Exek - Some Beautiful Species Left

Exek – Some Beautiful Species Left
Label: Digital Regress | Format: Vinyl LP

On their third full-length, Some Beautiful Species Left, Melbourne’s Exek sharpen their singular approach to genre-blurring experimentalism—melding post-punk unease with dub's cavernous depth, Krautrock repetition, baroque flourishes, and leftfield production techniques that treat the studio as a compositional tool in itself. As with their previous releases, the album unfolds through layers of overdubs and sculpted edits, reflecting Exek’s commitment to Brian Eno’s philosophy of “the studio as instrument.”

While loosely falling under the post-punk umbrella, Exek’s sound is anything but traditional. Their songs drift and deconstruct, trading verse-chorus structures for looping, hypnotic grooves and mood-driven detours. Anchored by taut basslines and motorik rhythms, tracks breathe with unexpected instrumentation—strings, horns, reverb-drenched vocals, and even kitchen appliances collide in a sonic collage that feels meticulously constructed yet deeply intuitive.

Some Beautiful Species Left feels like a broadcast from a decaying future city—cold and clinical at first glance, but rich with texture, nuance, and deadpan wit. There are echoes of PIL, Dome, This Heat, and ESG, but filtered through a post-modern lens that’s both abstract and deeply rhythmic.

Released by Digital Regress, this LP cements Exek as one of the most compelling bands operating at the fringes of punk, experimental rock, and dub. Some Beautiful Species Left isn’t just a record—it’s an atmosphere. Creeping, cryptic, and endlessly fascinating.