In this sixth issue if the Viasonde Zine, we focus on Briar Moth, the Los Angeles–based artist behind the enigmatic darkwave project Vexagon. Following the release of their third album, ‘I for an I,’ we look deeper into the ideas and tensions shaping the project. The name Vexagon suggests a tension between structure and disturbance / order and agitation. How did you arrive at it, and what does it represent for you now?

Vexagon was inspired by the Cronenberg film 'Videodrome', & was originally called Cathode Ray Mission – quite a mouthful. I was listening to the Conan album 'Existential Void Guardian' when it came out, & saw the song title “Vexxagon.” The word resonated with me & I realized that if I removed one X, the A would be at the center of the word, which would lend itself to effective visual design if capitalized, because the letter is symmetrical. What you suggested is accurate for me, as well, though the name is open to interpretation. Honestly, the seed of the idea is probably Bad Brains.

You’re originally from Augusta, Georgia, and now based in the wildly juxtapositional environment of Los Angeles. What prompted the move, and how has that shift shaped Vexagon, if at all? And Do you feel more visible or more anonymous in LA?

In 2023, a few stars aligned for me (some hopeful, some grim) & I took the opportunity to leave the South. I have an abiding love for so many people there, but it is a place that I cannot live, could not live. Each day felt like living against the grain of everything around me. The mental & emotional exhaustion was constant & unsustainable. Being in LA simply allows me freedom, creatively & personally. I don't have to worry about being beat up for wearing a dress. I am never asked to explain myself in public. In Augusta, I was the victim of a hate crime at work, & when I pressed the matter with management, I was removed from the jobsite & subsequently laid off. The offending party is still with the company. I don't want to generalize too much, but after 30 years in the South, I feel that most worthwhile things in the South exist in spite of the culture there, & not because of it. I admire those with the strength to stay. You asked if I feel more visible or anonymous. The answer is yes. My partner Jae says it best - “The best thing about LA is that no one pays attention to you. The worst thing about LA is that no one pays attention to you.”

The title “I for an I” feels like a clever distortion of “an eye for an eye,” but also suggests a kind of self-reckoning or transformation. What does the title signify within the context of the record?

You nailed it.

The album seems to engage deeply with identity and sexuality. Tracks like “Pretty” and its counterpart “Future Bedroom Heaven” feel especially central in that conversation.“Pretty,” in particular, reads as confronting dysmorphia in intimate spaces, possibly through a trans or non-binary lens. Could you speak more about what’s being explored in that track?

I don't have much to add beyond what is in the song. Most people want to feel beautiful in some way. Body image, trauma, gender norms, clothes shopping, mass media – all of these things influence our conceptions of ourselves. The line “I know you think it isn't much, but nothing else comes close” comes from a Dead Swans song.

You’ve reimagined a Deftones track as something closer to a dawn-hour LA dance track. What drew you to “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away),” and how did that transformation take shape?

Jae runs Darkness Calling & puts together themed compilations for charity. The Fall 2023 comp theme was Deftones, & I felt a resonance between their recording of “Be Quiet” & some specific sounds I wanted to work with. I brought Jae into the recording process for this song, & their vocals really fleshed the song out in a beautiful way.

In the lyric sheet for “I for an I,” a couple of tracks are absent. Was that intentional? Or an act of withholding, or simply more of a practical decision?

The lyrics sheet I sent you goes with the vinyl pressing. Unfortunately, due to physical limitations, two songs had to be cut from the vinyl release, though they are present on the digital & CD versions. For the CD, I designed a 12 page booklet, with each song having its own page.

Your vocal delivery feels almost like an internal monologue: detached, yet intimate, and quietly melancholic. Is that a deliberate stylistic choice, or is it simply a natural extension of your expression?

I just sing how I talk. Put-on affectations are really grating to my ear.

Your previous album was reportedly created using a very minimal setup, "an underpowered netbook and a Zoom recorder". Has your process evolved for “I for an I,” either technically or creatively? What does your current setup look like?

Creatively, yes, but technically, I am still using mostly the same equipment I started with. The only difference is that my handheld died upon completing this album & I had to replace it. I've never owned a microphone or a mixer. I record everything directly to the handheld & then remove its memory to put the recordings into my DAW. My computer has so little RAM, it allows one Undo at a time – no more. I have cursed the computer countless times, but I'll be singing “Landslide” when it dies, because my entire recording process is built around it. I bought a much nicer computer last year with the intention of moving my recording process to it but have yet to muster the strength to begin that process. The more I use the old one, the more comfortable I get with it, & now 8 years in, it's hard to think about uprooting & starting over.

I came across a Vexagon candle(?), something I didn’t expect. What does Vexagon smell like?

I think you're referring to the perfume that Great Northern Candle Co. & I made together. A simple description would be “black currant & oak moss.” It's gender-neutral, dark. Years ago, I made a perfume for my now-defunct label Romantic Dreams, Inc. Jae & I share a fairly extensive scent collection. It's nice to influence the scent experience someone has when they're near you.

“I for an I” was released via Cold Transmission. How did that relationship with Suzy and Andreas come together, and what made them the right home for "I for an I?

In late 2024, I reached out to them looking for a home for this record. Their roster included many of my contemporaries, & I had performed on a fest along with SYZYGYX, another CT artist. After a video call with them, I felt like our rapport & our mutual work ethics would make for a good working relationship, enough to make up for the distance, as they're based in Germany. We talk often & I am very grateful for them. It means the world to have support like this.

Vexagon @ Instagram / Bandcamp