“Dutch acoustic bass player Luc Ex was a original member of the punk/rock band THE EX. Since leaving the band in 2003 he has become a force for creative music-making and improvisation, driven by his punk roots and the Dutch experimental music scene”
– by Ottawa Jazz festival 2017.

“A masterclass for the early hours of Monday morning in Dalston”
– about Luc ExAssemblee @ london Jazz festival by Geoff Winston / LondonJAzzNews

” It is a typical Luc Ex bass line, terse and condensed like a haiku but full of character and nostalgia. As it repeats, this rhythmical line begins to exude a sense of foreboding. Especially when performed live; Luc Ex attacks his instrument like a skilful contemporary dancer, almost beating up the wood in order to produce the notes” – about Rubatong by Jaïr Tchong/ Volkskrant

Born as Luc Klaasen in 1958 in Holland.
After being a taxi-driver in Amsterdam for many years he started his musical activities in 1983 (The Ex), making films (Mal Films) and was one of the founders of the CD distribution and production company ‘Konkurrent Onafhankelijk Muziekbedrijf BV’.
In 2015 he stopped with his work @ Konkurrent.

For many years he was one of the driving forces behind the band The Ex.

They received large international recognition for their unconventional interpretation of music and their consistent political attitude, their ‘organic way’ of making music and the fact they kept their independency from the big commercial music-business.

After they won the national dutch pop-price ‘BV POP’ in 1991 this appreciation only got bigger. The Ex worked also with a large variety of artists and musicians including Han Bennink, Ab Baars, avant garde cellist Tom Cora, Kurdish singer Brader, the Malian group Lanaya but also toured with pop groups like Sonic Youth, Shellac, Chumbawamba, Tortoise & Fugazi.

One of Luc Ex’s last projects within The Ex was the spectacular orchestra EX ORKEST: a 20 piece bigband with an enormous sound, dynamics and energy. Lyrics were written by the dutch writer and ex-soccer player Jan Mulder (Ajax, Anderlecht).

1996-1998 – ROOF

Luc Ex and Tom Cora started a group called ROOF (1996-1998). A 4tet with vocal virtuoso Phil Minton and drummer Michael Vatcher. After Tom’s tragic death the group stopped. The group released several cd’s and toured many times through Europe and North America and played on many big jazz festivals. They were specifically appreciated by their approach of combining tightly rehearsed pieces with free improvisations that link and reflect the composed material.

1999-2006 –4WALLS
Luc Ex , Phil Minton and Michael Vatcher continued there collaboration and the mixture of written music and free improvisation with pianoplayer Veryan Weston. 4Walls played throughout Europe and North America and released 2 cd’s.

2003-2005- KAMAGURKA & DE RIDDERS van den APOCALYPS
One of the first project after he left The Ex was with belgian absurdist Kamagurka. Played a serie of concerts and produced a cd under the same title: They played mainly concerts in Holland and Belgium .
w/: pianist Johan Desmet & Marcel Schmidt.

2006- FRANZ HAUTZINGERS REGENORCHESTRE XII
In 2006 he was also invited by Franz Hautziger’s ‘Regenorchestre XII’
w/ oa. Franz Hautzinger, Otomo Yoshihide, Christian Fennesz, Tony Buck.

2007-2021 SOL 6 & SOL12
After 4Walls Luc Ex continued this mixture of written music and free improvisation with his project SOL. It emerged in 2 shapes : the ‘chamber-ensemble’ SOL6 & and ‘small bigband’ SOL12. The musicians in both SOL’s were with europe’s finest improvisers and are, -more by coincidence than intention-, also an equal balance of genders. In 2009 he was granted a subsidy by the dutch NFPK to write pieces for SOL12.
w/: Ingrid Laubrock, Tony Buck, Mandy Drummond, Veryan Weston, Hannah Marshall (sol6) + Johannes Bauer, Isabelle Duthoit, Hasse Poulsen, Franz Hautzinger, Rozemarie Heggen, Tatiana Koleva (SOL12)

2007- SPEEQ
Improvised group initiated by Hasse Poulsen.
w/ Hasse Poulsen, Sidsel Endresen and Mark Sanders.

2010-2012 TRIOLEX
Luc Ex started dada-free-improgroep: TRIOLEX (2010-2012)
w/: Phil Minton, Tristan Honsinger, Serigne McGueye

2010-BOUGE
Extrodinary free impro group, arising out of ashes of SOL12 on instignation of singer Isabelle Duthoit’s  and with the marvelous late Johannes Bauer.
Made 1 CD for the french label.

2012-RUBATONG
Together with singer Han Buhrs (voc./text) they started together the contemporary blues group Rubatong (2006). All lyrics/text and poens were from Han Buhrs.  With Tatiana Koleva on vibes/ perc. and René van Barneveld (Urban Dance Squad) on guitar. Later Thijs Elzinga replaced René van Barneveld.
Released 2 cd ‘s and a 7″.

2014-NAKED WOLF
Around 2011 he also started make ‘adventurous music’ with a group with young musicians all living in Amsterdam, called Naked Wolf .
Released 2 CD’s, last one on Clean Feed-label.
w/ Yedo Gibson, Mika Szafirowsky, Felicity Provan & Gerri Jager.

2013- 2018 LUC EX’ ASSEMBLEE
Luc Ex formed his own ‘jazzquartet’ called Luc Ex Assemblee. He wrote all the pieces for it and got financial support from FPK and relased 1 CD.
w/Hamid Drake, Ab Baars and Ingrid Laubrock.

2016- MUSIC FOR A FILM THAT NEVER WAS
Produced a LP with Zlaya Hadzich where musicians where asked to write a piece of music for an imaginary film scene.

2018-2021 ‘HET O.M.’ ORCHESTRE MÉCANICIEN
Luc Ex wrote pieces and assembled musicians around the soundmachines of Peter Zegveld.
w/ Peter Zegeveld, Marta Warelis & Elsa van der Linden

2018-2020 –MUSIC OF INEVITABLE SOUNDS
9 piece ensembe played composition of Luc ex all based on environemental sounds.
Played on several festival throighout Europe and relased one CD on TROST records.
w/ Saartje van Camp, Yedo Gibson, Joost Buis, Veryan Weston, Nora Mulder, Renatot Feriera, Pepe Garcia, Mika Szafirowski

2020-EX-CHEN VIBE
Impro-trio with Audrey Chen and Vincent von Schlippenbach.

2021- OBJET SONORE
Sound installation by Luc Ex, designed by sculptor Peter Zegveld. Wrore a 15 min piece all constructed by environmental souynds. No tradional instrumnet involbed. To be performed in public paec. Later it became a performance where Luc Ex played live samples and invited sevel free improv musicians.
w/ Ab Baars & Ada Rave.

2022- trio BLIK
Initiated togetehr with singer Annelie Koning. Wrote the music together and mainly based on ltext from Charles Bukowski. With drummer Tristan Renfrow.