Ex-Girl: Get Back.

Back To The Mono Kero is out now on.

Japanese pop-rock sensations Ex-Girl have been getting some high kudos recently. Mike Patton has gone on record saying they’re one of the best things he’s seen in years, which ain’t surprising as the new album Back to the Mono Kero is definitely well out there. Their cover of Pop-Muzik is a light-hearted electro-pop romp thru the old classic, and the rest of the album is out in the stratosphere. I fired a few questions off at the girl, and here’s what they’ve got to say. Check the translation style…

How long has ex-girl existed?

“Five years.”

What would you class your music as?

“Entertainment hyper Kero rock.”

Name the five albums that have shaped your lives?

“The Shaggs - Philosophy Of The world, The Creatures – Feast, Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom, Robert Fripp – Exposure, Neu - #2.”

How do you feel about the attention stars like Mike Patton have paid you?

“Real great artists are always corresponding with everything in the Cosmos. And they are able to tune and find good music. Mike Patton, and also Siouxsie & The Banshees are that type of real artist. For us, it was wonderful happening that they tune and found our Kero Kero music!”

The new album, Back to the Mono Kero is excellent. What does the name mean?

“Back to the Mono Kero Manifesto: Phil Spector once claimed Back To The Mono, which means Monaural Wall Of Sound, in which the sound is shared by the whole world, even if it is physically just a reflection in limited space. In other words, the sound can be shared by both the player and the audience, and it does exists whether or not its recorded in books, records, CDs, or CD-ROM. If the sound is projected toward a particular target audience, it will be shared only between the player and that particular audience. Being mono rather than Anti. Kero, where eX-Girl is originally from as well as their Philosophy. We eX-Girl now say Back To The Mono Kero. Because this is the way we are.”

I see. Are you ever coming to Australia?

“Yes, we are planing to go there in the near future!”

Where do you draw inspiration from for your recordings?

“Frog King and eX-Girl always thinking something new. Special taste of kerokero comes down from the yellow sky, and pop into our body and when it turns orange, our new kerokero music starts to beat.”

Have you any advice for school-children out there?

“Try to think something new before you copy someone's mind. Nothing is certain but change."

If you could make one person the new ruler of the cosmos (or God) who would it be?

“Frog King!"