The Ex's music has undergone significant evolution over the years from their beginnings as a punk band.
Founded by Jos Kleij (better known as G.W. Sok), Terrie Hessels, Geurt and René, the band debuted with a song titled "Stupid Americans" on the Utreg-Punx vinyl 7" compilation released on Rock Against records in Rotterdam.
The release of their first 7" All Corpses Smell The Same followed shortly after that, in 1980.
Through the decades their music has gradually developed into its current form of highly intricate, experimental punk/post-punk/no wave-inspired work.
Expanding beyond punk rock, The Ex have incorporated a wide array of influences, often from non-Western and non-rock sources, such as jazz, noise, free improvisation and ethnic/world music. Some include Hungarian and Turkish folk songs and music from Ethiopia, Congo and Eritrea (the album Turn).
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.
Band members:
G.W. Sok - vocals (1979–2009)
Terrie Hessels - guitar (1979–present)
René de Groot – bass (1979–1980)
Bas Masbeck - bass (1980–1983)
Yoke Laarman - bass (1983–1985)
Luc Klaasen - bass (1983–2002)
Ome Geurt van Gisteren - drums (1979–1981)
Sabien Witteman - drums (1982–1984).
"Disturbing Domestic Peace" is the debut studio album by The Ex, released in 1980 on Verrecords.
The album comes with a free bonus live 7" "Live-Skive" (on Eh Records). "Live-Skive" was recorded live at Drieluyk in Zaandam on 30 August 1980.
The album was reissued in 1994 on Ex Records.
Tracklisting:
1. The Sky Is Blue Again
2. Map
3. Outlook-Army
4. Sucking Pig
5. A Sense Of Tumour
6. Meanwhile
7. Rules
8. Squatsong
9. Warning-Shot
10. New Wars
11. Introduction
12. Human Car
13. Punk
14. Horse
VBR ~282K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"History Is What's Happening" is the second studio album by The Ex, released in 1982 on More Dirt Per Minute (D.P.M.).
The album was reissued in 1994 on Ex Records.
Tracklisting:
1. Six Of One And Half A Dozen Of The Other
2. Barricades
3. Life Live
4. Machinery
5. E.M. Why
6. Moving Pictures
7. Shoes
8. Watch-Dogs
9. Dutch Disease
10. Blessed Box At The Backseat
11. Who Pays
12. Strong & Muscled
13. Grey
14. Equals Only
15. H'wood-W'ton
16. Sports
17. $
18. Pep Talk
19. Attacked
20. 148
VBR ~279K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
The Ex's "Tumult" is their third studio album, released in 1983 on F.A.I. Records.
The album was reissued in 1993 on Ex Records.
Tracklisting:
1. Bouquet Of Barbed Wire
2. Fear
3. Hunt The Hunters
4. Survival Of The Fattest
5. Red Muzak
6. Happy Thoughts
7. The Well-Known Soldier
8. Black And White Statements
9. Squat!
10. Same Old News
11. F.U.N.E.I.D.Y.
12. O.S.L. (New Schvienhunt League)
13. Island Race
VBR ~275K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
The Ex's "Blueprints For A Blackout" is their fourth studio album, released in 1984 on Pig Brother Productions.
The album was reissued in 1992 on Ex Records.
Tracklisting:
1. Streetcars Named Desire/Animal Harm (Medley)
2. Blueprints For A Blackout
3. Rabble With A Cause
4. Requiem For A Rip-Off
5. Pleased To Meat You
6. A Goodbuy To You
7. The Swim
8. Boohoo
9. U.S. Hole
10. (Not) 2B Continued
11. Grimm Stories
12. A Plague To Survive
13. The Rise Of The Dutch Republic
14. Kidnap Connection
15. TFire And Ice
16. Jack Frost Is Innocent
17. Love You Till Eh
18. Food On 45
19. Scrub That Scum
VBR ~263K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
The Ex's "Studio 12 Haarlem 08-04-1984" is a live recording.
In the early 1980s new musick (Ultra, art-punk) was in Haarlem centred around squatted places in the town itself and in suburbs like Aerdenhout and Heemstede. Artists and musicians created their own working spaces and studio’s, driven by the DIY mentality of the punk movement.
Meeting point was recordshop Amigos and main outlet for the music production in music cassettes and vinyl records was the Studio 12 label, located in a squat at Klein Heiligland 12.
It also became the place where concerts and art exhibitions were organised.
Tracklisting:
1. Blueprints For A Blackout
2. Jack Frost Is Innocent
3. Long Live The Aged
4. Pleased To Meat You
5. U.S. Hole
6. Fire And Ice
7. Kidnap Connection
8. A Goodbuy To You
9. Crap-Rap
10. The Swim
11. Squat
12. The Well-Known Soldier
VBR ~241K/s 44100Hz Joint Stereo
"Beautiful Frenzy" by The Ex is a DVD with a film and live recordings from 1981 until 2000, released in 2004 on Blowpipe.
CUT Productions presents "The Ex in Beautiful Frenzy", a film by Christina Hallström and Mandra U. Wabäck. Edited by Katarina Türler.
A 52 minutes documentary and 90 minutes extras.
Originally released as VHS (without the extras) in 2001.
Tracklisting:
DVD-1 The Film Beautiful Frenzy
DVD-2 The Ex (Groote Keyser Amsterdam 1981): The Sky Is Blue Again
DVD-3 The Ex (Paradiso Amsterdam 1983): Bouquet Of Barbed Wire
DVD-4 The Ex (ACU Utrecht 1986): Red + Black, Olympigs
DVD-5 The Ex (QM Glasgow 1991): Bird In The Hand, Crusoe, No More Cigars
DVD-6 The Ex + Tom Cora (Vera Groningen 1992): King Commie, Batium, Crusoe, Improv, Hidegen, Stupid Competitions, The Flute's Tale
DVD-7 The Ex (Bimhuis Amsterdam 1993): The Big Black, Improv A, Dear House, New Clear Daze, Improv B, Oh Puckerlips Now
DVD-8 Ex Orkest (Holland Festival 2000): Intro, Kokend Asfalt, Improv
DVD-9 Photo Album 1980-1993
DVD-10 The Ex Untitled (1984)
DVD-11 Shellac Untitled (Paradiso Amsterdam 1999)
DVD-12 Sleeves 1980-2001.
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