The Ex
Jagged, polyrhythmic punk that collides with free jazz and global folk. Intense, politically sharp music for those who like their rhythms complex and their energy raw.
Jagged, polyrhythmic punk that collides with free jazz and global folk. Intense, politically sharp music for those who like their rhythms complex and their energy raw.
The Ex sounds like a machine that has been repurposed to make art. It is built on a foundation of interlocking, metallic guitar scratches and a drum section that favors propulsive, polyrhythmic complexity over standard rock beats. There is a constant sense of forward motion, a restless kinetic energy that feels both highly disciplined and dangerously close to falling apart. It is music that demands your attention, refusing to fade into the background.
What makes them truly distinctive is their total lack of musical pretension despite their avant-garde leanings. They approach Ethiopian jazz, Hungarian folk, and industrial noise with the same DIY punk spirit they started with in the 1970s Dutch squat scene. Their sound is defined by the 'Ex-guitar' style: percussive, atonal, and rhythmic rather than melodic, creating a dense web of sound that feels more like a conversation than a performance.
Start with 27 Passports for a modern, high-fidelity look at their rhythmic mastery, or dive into Disturbing Domestic Peace to hear the raw, anarcho-punk roots of their journey. For those interested in their collaborative spirit, their work with Getatchew Mekurya is a mandatory bridge between punk and Ethiopian jazz.
The Ex is an underground band from the Netherlands, started in 1979 at the height of the original punk explosion as a Dutch punk band. The Ex originated from the squatting movement in Amsterdam and Wormer, and was inspired by bands like The Fall and The Mekons. Although initially known as an anarcho-punk band associated with the Dutch post-punk ultra scene, over the decades the Ex's sound has gradually developed into its current form of highly intricate, experimental punk/post-punk/no wave-inspired work. This sound includes a combination of diverse genres and styles, such as noise, folk, world music (including folk music from Hungary, Turkey, Ethiopia, Congo, and Eritrea), free jazz, and crossovers between these genres. Other examples of branching out stylistically include the improvised double album Instant and a release under the moniker Ex Orkest, a 20 piece big band assembled for performances at Holland Festival. "One reason we are hard to describe is that we never had an education at music school, and in that sense we are not influenced by any traditional playing," explained Katherina Bornefeld, drummer for the Ex since 1984. The Ex's lyrics consist of straightforward statements about politics and abuses in society. The band enjoys international acclaim for this socially critical message, as well as for the energetic, rhythmic, atonal guitar playing, and for the furious vocals of singer G.W. Sok, who was replaced in recent years by Arnold de Boer of Zea. The Ex have released over 20 full-length albums.
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