THE EX!

TERRIE EX guitar, baritone guitar / G.W. SOK vocals
ANDY MOOR guitar, baritone guitar / KATHERINA EX drums, vocals

Ok. Today, The EX, for me, probably one of the best band on the planet. I guess the best introduction for you would be to see them live, but the record "Scrabbling at the lock", recorded in 1991 in Amsterdam, with Tom Cora could be the best alternative.

'After their start in 1979 The Ex developed over the years into a melting-pot of divergent musical styles: noise, rock, jazz, improvisation, and ethnic music have been interweaved under one unique umbrella: ‘Ex-music’. Discordant, highly rhythmic guitars, the rolling, almost African drumming style, and the furious delivery of the often sarcastic lyrics give the music of The Ex its special character.

So far, inalmost 28 years, The Ex played 1,270 concerts all over Europe, Northern America and Africa, and made over 20 CD-albums. Never pigeon-holed into one of pop music’s corny corners, The Ex is continuously in development, and always open for new ideas and collaborations with people of all kinds, people who’s spirit inspires and appeals to the group. The main principle remained; to make music with heart and soul, out of reach of commercial trends or expectations. The consequent independent approach of the group and the manner in which they organize their concerts and release and distribute their records themselves, set a significant example for the alternative music circuit.'

"Judging from this album, it was a stroke of genius to match Tom Cora's earthy, aggressive cello with the bludgeoning force of The Ex at full throttle."

"You're thinking of The Ex and 'the right to piss and shit in different colours'. (...) Their music is dense and down-the-line, distantly allusive, subtle, grainy, open, full and proudly, alertly dissident.""Indeed, most of 'Scrabbling' could be an intensely moving soundtrack for our times. 'Scrabbling' has blood, sweat, tears and the sweetest sounding cello money can buy".

Note: all their albums are still available via the Ex's website, at consumer friendly prices.

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Sound Design: DRUM BUDDY

The Drum Buddy was invented by Quintron. It creates music like any other synthesizer but what separates this from the regular one is the fact that the oscillators on this musical synthesizer are light activated and you can play them intuitively by moving a can around which is located in the top of the Drum Buddy creating unique sound. Each of the 4 oscillators is represented by a different color and each has been designed to complete a total rhythm kit. There is a 10 turn potentiometer wired to control the spinning can motor speed.

check here for more details

Sound Design? Radiohead - Nude remake

 How outdated technology can bring nostalgia to a so modern song. 

Cover by James Houston.

Mechanical Music: Pierre Bastien

Pierre Bastien (born Paris, 1953) post-graduated in eighteenth-century French literature at University Paris-Sorbonne. In 1977 he built his first musical machinery. For the next ten years he has been composing for dance companies and playing with Pascal Comelade. In the meantime he was constantly developing his mechanical orchestra. Since 1987 he concentrates on it through solo performances, sound installations, recordings and collaborations with such artists as Pierrick Sorin, Karel Doing, Jean Weinfeld, Robert Wyatt or Issey Miyake.  >>www.pierrebastien.com<<

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Maryanne Amacher (1943-2009): Making the Third Ear

Maryanne Amacher died yesterday. She was a pioneering sound installation artist whose frequently site-specific works explored the sonic effects of psychoacoustic illusions. Best known for her incorporation of otoacoustic emissions sounds that seem to be emanating from inside one's own head.

Two CD recordings issued by Tzadik made her work more widely available to listeners. In 2004, NewMusicBox published an extensive conversation with Amacher about her work and philosophy of the listening experience. We hope to feature a more extensive memorial to her in the coming days.

"When played at the right sound level, which is quite high and exciting, the tones in this music will cause your ears to act as neurophonic instruments that emit sounds that will seem to be issuing directly from your head ... (my audiences) discover they are producing a tonal dimension of the music which interacts melodically, rhythmically, and spatially with the tones in the room. Tones 'dance' in the immediate space of their body, around them like a sonic wrap, cascade inside ears, and out to space in front of their eyes ... Do not be alarmed! Your ears are not behaving strange or being damaged! ... these virtual tones are a natural and very real physical aspect of auditory perception, similar to the fusing of two images resulting in a third three dimensional image in binocular perception ... I want to release this music which is produced by the listener ..."

If you want more, you can watch "day trip maryanne". It's 30 minute collaborative film/video project between Kim gordon, Thurston Moore and Andrew Kesin, filmed in nov 2003, exploring the work of several important women in experimental music. >>www.ecstaticpeace.com<<

Here is an extract showing Amacher & the experimental guitarist Thurston Moore of sonic youth.

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Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country (2009)

Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country (2009)
Genre: Ambient | MP3 | VBR | CBR 44,1kHz | 69 Mb

An Imaginary Country continues from the trajectory of his last album, while also showing a few new tricks. Tim has incorporated more pulses into this work & also works with a sound pallete including overdriven mellotron strings & synthesizer. At times this album is less overtly aggressive than previous works, but the notion that this is pastoral work would be dead wrong as there are plenty of the agitated crescendos that he is know for. This music backs off from the void of immensity in favor of a terrain of lushness & warmth. shinybeast

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Dusted Review

The Problem With Music by Steve Albini

Advance:	$ 250,000
Manager's cut:	$ 37,500
Legal fees:	$ 10,000
Recording Budget:	$ 150,000
Producer's advance:	$ 50,000
Studio fee:	$ 52,500
Drum Amp, Mic and Phase "Doctors":	$ 3,000
Recording tape:	$ 8,000
Equipment rental:	$ 5,000
Cartage and Transportation:	$ 5,000
Lodgings while in studio:	$ 10,000
Catering:	$ 3,000
Mastering:	$ 10,000
Tape copies, reference CDs, shipping tapes, misc. expenses:	$ 2,000
Video budget:	$ 30,000
Cameras:	$ 8,000
Crew:	$ 5,000
Processing and transfers:	$ 3,000
Off-line:	$ 2,000
On-line editing:	$ 3,000
Catering:	$ 1,000
Stage and construction:	$ 3,000
Copies, couriers, transportation:	$ 2,000
Director's fee:	$ 3,000
Album Artwork:	$ 5,000
Promotional photo shoot and duplication:	$ 2,000
Band fund:	$ 15,000
New fancy professional drum kit:	$ 5,000
New fancy professional guitars [2]:	$ 3,000
New fancy professional guitar amp rigs [2]:	$ 4,000
New fancy potato-shaped bass guitar:	$ 1,000
New fancy rack of lights bass amp:	$ 1,000
Rehearsal space rental:	$ 500
Big blowout party for their friends:	$ 500
Tour expense [5 weeks]:	$ 50,875
Bus:	$ 25,000
Crew [3]:	$ 7,500
Food and per diems:	$ 7,875
Fuel:	$ 3,000
Consumable supplies:	$ 3,500
Wardrobe:	$ 1,000
Promotion:	$ 3,000
Tour gross income:	$ 50,000
Agent's cut:	$ 7,500
Manager's cut:	$ 7,500
Merchandising advance:	$ 20,000
Manager's cut:	$ 3,000
Lawyer's fee:	$ 1,000
Publishing advance:	$ 20,000
Manager's cut:	$ 3,000
Lawyer's fee:	$ 1,000
Record sales:	250,000 @ $12 = $3,000,000
Gross retail revenue Royalty:	[13% of 90% of retail]: $ 351,000
Less advance:	$ 250,000
Producer's points:	[3% less $50,000 advance]: $ 40,000
Promotional budget:	$ 25,000
Recoupable buyout from previous label:	$ 50,000
Net royalty:	$ -14,000
Record company income:
Record wholesale price:	$6.50 x 250,000 = $1,625,000 gross income
Artist Royalties:	$ 351,000
Deficit from royalties:	$ 14,000
Manufacturing, packaging and distribution:	@ $2.20 per record: $ 550,000
Gross profit:	$ 7l0,000
The Balance Sheet: This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game.
Record company:	$ 710,000
Producer:	$ 90,000
Manager:	$ 51,000
Studio:	$ 52,500
Previous label:	$ 50,000
Agent:	$ 7,500
Lawyer:	$ 12,000
Band member net income each:	$ 4,031.25

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