VBS.TV Blog

I'M CRAZY FOR EXCEPTER

August 25, 2009
by BABY BALLS

Music World

• Culture
• Music
• United States

Excepter are responsible for two or three of the best shows I’ve ever seen, one of the absolute worst shows, and possibly the most embarrassing thing I did at the last apartment I lived in. A few years ago they put out a 12" that ends with one of those “locked grooves” where the last few seconds of the record keeps on playing forever or until you finally remember to lift the needle. In this case, instead of music or feedback or some pithy joke-statement, the groove contained a single muted car-honk that sounded exactly like someone’s alarm going off down the block. After putting on the record slightly hungover one morning and spending half an hour shouting out the window at the asshole who left his car alarm on, I finally stormed outside swearing like a spazzed-out Rick Moranis and realized I’d been screaming profanities at a bunch of 5-year-old Puerto Rican kids playing in front of their grandmother on a completely quiet street. Oh, and I was literally in a bathrobe and socks.

Despite making me the block crazy, I’m still excited that Excepter put out new albums on the regular and that they gave me this new video to show to you. If asked to describe their music by someone whose IM wouldn’t accept mp3 file transfers, I’d probably go with “What a computer would sound like if it was trying to impress a human who was really into synth music but the computer wasn’t entirely sure what ‘music’ is,” and maybe slide in a “warped electronica” or “loose, bendy psych” or two. Time was I would have just called them a goofier pothead Throbbing Gristle, but it seems a little weird here since this track is a remix by Chris and Cosey from TG and actually sounds sort of like Ministry. Anyways, just watch the thing and hear it for yourself, I can’t believe you’re still reading this. And figure out what’s going on with your IM already. Fuck.

Not sure why this is in italics, but if you like weird, dancey experimental music sort of like the above you should get a copy of either of Excepter’s last two albums Debt Dept. or Alternation. If you’re more into “atmospheric” stuff (in this case we mean that literally, as in the sound of wind and waves and ocean birds and whathaveyou), you should check out this Black Beach CD & DVD set thing they just came out with.

PS: Can you believe I forgot to mention that insane art-lady Petra Cortright is the maker of/dancer in this video? I know, it’s outrageous. Sorry, Petra. Now let’s all put this ugliness behind us and go spend a few braincells at her skullfuck of a website.