"Axis" is a song by English

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

duo

Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...

from their twelfth studio album, ''

Electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

'' (2013). It was released on 30 April 2013 by x2 as a preview to the album. The song was written by the duo and produced by Stuart Price.

Background

"Axis" was written during the writing sessions for the duo's previous album, ''

Elysium Elysium (), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields (, ''Ēlýsion pedíon''), Elysian Plains or Elysian Realm, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philosophical sects and cult ...

'' (2012). Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant were inspired after attending an Italo disco night in Berlin, and they composed a demo that same night. "Axis" did not suit ''Elysium'', and Pet Shop Boys decided to make a separate dance album, ''Electric''. The titles "Electric" and "Turn It On", from the lyrics, were considered for the album track, but the original demo name "Axis" was kept. The song was produced by Stuart Price, who used a VCS 3 to create some of the sounds on the track.

Release

"Axis" was released digitally on 30 April 2013 and as a twelve-inch single on 15 July 2013. The latter format includes a remix by Boys Noize, which was also released as a digital download.

Music video

In the music video for "Axis", released on 30 April 2013, "The raver-friendly visuals include Tron-like flashing lights, an elegant dancing couple, and what look to be the Boys themselves, hidden behind animal heads", according to '' Spin''.

Live performances

The song was performed as the opening track on the Electric Tour in a slightly shorter and more up-tempo version.

Track listings

Charts

External links

Lyrics: Axis

References

{{authority control 2013 singles 2013 songs Dance-pop songs Hi-NRG songs Synth-pop songs Techno songs Pet Shop Boys songs Song recordings produced by Stuart Price Songs written by Chris Lowe Songs written by Neil Tennant