Premiere: Ex Ponto – Ex Ponto

There was a wooden sign which hung precariously above the doorframe, it looked as though it had been etched with a small pen knife from many moons ago. The bar was crowded and busy, smoke hung thick in the air as men chatted over hushed candlelight about dodgy deals and bad deeds. This was the wrong side of town to be caught out on – once you were in there was no turning back, that's for sure. A red light flickered inside by the jukebox which played loudly to the busy room. Ex Ponto was the bar's name, it was the type of place you might not leave alive and for those that did they'd count their stars and lucky prayers.

General Purpose is an Australian record label, an eclectic outlet for oddball balearic music, weird eclectic post punk and the spaces in between. This is perhaps best showcased by a new release from Ex Ponto of whom they can tell the story better than I…

"‘Neka Neka’ is the first solo release by multi-disciplinary artist, Ex Ponto (Ivan Mašić). Coming of age during the mid-90s Melbourne rave scene, Ivan was infected with music by the legendary Kate Bathgate on 3RRR community radio. Hearing music by the likes of Oliver Lieb, Will E Tell, HMC & and other producers of the time, an infection quickly turned into a music obsession that lives on today. In the following years Ivan would go on to manage one of Melbourne’s longest running record stores (Dixons Records) and in 2005 built a recording studio, aptly named The Womb. From 2005–15, he produced and played on over 20 albums for improvisation collective, Council of Elders and experimental, no-wave band, Wunderlust. ‘Neka Neka’ is a nod to ex-Yugoslavian experimentalists of the 80s (Rex Ilusivii, Kozmetika, Miha Kralj etc) and the thriving, late-night hedonism of Belgrade’s Club 20/44."

The music is suitably weird and rough around the edges – as you might expect. This one is a little bit special. 

Listen below:

Buy HERE from the 6th of December.