The Rex Complex

The Rex Complex is an original project headed by Kristopher Rex Hussmann and Jeremy Gustin. Jeremy's a framer while Rex washes dishes and serves a lot of coffee. In their spare time they play copious amounts of music and envision that they are onto something pretty unique. The two have been playing music together now for around six years in various basements, living rooms, bars, bungalows, and other such musical establishments. One of the key instruments used in The Rex Complex is a Ghanaian xylophone, also called a gyil (jeel-lee). It's made of wood, gourds, goat skin, and spider webs. The webs vibrate causing a natural distortion. Rex and Jeremy took a trip of their own to Ghana for 3 months to study music, travel, and immerse themselves in rural Africa, and it was on this trip that Rex studied gyil under master Newin Baru, heard it performed at Ghanaian funerals and celebrations, and then had one built and flown across the ocean. The Rex Complex also uses rhodes, pots and pans, metal chairs, acoustic bass, accordion, banjo, feedback, the tortured red voice box, and of course just about anything that sounds good to them. Somehow this wavering deck of cards is pulled off live, although instruments and bodies have come crashing down at times. Rex likes to dance. Their most recent song Johnny Walker Catches Cats is inspired by author Haruki Murakami. Rex Complex - "Refuge on a Front Porch" - Tir 'Na Nog -1/06/07