Raw urgency in the service of groove (Ex Banza & Janbat – Typo Positive EP)

Ex Banza and Janbat capture the authentic energy of alternative rock, blending garage influences and psychedelic groove, all without artifice or polished production.

Sometimes music is born in the moment, without a pre-established plan or excessive reflection. That's exactly what happened with TYPO POSITIVE, the EP recorded in two days by EX BANZA and JANBAT in Glasgow. What was supposed to be a simple weekend with friends turned into a feverish project where instinct took over everything else.

Without polished production or artifice, the EP distills a raw energy that oscillates between alternative rock, edgy groove, and garage influences. There are sharp guitars à la Pixies, electric flights reminiscent of Lenny Kravitz, and a DIY spirit that evokes both the Stooges and the dirty sound of Primal Scream's XTRMNTR period.

Spontaneous tracks, marked influences

Carlton Studio opens the EP like a manifesto: a direct sound, dry rhythms, and a vibe somewhere between garage rock and Jack White-style electric blues. EX BANZA's rough guitar traces sharp melodic lines while JANBAT pounds out a snappy drumbeat. This track captures the raw energy of the moment, with an almost live approach reminiscent of the early Black Keys.

With It's Like a Dance, we dive straight into the Madchester universe. Hypnotic bass, bouncy drums, slightly psychedelic guitar... The influence of Primal Scream, Happy Mondays, and Stone Roses is obvious. The track is a call to let go, carried by an irresistible groove and nonchalant vocals that even recall Beck's Odelay period at times.

The eponymous track, Typo Positive, is the most furious of the bunch. There's an energy reminiscent of punk rock and grunge, with saturation that flirts with Queens of the Stone Age and heavy drums reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile. EX BANZA plays all the instruments, and it shows: it's a personal outlet, a sonic release that, despite its abrasive side, remains incredibly catchy.

Finally, Vernon closes the EP with a more experimental approach, played in a single take, like an inspired jam. EX BANZA's guitar playing is freer here, with an approach reminiscent of Vernon Reid (Living Colour), but also Mogwai-style post-rock, with

atmospheric flights of fancy and more airy sound textures. Recorded at Glasgow Airport just before a missed flight to Amsterdam, the vocals add an even more spontaneous touch to the track, giving the project a real nomadic rock feel.

A raw and instinctive EP, between urgency and groove

The strength of TYPO POSITIVE lies in its immediacy. In just two days, EX BANZA and JANBAT managed to capture a raw and sincere energy, far from overly polished productions that lose their spontaneity. The influences are there—from 90s alternative rock to the dirty fuzz of garage rock, via the psychedelic groove of Madchester—but the duo digests them in its own way, without trying to stick to a specific aesthetic.

Available on limited edition vinyl, this EP is accompanied by two music videos (TYPO POSITIVE and IT'S LIKE A DANCE) directed by Duosonic Motion, JANBAT's visual project, who also designed the cover art.

Oh, and by the way: no cymbals were struck during the recording. Proof that you can make rock music that rocks without unnecessary artifice.