EX-P

RIO/Avant-Prog • Italy

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Ex-P biography
Ex-P began as a trio from Northern Italy who have been creating and performing together since 2004. Initially the band was composed of two bass players - Andrea Chiuni on bass, effects and clarinet and Alessandro Allera on bass, with Diego Rosso on drums and percussion. For their second outing they added Alessandro Cartolari on alto sax to the line up. Their first cd, Ancora Saigon, was released in 2005, their second, Carpaccio Esistenziale, in February of 2008 - both were released on the independent Italian label fratto9underthesky records. An interesting tidbit tells us that the latter "title was inspired by the alchemy which both Italian cuisine - carpaccio is a famous italian dish - and a full and happy existence are based upon. It's a mix of ΕX-P's favourite ingredients: melody, psychosis, and improvisation. There are links and common features between the 12 tracks, with two or three-parted compositions. It's a pleasure and an exploratory journey, like that through the courses of a rich and precious menu."

Ex-P's influences are diverse and might best be summed up in their own words: "EX-P is an entity formed by musicians strongly professing their psychedelic faith, sons of the post-modern breaking up, incapable of choosing between jazz noise and Italian tunes of Japanese manga, ill at ease in paying our respects to both Pink Floyd and to the most tremendous metal. Improvisation and an estranged kind of sound are still the main features, searching inside the huge territories of rock. ... The two electric basses can explore deeply the heaviness and versatility of the only true contemporary musical instrument, so technological on the surface, and neo-tribal at the core. Drums can distract from rhythms, sometimes becoming an acoustic colour and environmental noise generator."

This stylistic multiplicity produces a rich and wide ranging music which well belies the seeming dearth of instruments in effect here. Ex-P's music may be comfortably tucked away under the moniker of avant-prog as they vie between chamber-rock interludes, psychedelic forays, cool-jazz ventures, quirky ethno-folk side-notes [which hint at some of their Italian experimental musician forebears], delicate acoustic sonic environments as well as intriguing electronic ones. Free-jazz is clearly a large element of their inspiration, yet Ex-P forgoes the abstraction often associated with this form as they strive for stru...Ex-P began as a trio from Northern Italy who have been creating and performing together since 2004. Initially the band was composed of two bass players - Andrea Chiuni on bass, effects and clarinet and Alessandro Allera on bass, with Diego Rosso on drums and percussion. For their second outing they added Alessandro Cartolari on alto sax to the line up. Their first cd, Ancora Saigon, was released in 2005, their second, Carpaccio Esistenziale, in February of 2008 - both were released on the independent Italian label fratto9underthesky records. An interesting tidbit tells us that the latter "title was inspired by the alchemy which both Italian cuisine - carpaccio is a famous italian dish - and a full and happy existence are based upon. It's a mix of ΕX-P's favourite ingredients: melody, psychosis, and improvisation. There are links and common features between the 12 tracks, with two or three-parted compositions. It's a pleasure and an exploratory journey, like that through the courses of a rich and precious menu."

Ex-P's influences are diverse and might best be summed up in their own words: "EX-P is an entity formed by musicians strongly professing their psychedelic faith, sons of the post-modern breaking up, incapable of choosing between jazz noise and Italian tunes of Japanese manga, ill at ease in paying our respects to both Pink Floyd and to the most tremendous metal. Improvisation and an estranged kind of sound are still the main features, searching inside the huge territories of rock. ... The two electric basses can explore deeply the heaviness and versatility of the only true contemporary musical instrument, so technological on the surface, and neo-tribal at the core. Drums can distract from rhythms, sometimes becoming an acoustic colour and environmental noise generator."

This stylistic multiplicity produces a rich and wide ranging music which well belies the seeming dearth of instruments in effect here. Ex-P's music may be comfortably tucked away under the moniker of avant-prog as they vie between chamber-rock interludes, psychedelic forays, cool-jazz ventures, quirky ethno-folk side-notes [which hint at some of their Italian experimental musician forebears], delicate acoustic sonic environments as well as intriguing electronic ones. Free-jazz is clearly a large element of their inspiration, yet Ex-P forgoes the abstraction often associated with this form as they strive for structures of subtlety augmented by a somewhat lo-fi, never over-produced approach. There is something immensely warm and intimate to be encountered within these discs which thoroughly and tastefully eschews the hodgepodge which might be implied by the diversity of styles explored. By turns moving into aggressive and tight rock or funk inflected grooves, then towards a more open and experimental avant-prog jazz stance with equal ease. Ex-P will leave many an avant-prog fan well satiated indeed.

- Addition prepared and written by Claire (listennow801) and Ex-P -

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