Jaap Blonk (born 1953, Woerden) is a Dutch avant-garde composer and soundpoet. He is primarily self-taught, both as a sound artist and as a visual / stage performer. One of his early influences was Kurt Schwitters, whose Ursonate he first heard in 1979; he memorized the entire work, and it became one of the cornerstones of his repertory; he has recited portions of the piece hundreds of times in various public places. His performances of sound poetry are unique and world renowned, making use of words and phonetic snippets as well as clicks, hisses, and other vocal manipulations. He hooked up with The Ex guitarist Terrie Ex in 2006 and they did several gigs after that. In 2012 The Ex brought Blonk over to Ethiopia for a special soundpoetry project. This combination, Thirsty Ears, is an adventure in improvising sound and poetry; electronics, guitar and vocals.
LP $17.50
02/09/2018
CD $13.00
02/09/2018
“After a sixteen year recording hiatus, the unusual pair of Ab Baars & Terrie Ex (The Ex) are finally together again in the studio. Terrie, wicked grin, tilting his head like a dog hearing an instruction to back off, jumps straight out of a favorite children’s book. The Menace from Wormer. And Ab, stepping right out of Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age. Nothing if not a gentleman: impeccably dressed, soft-spoken, well-mannered. An unlikely match if ever there was one. And yet...” —Guy Peters
LP $17.50
04/07/2017
CD $13.00
04/07/2017
Melaku Belay of Fendika runs an amazing club in Addis Ababa. Over the years the Ex / Terp has spent many nights there and saw a lot of incredible music and dance — an Azmari-bet new style, with new ways of running the place and taking care of the artists, but still keeping all focus on the creativity and social function of a cultural bar. Melaku likes to call the music “Addis Tradition,” which means “new tradition.” One can feel the strong, traditional Ethiopian tunes, deeply rooted in the culture of many regions, but also sense a new generation of great dancers and musicians. Fendika are extremely talented and groundbreaking in their technique and approach. Since being discovered, they have been over to Europe, playing several tours and Ex Festivals, being on the road with the Ex and even playing a set together! Terp is happy to make this great acoustic recording and release it, with the input of many. Andy Moor’s great photos, Emma Fischer’s artwork and Arnold de Boer’s mixing and fixing in particular.
LP $17.50
04/07/2017
CD $13.00
04/07/2017
***Deep, hypnotic, trance-like music from BAHRU KEGNE, a legendary Azmari, who was even a private court player under Haile Selassie, then the "free newspaper" of Ethiopia in the communist days. He recorded some amazing "modern" cassettes in the last years of his life. CD comes with 44-page booklet with interviews, photos, lyrics, stories, histories, etc. No Export outside of North America.
CD $9.75
12/10/2013
***NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! Quite unexpectedly last year, at age 76, GETACHEW MEKURIA expressed an urge to make one more recording. This one, with THE EX—probably the last one in his life. The result is stunning. Deep, old, classic melodies. Deep, sensitive and fragile instrumentals, amazing horn-riffs and solos. But also danceable, with up-tempo war-chants. Includes a 48-page LP-sized photo booklet. No Export outside of North America.
2XLP $24.00
11/26/2013
2XCD $13.00
07/24/2012
***Last ever recordings from CHALACHEW ASHENAFI (a tour mate of THE EX in recent years), backed by the ILITA BAND. Azmaris are the voice of free speech in Ethiopian society. These tremendous improvisors comment on politics, religion and everyday life in a particular style which is both provocative & very humorous. The double meaning in the language, "semenawork" (wax n' gold) is an essential part of Ethiopian culture. CD comes with 40-page booklet with interviews, photos, lyrics, stories, histories, etc. No Export outside of North America.
CD $9.75
11/12/2013
***This CD is hard jazz free-style with a punk attitude, but with the complexity of the most experimental sides of avant-garde jazz. TERRIE EX (THE EX) creates raw, untreated guitar sounds in compassion with the hectic energetic drums of PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE. Exploring various sides of the electric guitar and so also with the drums, it is never predictable which turn the track will take. Recorded during the Sonic Protest Festival in Paris, April 2012. No Export outside of North America.
CD $9.75
04/09/2013
***Two new dance tracks on vinyl. The era of the Epthiopian big brass bands came to an end in the period of 1975-1991. After that, many great musicians were forced into exile or passed away. The horns mostly disappeared and were replaced by the awful overproduced pop—synthesizers, vocoders, drum machines and hasty productions that all sounded alike. In the last few years something new is emerging. Young producers have started combining traditional rhythms & strong dance beat production. The result is very original, uplifting and very danceable music. The gurage, wollo, gondar, konso and other traditional rhythms work wonders for this new dance music. And the Ethiopian youth loves it. No Export to the UK or Europe.
CD $9.75
03/13/2012
12" $12.00
05/31/2011
***The era of the Ethiopian big brass bands came to an end in the period of 1975-1991. In the last few years something new is emerging. Young producers have started combining traditional rhythms & strong dance beat production. The result is very original, uplifting & very danceable music. The gurage, wollo, gondar, konso and other traditional rhythms work wonders for this new dance music. And the Ethiopian youth loves it. No Export.
CD $9.75
05/31/2011
***GETATCHEW MEKURIA is a legendary Ethio-Jazz saxaphone player. Well documented in the Ethiopiques series, he continues to make amazing music into his seventies. Recorded April 3-4, 2006 at Jottem, Wormerveer, Netherlands. Getatchew Mekuria is the most revered veteran of Ethiopian saxophone. He is the inventor of Shellele, a musical style originating from a heroic war-chant, translated to saxophone. THE EX fell in love with Ethopia and it's music while touring there. When Getatchew went to the Netherlands he brought 10 solo saxophone versions of Ethiopian tunes with him. Here Getatchew's melodies and solos mesh with The Ex's rhythms, noise and vocals, supported by a guest horn section, like they we made for each other! No Export. (STREET DATE - 4/06/2010)
CD $9.75
04/06/2010