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''Exmilitary'', also known as ''Ex Military'', is the debut
mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
by American
alternative hip-hop Alternative hip-hop (also known as alternative rap and experimental hip-hop) is a subgenre of hip-hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising "hip-hop group ...
band
Death Grips Death Grips is an American experimental hip-hop band formed in 2010 in Sacramento, California. The group consists of producers Zach Hill (drums), Andy Morin (keyboard), and vocalist Stefan Burnett, also known as MC Ride. Though he is not the ...
, released for free on April 25, 2011, through the band's website.


Background

The mixtape was released for free through Death Grips' official website, thirdworlds.net, on April 25, 2011. It later appeared on the net label Grindcore Karaoke. It was simultaneously released through
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
. The track "
Guillotine A guillotine ( ) is an apparatus designed for effectively carrying out executions by Decapitation, beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secur ...
" was released through iTunes on August 3, 2011. "Guillotine" has become one of the band's most recognized songs. Other tracks released with music videos include "Known for it", "Culture Shock", "Lord of the Game", "Spread Eagle Cross the Block", "Takyon (Death Yon)", and "Beware". According to Andy Morin, the cover art is a photograph that an undisclosed Death Grips member "carried in their wallet for roughly 10 years straight ..it's a power object". It was eventually identified as "Bearded Man at
Oenpelli Gunbalanya (also spelt Kunbarlanja, and historically referred to as Oenpelli) is a town in west Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia, about east of Darwin. The main language spoken in the community is Kunwinjku (a dialect of Bin ...
", a photo of an
Aboriginal Australian Aboriginal Australians are the various indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, excluding the ethnically distinct people of the Torres Strait Islands. Humans first migrated to Australia 50,000 to 65,000 year ...
man taken by Douglass Baglin in 1968 for his and David R. Moore's book ''The Dark Australians''. Due to the samples used in ''Exmilitary'' not being cleared, the mixtape was later removed from streaming services and released exclusively through the band's website in vinyl, CD, and cassette formats. However, the single "Guillotine" remains on streaming services. On May 1, 2025, ''Exmilitary'' was reissued on vinyl by record label Ormolycka, who had also pressed the original
cassette tape The Compact Cassette, also commonly called a cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog audio, analog magnetic tape recording format for Sound recording and reproduction, audio recording and playback. Invented by L ...
s for the band. The limited edition run featured a remix of "Guillotine" by Burqa Boyz as a bonus track.


Critical reception

The mixtape has received universal acclaim from critics. On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
it has a score of 82 out of 100 based on reviews from 7 critics. In one very positive review, John Calvert of '' Drowned in Sound'' focused on the mentality of the character that the album revolves around and how it reflects the inner nature of man, citing the lyricism and sound production as being focal points around this sound and style. Nate Patrin of ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'' gave ''Exmilitary'' a 7.5, describing the mixtape as "a bludgeoning slab of hostility" that avoids being an "overbearing mess".


''Black Google''

On September 8, 2011, the band released a teaser video for an upcoming project titled ''Black Google''. It was later released on the band's website for free and revealed to be all of the instrumentals, stems, and acapellas for fans to remix and record with. The cover of ''Black Google'' features a heavily darkened version of the cover of ''Exmilitary'' with the word "Exmilitary" replaced with "Black Google". ''Black Google'', for the band itself, is a "portal to the deconstruction of Exmilitary."


Track listing


Sample credits

* "Beware" contains excerpts of Charles Manson's "I Make the Money Man" interview, samples of "Up the Beach", written and performed by
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The band's best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro. Jane's Addicti ...
and samples of "God Is Watching You", performed by Dickie Burton. * "Spread Eagle Cross the Block" contains elements of " Rumble", written by
Link Wray Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr. (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who became popular in the late 1950s. His 1958 Instrumental rock, instrumental single "Rumble (instrumental), Rumble", reached the ...
and Milt Grant, and performed by Link Wray and His Men, and samples of "
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" (shortened to "Fight for Your Right" on album releases) is a song by American hip hop/rap rock group Beastie Boys, released as the fourth single from their debut album '' Licensed to Ill'' (1986). O ...
" and "
Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term ''girl'' has other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.com, "Girl"'' Retrieved January 2, 2008. ''daughter'' or ''girlfriend'' regardless of age, ...
", written and performed by the
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
. * "Lord of the Game" contains samples of "The Ditty", performed by Blue Devils, a sample of " Brass Monkey", written and performed by the Beastie Boys, and a vocal sample of "
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
", written and performed by
the Crazy World of Arthur Brown The Crazy World of Arthur Brown are an English rock music, rock band formed by singer Arthur Brown (musician), Arthur Brown in 1967. The original band included Vincent Crane (Hammond organ and piano), Drachen Theaker (drums), and Nick Greenwoo ...
. * "Takyon (Death Yon)" contains samples of "The Ditty", performed by Blue Devils, a sample of "Supertouch / Shitfit", written and performed by
Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American punk rock band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1976. They are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this term to describe their music. They are also an ade ...
and a sample of "A Who Seh Me Dun", written and performed by
Cutty Ranks Philip Thomas (born 12 February 1965), better known as Cutty Ranks, is a Jamaican dancehall singer. Biography Thomas was born in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica in 1965. He began his career as a reggae artist at the age of ...
. * "Cut Throat (Instrumental)" contains samples of "Move Somethin'", written and performed by
2 Live Crew 2 Live Crew is an American hip hop group from Miami, Florida, formed in 1984. The group was originally composed of DJ Mr. Mixx (David Hobbs), Fresh Kid Ice (Christopher Wong Won), and Amazing Vee (Yuri Vielot), though its most well-known lineup ...
and samples of "Death Grips (Next Grips)" written and performed by Death Grips. * "Klink" contains elements of "Rise Above" written and performed by Black Flag and a sample of "
Liar Liar ''Liar Liar'' is a 1997 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur. It stars Jim Carrey as a lawyer who built his entire career on lying but finds himself cursed to speak only the truth fo ...
", written and performed by the Castaways. * "Culture Shock" contains a sample of " The Supermen (Alternative)", written and performed by
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
and samples of a text to speech translator. * "5D" contains samples of a text to speech translator and samples of "
West End Girls "West End Girls" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the song was released twice as a single. The song's lyrics are concerned with class and the pressures of inner-city life in London wh ...
", written and performed by
Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...
. * "Thru the Walls" contains elements taken from the movie '' Space Is the Place'' (1974), a sample of a
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
video titled "Mental Health Hotline", a sample of " Gettin' High in the Mornin'", written and performed by Ariel Pink and the Haunted Graffiti, and took the sounds of a "Combine Soldier" from video game ''
Half-Life 2 ''Half-Life 2'' is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It was published for Windows on Valve's digital distribution service, Steam. Like the original ''Half-Life'' (1998), ''Half-Life 2'' is played ent ...
'' (2004). * "Known for It" contains elements taken from the 1986 short animated film ''Quest: A Long Ray's Journey Into Light'' and samples of "De Futura", written and performed by
Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma (sometimes colloquially but incorrectly referred to as ''lava'') is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also ...
. * "I Want It I Need It (Death Heated)" contains elements of "
Interstellar Overdrive "Interstellar Overdrive" is an instrumental composition written and performed by the English rock band Pink Floyd. The song was written in 1966 and is on their 1967 debut album, '' The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'', clocking in at almost ten min ...
" and "
Astronomy Domine "Astronomy Domine" (alternative "Astronomy Dominé") is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd. The song, written and composed by the original vocalist/guitarist Syd Barrett, is the opening track on their debut album, ''The Piper at the Ga ...
", both written and performed by
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
.


Personnel

Death Grips *
MC Ride Stefan Corbin Burnett, better known by his stage name MC Ride or simply Ride, is an American rapper, songwriter, poet, and visual artist. He is the vocalist of experimental hip hop group Death Grips. He began his career in the late 1990s, befor ...
– vocals *
Zach Hill Zachary Charles Hill (born December 28, 1979) is an American multi-instrumentalist and visual artist. He is best known as the drummer and co-producer of the groups Death Grips, and the I.L.Y's, and as the drummer of math rock band Hella. Ear ...
– drums, percussion, production * Andy Morin – keyboards, programming, production * Mexican Girl – additional vocals (4)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Exmilitary 2011 mixtape albums Self-released mixtape albums Death Grips albums Albums free for download by copyright owner Rap rock albums by American artists