Over their 29-year history, the Dutch anarcho-punk collective The Ex has covered a lot of musical ground -- from liberatory agit-punk to scabrous free-form tangents to collaborating with a diverse range of inventive, like-minded artists. Along the way, they've also established a strong Chicago connection -- attracting a large and dedicated cult following in the local underground music scene and forging an alliance with the Touch & Go label for stateside distribution of its recordings. This weekend, the Ex are returning to the Windy City to play two shows on their new U.S. tour, and this time they'll be bringing along their latest collaborator and musical kinsman, veteran Ethiopian jazz saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria . The Ex have long explored influences from the folk music of various countries and cultures. Their 2004 double-CD album Turn showcased the band's affinity for the music of the Northern African region, and was soon followed by Moa Anbessa , an album that resulted from sessions that The Ex recorded with Mekuria and a host of other musicians. Gapers Block had a chance to speak with Ex guitarist and composer Andy Moor to discuss the band's excursions to Africa, the unique allure and beauty of Ethiopian music, and how the band came to work with the venerable Ethiopian reedman. GAPERS BLOCK: As I understand it, The Ex first played with Getatchew Mekuria during its 25th anniversary event a few years ago. How was it that The Ex fir ...
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Over their 29-year history, the Dutch anarcho-punk collective The Ex has covered a lot of musical ground -- from liberatory agit-punk to scabrous free-form tangents to collaborating with a diverse range of inventive, like-minded artists. Along the way, they've also established a strong Chicago connection -- attracting a large and dedicated cult following in the local underground music scene and forging an alliance with the Touch & Go label for stateside distribution of its recordings. This weekend, the Ex are returning to the Windy City to play two shows on their new U.S. tour, and this time they'll be bringing along their latest collaborator and musical kinsman, veteran Ethiopian jazz saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria . The Ex have long explored influences from the folk music of various countries and cultures. Their 2004 double-CD album Turn showcased the band's affinity for the music of the Northern African region, and was soon followed by Moa Anbessa , an album that resulted from sessions that The Ex recorded with Mekuria and a host of other musicians. Gapers Block had a chance to speak with Ex guitarist and composer Andy Moor to discuss the band's excursions to Africa, the unique allure and beauty of Ethiopian music, and how the band came to work with the venerable Ethiopian reedman. GAPERS BLOCK: As I understand it, The Ex first played with Getatchew Mekuria during its 25th anniversary event a few years ago. How was it that The Ex fir ...