EXEK

EXEK

The Map and the Territory

Foreign Records

***Australian post-punk sextet EXEK—singer Albert Wolski, guitarist Jai Morris-Smith, synthesist Andrew Brocchi, trumpeter and backing-vocalist Valya YL Hooi, bassist Ben Hepworth, and Chris Stephenson on the drums—deliver their sixth full-length LP, The Map and the Territory. Self-recorded throughout 2021 to 2022, frontman Albert Wolski describes The Map and the Territory as "perhaps less ambitious than some previous EXEK releases. In a positive way, obviously." Comprised of eight tracks, there is a greater focus on song craftsmanship, where elongated jams play second fiddle to choruses and hooks. These new tracks will translate effectively into a live environment, and are destined to quickly become set favorites. And yes, of course, the iconic EXEK album soundmarks remain ever present—dubbed out drums, guitars that sound like robots from Forbidden Planet, and deep synths that recall The Idiot. EXEK once again stay true to their trademark recording process—one of endless overdubs, allowing for maximal control whilst editing. Lots and lots of edits. Drummer Chris Stephenson would perform a collection of beats, that would then be sampled, and therefore plant the seed for ideas for songs. "Seamstress Requires Regular Breaks" might be the best example of this, where fluid jazz-funk drumrolls morph into a rigid post-punk march, and then back again, and then back again. But the funk doesn’t stop there. "Welcome to my Alibi" and "Glow of Good Will" pick up where 90’s hip-hop and R&B left off - smooth and sexy and a little bit dangerous. On the flip side of the dynamic spectrum,...

EXEK

Advertise Here

Castle Face

“Gliding in on the twin engine discordant tones we’ve come to love from EXEK comes their new transmission Advertise Here. Beats bumping up thru a flapping spring reverb, gilded production choices, stripped bass bubbling in the cauldron. With each pass of the witch’s ladle, words float in the steam over the cacophonous concoction. The coven that croons together slays together, with every layer peeling back on our ear’s tongue we will exclaim ‘wicked’—perhaps their strongest effort yet. “The twin engines reappear now, tardy, guitar and synthesis, rounded edges, worn and ever so slightly fuzzed out—perfection. This LP strives for new lyrical highs in my opinion. Pop at an arm’s length, thru a greasy lens: A conversation. A conversation on drugs. A passing comment that sticks an utterance from the death bed. Reminiscent of Brian Eno, White Fence, PiL, Full Circle, ESG, all things Geoff Barrows, Eroc, Lard Free, and music of free weirdos everywhere. This one is the mossy titled deck of a half submerged shipwreck, a green light in a red room, a lump of clay, the end of the night when you think ‘perhaps I should have left ages ago,’ but it’s too late now…you’re in too deep…might as well have one more dance. “This LP is leaping even further out into the unknown for EXEK. A trip indeed, full of hits with zero diss and lots of hiss on no near miss.” —John Dwyer

EXEK

Biased Advice

Castle Face

***BACK IN STOCK!!! “A weird trip of a band…the second this was playing I was immediately hooked. I initially dove in because their name was attached to Mikey Young for mastering (I have a rule with Mikey…if he had his hands on it, it’s probably worth a listen). This band exceeds in all my trials. “Esoteric nature, but oddly poppy and ready to prick up any ears out there. Deconstructed, but full of hooks. If I were a lazy man, and I am, I would say its for fans of PiL, but they transcend that pigeon-hole. “Wonderful production lends its self to this unique LP. It seems as if the room expands and contracts throughout songs. Pulling away, then blocking your field of vision entirely. Wasteland funk. Dub from the depths. Punk from the pit. “Even the instrumentation is worth mentioning: saxophone, drums (and cut-up drums), guitar, synthesizer, vocals (poetry) and general fuckery all combine to make this a very interesting and worthwhile escape from the average. And thank the Gods for that right now. Inspired and desired by the active mind. A job well done by EXEK, and there’s new stuff brewing too...  “For fans of BEAK>, Phantom Band, PIL and general Jah Wobbleness, Magazine, short-wave radio, ESG and underground Kraut”.—John Dwyer

EXEK

Some Beautiful Species Left

Digital Regress

***From Melbourne Australia, EXEK are proud to unveil their third album, Some Beautiful Species Left. Like their previous releases, Some Beautiful Species Left is the cultivation of numerous edits and overdubs, where once again EXEK subscribe to Brian Eno’s philosophy of the studio as an instrument. This MO allows the songwriting process to develop simultaneously alongside the recording process whilst privileging greater sonic control. The result is a record difficult to pigeonhole but post punk is perhaps the easiest way to categories EXEK’s music—post modern and containing the defiance inherent within punk whilst incorporating elements of dub production, classical arrangements, hip hop and krautrock rhythms and the use of kitchen appliances as instruments.

EXEK

A Casual Assembly

W.25TH

Right on the heels of their Ahead Of Two Thoughts LP released earlier this year, A Casual Assembly is the latest offering from Melbourne’s EXEK. The EP coalesces around a stirring theme for synthesizer, trumpet and bass, bringing together reference points to Laurie Spiegel, Jah Wobble and The Velvet Underground’s “The Gift.” Frontman Albert Wolski’s disembodied narration – at times reminiscent of Samuel Beckett or Robert Ashley – unfolds over a series of dark vignettes set in a dystopian near-future. Autotune has been banned, secret police patrol the redoubts of the wealthy, and world beaches have been cleared of their sand for the construction of enormous ur- ban prisons. As these events turn more fraught and absurd, Wolski reveals just how much is gained through EXEK’s stripped-down arrangements and dreamlike tones. A Casual Assembly echoes like the lost soundtrack to a Kubrick or Jarman film. Recommended for fans of Normil Hawaiians, Jenny Hval and Harmonia.

EXEK

Ahead Of Two Thoughts

W.25TH

Melbourne’s EXEK began as a studio project with frontman Albert Wolski before the 2014 formation of the four-piece line up with Andrew Brocchi (synthesizer), Henry Wilson (bass) and Sam Dixon (drums). With the addition of Nell Grant on saxophone, the group’s sound entered another dimension that reveals EXEK to be conjuring the ghosts of PiL, This Heat and Swell Maps. Ahead Of Two Thoughts, EXEK’s sophomore release, pushes headlong into haunted, post-punk territories. Opening track “U Mop” pairs sneering vocals with elastic bass and spectral guitars, while the elliptical discourse of “Weight Loss (Henry’s Dream)” is accentuated by reverbed drums that would make Martin Hannett proud. Superior Viaduct’s W.25TH imprint presents Ahead Of Two Thoughts, a never-ending loop of dub-infected textures and anxious lyrics. Mastered by Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Total Control), this tightly coiled album recorded in 2015-2016 could easily be mistaken for a classic 4AD title from the ‘80s. Look for EXEK on tour in 2018.