Exclusive video premiere of ‘Welcome to my Alibi’ by Australian cult-status post-punk sextet EXEK, taken from their upcoming album, ‘The Map and The Territory,’ out October 6th via Foreign Records.

‘The Map and the Territory’ was self-recorded throughout 2021 to 2022, frontman Albert Wolski describes it as ‘‘perhaps less ambitious than some previous EXEK releases. To celebrate the announcement today, the band also shares the record’s first single, ‘Welcome to my Alibi’.

Comprised of eight tracks, there is a greater focus on song craftsmanship, where elongated jams play second fiddle to choruses and hooks. These new tracks will translate effectively into a live environment, and are destined to quickly become set favourites. And yes, of course, the iconic EXEK album soundmarks remain ever present – dubbed out drums, guitars that sound like robots from Forbidden Planet, and deep synths that recall The Idiot.

EXEK once again stay true to their trademark recording process – one of endless overdubs, allowing for maximal control whilst editing. Lots and lots of edits. Drummer Chris Stephenson would perform a collection of beats, that would then be sampled, and therefore plant the seed for ideas for songs. “Seamstress Requires Regular Breaks” might be the best example of this, where fluid jazz-funk drumrolls morph into a rigid post-punk march, and then back again, and then back again. But the funk doesn’t stop there. ‘Welcome to my Alibi’ and ‘Glow of Good Will’ pick up where 90’s hip-hop and R&B left off – smooth and sexy and a little bit dangerous. On the flip side of the dynamic spectrum, ‘The Lifeboats’ and ‘It’s Just a Flesh Wound, Darling’ sit facing towards the group’s more loud motorik arsenal. On EXEK’s latest offering, both the map and the territory are equally balanced.

Headline photo: Sam Stephenson

EXEK Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
Foreign Records Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube