Tonight The Rex Complex is playing at NXT LVL inside the Tea Factory, as part of Super Coda presents: Music For The Apocalypse. This week I had the opportunity to link with the band’s frontman (Rex Hussmann) and drummer (Jeremy Gustin) to talk influences, DIY endeavors, touring, and plans for next year.
Meet The Rex Complex – one of the most original sounding four piece bands you’ve probably heard in a while. Granted, in a place like Bushwick original ensembles aren’t hard to come by. But dare I say, aside from Deathrow Tull’s troupe of ass-kickers, Ravenous’ double drumming, and every Not Blood, Paint show, I've yet to find a musical act that does more than just play a good rock show. The Rex Complex is one such act. They're experimenting with just the right amount of sound and energy, that before you can get confused, you're already inside of it. Their performance is a wild ruckus, an audio exercise that pumps and stirs you to get right up and join the fun.
These music school friends (Berklee, MA) have been together since 2006. After gigging the Boston circuit for a few years, Jeremy tells me they wanted “to switch it up.” Essentially, as creatives, the fellas tired of the same old, same old. They needed stimulation and, having already played New York before, were naturally lured by the city that never sleeps. In 2009 they brought their Complex to Bushwick and settled up at the Loom on Knickerbocker & Flushing.
In that time The Rex Complex has played a host of area locations, including The Cave Festival at Shea Stadium, and Good Friend Electric’s Reinvasion this spring. Through Kickstarter, they were able to finance a one month tour in March of this year, hitting 20 cities in the Midwest and along the East coast. And for a while they took up a brief residency at Café Orwell on Varet (courtesy of Valerie Kuehne and The Super Coda). Currently on the roster for Young Cub Records, The Rex Complex released their debut full length titled A Delicious Victory last fall. The album was recorded in a school house in the Berkshires, and mastered by Danny Bloom of Good & Evil Productions.
Rex and Jeremy are super chilled out and friendly guys. They both have eclectic tastes, and very positive vibes. I spoke with each separately, but it wasn't hard for me to see how the two would mesh well. The band's name is a testament to that much. See, Rex's first name isn't Rex. Rex is his middle name. And his father's middle name, and his grandfather's middle name. And he got it from Elsie Rex, a great aunt. It was Jeremy who'd decided this name situation was in fact a "complex"; fitting even more so that their sound is just that. Talking with the guys was easy. After seeing them live, and flipping through the photos on their Facebook fanpage, I already knew this was a silly pair. There's no pretense here, just raw, live, honest expression.
"Thumping, bumping, howling, and growling" are just a few words I came across when researching The Rex Complex. A jolly combination of observation and process, their sound has been described "voodo psyche-blues." Both Rex and Jeremy cite Micachu as a current influence. Their inde peers, Railbird and Cuddle Magic have also left marked impressions. For influences Jeremy lists The Band, Mr. Bungle, Miles Davis, Apex Twin, and a wide breadth of acts I've never heard of. As he puts it, "There aren't new chords...but there are still new sounds and textures..." Hussman's influences include Johnny Cash, Otis Redding, Bill Withers, The Clash, and Iggy Pop & The Stooges. He tells me his musical ambitions are to "learn a lot of songs by people I like." I ask when he first knew it was music for him. "I was two years old," he tells me. He'd heard the Aardvark song on Sesame Street, and he had to recreate it. His attempts were made on a plastic drum.
Though they've toured, released a record on an inde-label, and are known to play shows in Manhattan (gasp!) The Rex Complex absolutely has love for the DIY experience. One highlight from this Spring's tour was a stop in Austin for SXSW - where they played Sam's BBQ. The gig was a last minute find. They hadn't really had anything lined up for the stop, and kept hearing that Sam's BBQ wanted performers. Sam welcomed them to his shop, powered up the generator and let the boys have at it in the backyard. Hussmann says he enjoys the freedom which DIY spaces allow him. Though I'm sure he'd take his liberties in any location, since I've seen him in action I take "freedom" to mean jumping around and getting real extra live with it. He tells me at a recent show he had to perform sitting down because he'd hurt his toe performing on a table at the one before.
Sometimes you have to sit down, after you jump around. Sometimes the sound grooves you out, and sometimes it infuses you. If you like the variety then you'll love The Rex Complex.
You can expect new music from the guys in 2012 - Look out for the six-track EP, Last Call For The End of The World. The Rex Complex will be playing a Good Friend Electric show on January 7. Location TBD.
Valerie Kuehne is a charming intellectual beauty who plays a mean cello, and whose writings make for delightful neurological stimulations. Her social interaction is very casual and easy going. She's got an accepting and absorbing vibe. She wears glasses and loose-fitting, layered clothing. It would also appear she doesn't comb her hair. All signs point to genius. The Super Coda was her idea. If you've been invited to an event on Facebook - which, let's face it, you have - then you've probably asked yourself "What is a Super Coda?" and been intrigued to find out. I'll let Val tell it in her own words:
What is the Super Coda?
The Super Coda started as an experiment too see how strongly genre restricts human response in a live setting. I wanted to see if I could put a string quartet, a surf rock band, and a noise set on the same bill and still keep the audience attentive in a positive way. I'm still down with the experimentation but I've definitely spent the past year growing beyond the chaos. I mean i think I have.
How did you come up with the name?
I was thinking about lobsters and for some reason it appeared to me.
How often do you put together a show?
On average about once a week now that I'm no longer affiliated with Cafe Hell.
What are some of your influences?
I am influenced by everything in the most beautifullly absurd way.
Upcoming projects for 2012?
2012 will see the launch of C.O.N.C.H., a curatorial collective I've formed with Esther Neff of Panoply Performance Laboratory and Cat Gilbert of the 22 Magazine. We will be producing a series of multi-media events that attempt to combine everything that's artistically possible under the sun in one place at one time.
What's it like putting shows on in Brooklyn?
Working as a curator/artist in Brooklyn is like discovering 25 new flavors of tapioca, every day.
What's your favorite part of it?
The music never ceases to inspire, that's definitely the best part. Also the M train.
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