Andy Dixon

Canadian musical artist

Andy Dixon (born 25 August 1979) is a Canadian artist and musician, who gained notoriety as a member of the North Vancouver punk rock band d. b. s. He founded the record label Ache Records, and later played in The Red Light Sting. Beginning in 2003, during the final months of The Red Light Sting, he began to cut up audio recordings he made himself and compose glitch/IDM music under the alias Secret Mommy, though he used The Epidemic for his first solo release.

The son of two accountants, Dixon began expressing himself creatively at a young age. He grew up in North Vancouver. allowing him as a teenager to go on tours with his band for weeks at a time, and often lending him money so he could keep doing so. Their sound was predominantly post hardcore, with noise core influences. Gregory Adams's vocals ranged from screaming to soft singing. Zoë Verkuylen played a Roland Juno 60 keyboard as a rhythm instrument, often playing off key notes and dissonant riffs. Though Dixon, who played guitar for the band, was the leading creative force behind the group, Adams has been quoted as saying in Discorder that when they were together, "the songs write themselves". After four years, The Red Light Sting disbanded, holding their last shows in Seattle and Vancouver in early September 2004. In that time, they released two EP's—And Our Love is Soaking in It and Rub 'Em Out—as well as a split LP with Hot Hot Heat. Their final release was Hands Up, Tiger, a ten song LP which came out less than a month before the band split up.

It was at this time that Dixon realized the potential of his computer as a musical medium, something he had already been doing in his spare time: he produced a record under the moniker of The Epidemic on Ache Records. This solo debut saw Dixon "combining an indie rock sensibility with vague electronic flashes and jilting experimentation with arrangements". In an interview with Discorder, Dixon explained that he needed to take time off from playing in a band, something which he had been doing since he was twelve. It was recorded at The Hive in Vancouver. The fifth Secret Mommy album, The Mall was released by Ache Records in 2011.

Andy plays guitar and piano, and sings in a group called Winning , with Paul Patko (who played with Andy in d. b. s. and The Red Light Sting) on drums and percussion. Their debut album, This Is an Ad for Cigarettes, was released 20 March 2007 by Ache Records Andy played with The Secret Mommy Quintet, consisting of many people involved in the production of Plays, during the first day of Music Waste 2007. Andy was also a member of Tights with Tyr and Todd from The Winks. Their only release is a split they did with the Winks in 2006 on Drip Audio Records. Andy also DJs at various events around Vancouver under the name Girlfight with Michael LaPointe. Girlfight has hosted several successful late night outdoor dance parties, Hugeness, a monthly heat themed event at the Grace Gallery, Sunburn, and a weekly '90s hip hop night at the Biltmore Cabaret, House Party, during the summer of 2009. Girlfight has received favorable reviews in Discorder Magazine for House Party and for their opening set for GZA.

Andy Dixon is an active member of the Vancouver, British Columbia music and art scenes, with Ache Records his most well known endeavor. Dixon claims to have put all profits back into the label to release more records. The most well known releases to date are probably their Death from Above 1979 albums, and the "Divorce Series" split 7 inch records, which feature artists who break away from their typical genres. Ache Records has released albums by Hot Hot Heat, Radio Berlin, Femme Fatale, Death from Above 1979, and Konono N°1, among others.

Dixon works as a freelance graphic designer; his company is The Chemistry Designs. He has collaborated with artist Landon Metz and the two have exhibited paintings together. In 2008, Dixon Released a book titled Weird Weight. Dixon's artwork is currently represented by grace gallery in Vancouver. His first solo art show in 2008, "How to Draw Everything", showed 16 original works and sold out. Dixon has presented work in several other group shows, he is the featured artist of ArtWalk Vancouver 2010 and his second solo show, "Such Events Have Led Us Here", is in preparation at grace gallery in February 2010. Andy works typically with mixed media on paper.