I first played with Luc soon after the tragic early death of Tom Cora at his memorial concert which has recently been released as Madame Luckerniddle.
Luc had been in a very special quartet with Tom called 'Roof' which had my friend Phil Minton and Michael Vatcher in. The three of them invited me to be in a new band appropriately called '4 Walls'. We made two cds which look like this:
Luc had been in a very special quartet with Tom called 'Roof' which had my friend Phil Minton and Michael Vatcher in. The three of them invited me to be in a new band appropriately called '4 Walls'. We made two cds which look like this:
4 Walls
And The World Ain't Square
red Note 09
"4 Walls is Veryan Weston (piano); Phil Minton (voice); Luc Ex (acoustic bass guitar); and Michael Vatcher (drums). The group is descended from Roof, with Weston's piano replacing the late Tom Cora's eloquent cello. And The World Ain't Square is short. The pieces are recordeds direct in one take without overdubs or editing, and the mix is very evn between the instruments and very natural-sounding. Some of the pieces have words and a sort of structure, some seem improvised. All of them show a commitment to improvisation and risk-taking – using riffs and a rock idiom at times, but organic, chaotic, brave. What structure there is acts as a bridge to greater abstraction, notably in the first piece, 'The Anarchist's Anthem', which is a political aestetic and anthem for this music as well – unbashedly, forthrightly anarchic. This and other songs with words are from the repertoire of the Minton/Weston duo, and remind the listener how splendid and radical that duo is, and how extraordinary their musicianship. Phil Minton's first interjection om 'Pliars' is a long sustained chord, the two pitches so seperate so vehement, and equal, that I initially thought there were two people singing. "And The World Ain't Square" is full of such virtuosity, but completely apart from the world of music as a competitive sport. This music takes the long way around to soul; slightly mad, exposed, unfashionably sincere, overtly engaged – and so refreshing, so inspiring and so encouraging to listen to."
(Caroline Kraabel – Resonance Publication)
And The World Ain't Square
red Note 09
"4 Walls is Veryan Weston (piano); Phil Minton (voice); Luc Ex (acoustic bass guitar); and Michael Vatcher (drums). The group is descended from Roof, with Weston's piano replacing the late Tom Cora's eloquent cello. And The World Ain't Square is short. The pieces are recordeds direct in one take without overdubs or editing, and the mix is very evn between the instruments and very natural-sounding. Some of the pieces have words and a sort of structure, some seem improvised. All of them show a commitment to improvisation and risk-taking – using riffs and a rock idiom at times, but organic, chaotic, brave. What structure there is acts as a bridge to greater abstraction, notably in the first piece, 'The Anarchist's Anthem', which is a political aestetic and anthem for this music as well – unbashedly, forthrightly anarchic. This and other songs with words are from the repertoire of the Minton/Weston duo, and remind the listener how splendid and radical that duo is, and how extraordinary their musicianship. Phil Minton's first interjection om 'Pliars' is a long sustained chord, the two pitches so seperate so vehement, and equal, that I initially thought there were two people singing. "And The World Ain't Square" is full of such virtuosity, but completely apart from the world of music as a competitive sport. This music takes the long way around to soul; slightly mad, exposed, unfashionably sincere, overtly engaged – and so refreshing, so inspiring and so encouraging to listen to."
(Caroline Kraabel – Resonance Publication)
SOL6
Sol6 creates improvised chamber music with the energy of a punk band. The sextet is a collaboration between British jazz pianist Veryan Weston and bassist Luc Ex, known from the eccentric Dutch punk group The Ex. They played together in 4Walls and Sol5. Sol6 combines new compositions by the band members with works by Erik Satie, Charles Ives and Burt Bacharach. Sol6 has an unusual line-up, including the sought-after cellist Hannah Marshall, viola player Mandy Drummond (Michael Brecker, Courtney Pine), saxophone talent Ingrid Laubrock and drum magician Tony Buck (Peril, The Necks) - Bimhuis press release.
