Zea is a breakpop mono from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Armed with guitar, mic, drum machines, sampler and synths, Arnold de Boer comeswith fast-paced programmed drums, copious synth work, guitars that go from jangly to strummy on a moment’s notice, and vocals that chant as much as they sing; 8-bit electronic sounds exploding all over the place,  and at the same time a poptune isn't out of the question either.

 

Live is Zea fast and vicious, putting rock and roll into electronics, and pushing noisy loops into beat punk. Zea released four albums and many singles. The last two albums were released, especially for an Ethiopian tour, on cassette. In 2009 Zea released a 7” EP containing 7 songs, called “We Better Boil Soup of the Grown-Ups”, in December 2009 Zea released “Super Cosmotics” a second 7” (both on his own Makkum Records), and the new album is released just now. After “Kowtow to an Idiot” (2000), “Today I Forgot To Complain” (2003) and “Insert Parallel Universe” (2006), “The Beginner” [2010] is number four.

 

For the last seven years Zea has been playing all over the world, including 3 times USA, 5 times Russia, Canada, 10 times UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Balkan, Scandinavia. Zea also played many festivals like Moers (D) and Printemps de Bourges (F), Lowlands (NL), CMJ, SXSW (USA). In 2008 and 2009 Zea played 11 concerts in Ethiopia and one in Accra (Ghana). In 2010 Zea will tour in Russia, France, Spain, on the Balkan and in the UK. Since 2009 Arnold de Boer is also the new singer and guitarist of The Ex.

 

Press quotes:

Incendiary Mag: "The Beginner is an incredible record. Oh it's incredibly bonkers, that's for sure, but it's so bloody energetic, so bull headed and so schizophrenic in its approach to crafting a tune that you simply can't fail to be impressed by it. This is what happens when you give a troubled youth recording equipment. The results are astonishing."
Kerrang: “Like They Might Be Giants jamming with the Ramones or Pink Floyd headlining a punk convention,

Playlouder“Single Of The Week”: Sounds like They Might Be Giants after they've fallen on their heads. Superb, and a worthy winner."

LOGO magazine:  “Zea sounds like he’s been visited by the Gary Numan-obsessed ghost of At The Drive-In. A brightly hued collage of electro, glitch-pop and heavily compressed guitars, the image of Stephen Malkmus reborn as an angry wasp trapped under a beer glass is one that won't abate. Here sits two very good arguments for legalising drug use."

Losing Today“Clearly a man of wild imagination and restless spirit, Zeas punk ethic proves the bedrock to this collection of tracks and to his career to date. Wonderfully bonkers.”

 

The late John Peel played Zea songs on BBC Radio One and BBC Worldservice.

In October 2006 Zea recorded a live session for BBC Radio One program One Music.

The Ex will play an exclusive show with appearance of Ken Vandermark   The adventurous, innovative Dutch band The Ex just celebrated its 33â…“ year anniversary with a series of festivals. Not merely retrospective but primarily forward-looking and adventurous. Among the many guests invited were young as well as seasoned experimental, improvising and other exciting musicians from Amsterdam, Berlin, New York, Chicago, Ethiopia, Scandinavia and Great Britain. The Ex have defied categorization ever since they started playing in 1979. Born out of the punk explosion, when anything and everything was possible, the band have still managed to retain both curiosity and passion for their music. Using guitars, bass, drums and voice as ther starting point The Ex have continued to musically explore undiscovered areas right up to the present day: the early 1980s saw collaborations with jazz musicians and an Iraqi-Kurdish band. In the 90s the group found a myriad of partners from varied musical and non-musical backgrounds including Kamagurka, Tom Cora, Sonic Youth, Han Bennink, Jan Mulder, Shellac and Wolter Wierbos. In 2002 The Ex set up a lively musical exchange with Ethiopia, which eventually led to two CD recordings and hundreds of concerts with the legendary saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria. After 33â…“ years, more than 25 albums and around 1800 performances the band continues to work as they did in when they began, completely independent of record companies, managers or roadies. Because of this ‘do it yourself’ work ethic The Ex is still a great example for other forward-thinking bands and musicians. “Staying a bird, staying independent, free if you will, for three decades, that takes skill and something else, something more like heart.” Music journalist John Corbett on The Ex. CURRENT LINEUP... TERRIE HESSELS - guitar, baritone guitar ARNOLD DE BOER - vocals, guitar, sampler ANDY MOOR - guitar, baritone guitar KATHERINA BORNEFELD - drums, vocals THE EX: CV Founded in mid 1979. Ever since independent in their own management (Stichting Ex) and own record label (Ex Records). To date over 1500 performances and some 25 albums. Concerts in North America, Russia, Canada, Ethiopia, and nearly all of Europe. Worked with a.o. Tom Cora (USA), Brader Musiki (Kurdistan), Lanaya (Mali), Jan Mulder, Kamagurka + Herr Seele (Belgium), Chumbawamba (England), Fugazi (USA), Sonic Youth (USA), Djibril Diabate (Mali) , Konono No. 1 (Congo), Mohammed Jimmy Mohammed (Ethiopia), Getatchew Mekuria (Ethiopia), Anne-James Chaton (France), Jaap Blonk, Instant Composers Pool, Han Bennink, Ab Baars, Wolter Wierbos, Theatergroep d'Electrique, Magpie Dance Company, Tortoise (USA), Tsehaytu Beraki (Eritrea), Mats Gustafsson (Sweden), Ken Vandermark (USA), Roy Paci (Italy). Winner BV Popprijs 1991 Sub-labels: Unsounds (improvised music + modern composition), Terp (improvised music and African), Zea (grind-popmusic).