The Ex & Brass Unbound
The Ex with a brass-heavy improvising line-up
Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Guitar, drums, voice, and bass from The Ex pushed into bigger-band pressure by reeds and brass. The result is tight, wiry, and loud enough to feel like a punk band colliding with an improv horn section, with plenty of room for blowouts and turnarounds.
More about The Ex & Brass Unbound
The Ex started in Amsterdam in 1979 and built its reputation on improvisation, risk, and a long list of crossings with free players and outsider bands. Brass Unbound folds in Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark, Roy Paci, and Wolter Wierbos, so this is one of their most documented large-format projects.
A story
The Ex formed in 1979 and their bandcamp bio says they set up a musical exchange with Ethiopia in 2002.
Playing
- 2026-11-07 2026-11-07T20:15:00 · The Ex & Brass Unbound · TivoliVredenburg
Start here
- Enormous Door (2016)
The core Brass Unbound document on Bandcamp.
Worked with
- Ken Vandermark Brass Unbound member
- Mats Gustafsson Brass Unbound member
- Roy Paci Brass Unbound member
- Wolter Wierbos Brass Unbound member
- Hanne De Backer Brass Unbound member
For fans of
Mats Gustafsson, Ruins, Sonic Youth, Ken VandermarkOfficial links
Plan Le Guess Who? 2026 with Songpot · Ask about The Ex & Brass Unbound in ChatGPT or Claude