
I would say my music, largely, is incredibly introspective. Almost none of it really feels like something you’d put on at a party or when you get handed the aux cord in the car. I find that it’s best enjoyed in a dark room with a good quality pair of headphones on your ears and no distractions. To be honest, I just make the music that I want to hear, and I guess that says something about the way I enjoy music. It’s almost like a spiritual sort of experience for me. I like to close my eyes and envision the sounds as physical objects interacting with each other in a unique environment, each piece contributing to a larger story on a track and across an album. A story told through sound and sound alone.
This definitely makes it difficult for me to play in a live setting where people want to have a good time and dance. Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and I enjoy partaking in that kind of fun too. That’s what my song “chop it up!” is for, haha. But overall my music, to me, is best enjoyed in moments of solitude in a comfortable place.
I’m definitely working on my live set though. I need to get myself out there into the beautiful Minneapolis underground scene and play some basement shows soon.
Thank you!
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