Established in 2008, Brussels based label Les Disques Lexi is a reflection of founder Catherine Plenevaux’s immersion in the city’s vibrant underground scene. The label’s output is exclusively comprised of 7"s, embracing the paradoxical limitations and possibilities of the format. Previously only available via sparsely distributed physical discs, the Lexi back catalogue – spanning genres from psychedelic electronica to bedroom pop – has recently been made available digitally via Bandcamp.

This chronological playlist is a snapshot of Les Disques Lexi’s output over the past 16 years. Listen closely and you’ll find connections in these seemingly diverse selections, reflecting Plenevaux’s observation that the records she puts out are “like mushrooms: they emerge from the same underground network, they feed at the same source”.

Benjamin Franklin
“Loupiotes”
From La Pente/Loupiotes (2006)

Where better to start than Les Disques Lexi’s debut release? According to Plenevaux, the Belgian musician Benjamin Franklin encompassed the motivation behind the label: to bring music from Plenevaux’s local scene to a wider audience, on a format that would outlast the cheaper tapes that Franklin was putting out himself. While the A side consists of atmospheric electronic tones, “Loupiotes” is melodic, irresistible Casio pop – like the theme song of a lost psychedelic kids’ TV show.

mudboy
“Thaw”
From music for any speed (2009)

While most of Lexi’s releases are by musicians based in Brussels, some are from visiting musicians, giving an impression of what outside influences the local scene was absorbing at any one time. A key release in this regard is from Providence based solo project mudboy, whose textural fusion of fuzzbox guitars and electronic noodling preempts a number of later releases on the label. A note on Lexi’s Bandcamp tells us that mudboy has since stopped making music, “but still makes fine wines”.

TG
“Les Boissons Gratuites”
From Les Boissons Gratuites/La Nuit Va Recommencer (2010)

Called “quite stylish!” by Byron Coley in his Size Matters column in The Wire 315, this electro-pop duet sees the frankly un-Google-able TG joined by weirdo Brussels stalwart Èlg for a half spoken back and forth. The song’s cheap keyboards and broken beats contribute to a mood that is equally melancholy and gently romantic.

Edgar Wappenhalter
“Gij zult mij allen, allen kennen”
From zingt (2012)

This lo-fi gem from Steve Marreyt, aka Edgar Wappenhalter, is a particularly gothic iteration of his ongoing interpretation of Dutch poetry through heavy, reverb laden folk. Based on the work of Symbolist poet Karel van de Woestijne, the track sees Marreyt’s doomy vocals met by Floris Van Hoof’s fizzing synths – a heady combination. Marreyt’s 2024 album IJsschots Veenlaag Mist is also based on the work of a Dutch writer – activist-poet Sonja Prins – and is well worth checking out.

Disposicion Asoleada
“Bird Songs For Librado Rivera”
From Sigses Saturninos (2017)

Going by this release, it seems ironic that Brussels based Ecuadorian David Jarrín makes music under the name Disposicion Asoleada, Spanish for ‘sunny disposition’. Named in tribute to the Mexican anarchist, “Bird Songs For Librado Rivera” is resolutely subterranean nighttime music, crafted from electronic glitches and squirms – representing the abstract extremity of Lexi’s catalogue.

Alex Deforce
“Zij”
From Zij (2020)

As well as working with established musicians, Lexi is occasionally the home of project debuts, with the 7" format providing a manageable boundary for an artist’s first steps. Poet Alex Deforce had appeared on other musicians’ releases before 2020, but this was his first solo release. On the enigmatic A side (“She” in Dutch) he recites his poetry backed by layered vocalisations by Charlotte Jacobs – at once eerie and sensual.

Charlène Darling
“Non Mon Garçon”
From Non Mon Garçon/Goesting (2022)

This recent release from Belgian solo artist Charlène Darling mixes sass, humour and girl group songwriting, recalling British groups like The Raincoats, Lung Leg and Dolly Mixture, with a French language twist. It’s as candy pink and sugar sweet as her full band recordings, adapted for Lexi into a stripped back and affective arrangement of vocals and drums.

Read Claire Biddles’s full Unlimited Editions report on Les Disques Lexi in The Wire 490. Wire subscribers can also read the article online via the digital magazine library.