#84 The Ex

On January, we had the opportunity to spend a little time with the Dutch guys, during their residency at the Instants Chavirés, a crazy-music venue hidden near Paris, in the area of Montreuil, smack in the middle of a row of houses where nature has reclaimed the concrete. How would The Ex react to the uncommon concept of improvised shows ? Especially these guys who started their career in Amsterdam squats at the beginning of the DIY movement, played ten times in every single European and international venue, mixed their rock to the most free jazz, and then rooted it to the heart of Ethiopia... The Ex is a symbol for musical freedom in its most rigorous form. Hard-liner independence.

They started playing smooth, on the corner of a street, between the venue and the offices of the Instants, just like travellers. Katherina, the drummer, lead the whole thing, with her repetitive poundings typical of East Africa. She talked the band into going to these countries, she was the one who started singing in Ethiopian during their shows. Next to her, the two siamese guitar players are on the lookout. They’re the bridge between the early beginnings of rock, and its actual form. They are ready to burst out any minute. Hair’s grey, but they laugh like highschool teens who have just been told class is cancelled.

Then, we went inside, in the squat-like atmosphere. In order to save money and because it’s part of their spirit, the Instants have made rooms available 30 meters from the venue. Musicians can live there one or two days, there’s a kitchen and a terrace, and the ground-floor is a room craving for life. That’s where they put the drums and plugged the guitars, this time to play a punk song. G.W. Sok, The Ex historical singer, joined us. Tacitum as usual, he stayed in a corner of the room until he assaulted the electric loop already mistreated by the saxophone of the guest, Wolter Wierbos, but this time with a megaphone.

Ok, to be honest, at this very moment we had troubles with the sound... But our soundmixing guy saved it all, and when Sok started yelling political slogans, we thought about installing barriers in Montreuil.

We moved the drums again, and there came a new mutation. The third track of the session would be Ethiopian. Afework Negussie came in, along with his soothing lookn and laughing all the time. We already knew what was going to happen would be beautiful. He slowly started his marenqo, and little by little, sang over this rough and nervous sound. Katherina staring at him, G.W. Sok as a witness, still as quiet. The song rises to its climax, rambles beautifully, then slowly fades. It could have last 25 minutes... After that, Afework was still as smiling, and we were happy to shoot The Ex, happy those good ole fascinating veterans lugged us around their worldwide sounds.