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Newsletter 19
Late 2007
After the Summer holidays we took a short sabbatical three months off, to work on some projects that we didn't manage to finish earlier because off all the other stuff happening. Nevertheless we found some time to do a short tour with Getatchew Mekuria in September, partly to present the Moa Anbessa album to the Dutch and Belgian audience, and partly because it is sheer fun to tour with this giant. The worked-up rhythms and electric guitars of the Ex, combined with the big, warm, melodic sound of the 73 -years old King of Ethiopian Saxophone. The result is really Ex, really Ethiopian. No compromise, but self-evident, natural, remarkable new music. +++ "One of the most unlikely and pleasing meetings of musical minds you'll have heard in a long time." (Songlines) +++ "Whatever the Dutch musicians throw at Mekuria, he blows back with equal force. (...) They seem to have tapped into a hitherto unnamed and unimagined energy source." (Wire) +++ Out in October will be "11 ETHIO PUNK SONGS", a DVD by The Ex & Getatchew, on the Ethiosonics label, a sublabel of Ethiopiques, also via Buda Musique. The film is made by French filmmaker Stephane Jourdain. In the rehearsal-room during the making of the live-set and live at the Banlieues Bleues Festival in Paris.
Also new on DVD that very same month: BUILDING A BROKEN MOUSETRAP, a live-registration of The Ex in New York's Knitting Factory on September 11, 2004 (when the line-up still included rozemarie on double-bass). A film by Jem Cohen (who also made a.o. Fugazi's Document) and Matt Boyd. Out on Ex Records, EX 105V in Europe. In the US it is available via Touch And Go Records (TG307DVD). +++ In November an eight day tour of Germany, including a date in Prague (Czech). +++ In December seven more show with Getatchew, first in Rennes on the 8th during the Transmusicales, followed by Brussels, The Hague (State X festival), Nijmegen, Tilburg, Pont Sainte-Maxence, and Paris (during the Africolor festival).
An email-version can be obtained via: ex@theex.nl
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