TerpTerrie Hessels

Fendika

2016

""Melaku Belay of Fendika runs an amazing club in Addis Ababa. Over the years the Ex/Terp has spent many nights there and saw a lot of incredible music and dance -- an Azmari-bet new style, with new ways of running the place and taking care of the artists, but still keeping all focus on the creativity and social function of a cultural bar. Melaku likes to call the music 'Addis Tradition,' which means 'new tradition.' One can feel the strong, traditional Ethiopian tunes, deeply rooted in the culture of many regions, but also sense a new generation of great dancers and musicians. Fendika are extremely talented and groundbreaking in their technique and approach. Since being discovered, they have been over to Europe, playing several tours and Ex Festivals, being on the road with the Ex and even playing a set together! Terp is happy to make this great acoustic recording and release it, with the input of many. Andy Moor's great photos, Emma Fischer's artwork and Arnold de Boer's mixing and fixing in particular.""

Terrie Ex & Ab Baars

2016

Chalachew Ashenati & Ililta Band

2013

"Chalachew Ashenafi, the legendary Gondar azmari (1966-2012) did some tours with The Ex in recent years. A traditional player, but also forward, funny and stubborn. These are his last recordings ever. Astonishing strong music."

Bahru Kegne

2013

"Bahru Kegne was a legendary azmari, who was even a private court-player under Haile Selassie, then the ‘free newspaper’ in the communist days and recording some amazing ‘modern’ cassettes in the last years of his life. Deep, hypnotic, trance-like music, and unlike things published before."

Terrie Ex & Paal Nilssen-Love

2013

"Fourty-two minutes of unadultered sonic violence and energy. Rock? Jazz? Noise? Punk? Paal Nilssen-Love beats the bejeezus out of his trap kit and Terrie Ex throws harsh antagonistic feedback attacks into the process, which have no direction at all, played with the enthusiasm and energy of a garage band of 16-year olds, exploring what they can produce together, equally being surprised at things that work and that don't work, with an audience that shouts and applauds when the volume decreases, thinking the lengthy improvisation is over, but actually it isn't, because neither Paal nor Terrie want to let go, diving back in, sometimes hesitantly, sometimes with renewed power, new attacks, some novel ideas - and it must be said, not all of them are violent - to be further explored, developed or altogether massacred with an attitude of self-destruction, with a loathing of feelings like empathy or sympathy or even apathy, expressing feelings of anger and disgust, as it should be in a punk band."

Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex & Friends

2012

Mats Gustafsson / Paal Nilssen-Love / Mesele Asmamaw

2012

"The Ex were in Ethopia in 2010 for their "Free the Jazz" saxophone project, here presenting Mats Gustafsson on baritone saxophone, Paal Nilssen-Love on drums, and Mesele Asmamaw on krar, a stringed bowl-shaped lyre."

Terrie Ex & Xavier Charles

2011