My name is Ax. I am always on the lookout for good new music and genres to discover. Along with being a music fan, I'm a nerd for all things in a political, literary, sociological, or historical vein. Trains are pretty cool. I am a historian, with primary interests in New Zealand history and the nineteenth century colonial world. I have broader interests in the history of the press, economic development, public infrastructure, and genocide studies. To my mind, writing history and listening to music are natural partners.

I'm a wordy bastard and I used to make a point of reviewing every release I rated, but I found that become a bit too tedious and time-consuming. Honestly, some reviews were rather forced, and sometimes I just don't feel compelled to explain the personal connection I have with a given release. There are some terrible old reviews of mine still clogging up RYM from when I insisted upon spilling e-ink every time I rated an album in 2006-07. I now only write reviews when I feel I have something of substance to contribute, which is usually when I rate an album rather low (2 or below) or high (4.5 or 5). I do not bother to catalogue my collection. The feature does not interest me and I have no need to use it as my collection is quite well-organised. I use this site to rate and review what I have and to discover more music to enjoy. I have no interest in rating or reviewing movies; a Rate Your Books would be much more to my liking.