Sexepil
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Zoltán Hegyi, Viktor László, Tamás Kocsis, Tibor Vangel |
| Headquarters | Budapest , Hungary |
| Products | Alternative rock music albums and singles |
Sexepil is an alternative rock group from Budapest, Hungary, known within the Hungarian indie music scene. Established in 1984 by Zoltán Hegyi, Viktor László, Tamás Kocsis, and Tibor Vangel, the band rapidly earned a devoted following in Budapest's musical circles.
Etymology
The band's name, originally styled as Sex-E-Pil, merges inspiration from the English punk ensemble Sex Pistols with the abbreviation derived from Johnny Rotten's project Public Image Ltd.
History
Sexepil emerged in 1984, formed by members hailing from the punk outfit ETA (Kocsis and László) and the art rock band ZOO (Hegyi and Vangel). Their musical style incorporated elements influenced by artists such as David Bowie, Talking Heads, The Cure, and Joy Division. They cultivated a loyal fan base through frequent live shows across Budapest's club scene.
Egyesült Álmok
In 1988, their debut album Egyesült Álmok was released under Ring Records, one of Hungary’s pioneering independent labels. This record is regarded as a significant contribution to the period’s music landscape. Alongside touring domestically, they also performed successful concerts in Kiev, Ukraine, and Paris, France. After the departure of founding vocalist Zoltán Hegyi in 1989, Dutch singer Mick Ness joined the lineup.
...bi...
With Mick Ness as lead vocalist, Sexepil became among Hungary's earliest bands to perform primarily in English, initially encountering some opposition from their core fanbase. They quickly resumed live gigs and issued a live recording titled …bi…. Their first English-language studio album, Love Jealousy Hate, was released in 1990 on Polygram’s Nature label.
Love Jealousy Hate
This album saw vinyl releases in Germany and the Netherlands. Distribution across former Soviet states was handled by Lithuanian label Zona Records, prompting extensive tours throughout the region. In summer 1992, Sexepil appeared at New York City’s New Music Seminar and toured the Baltic states during that winter season.
Against Nature
Sexepil’s third album, Against Nature, was issued in 1993 through T3 Records and included the popular track Eroding Europe, which gained significant airplay on Music Television’s program 120 minutes. VJ Paul King cited Sexepil among his preferred bands. That year also saw them touring Europe alongside The Sugarcubes and making their debut at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.
Sugar for the Soul
In 1995, Sugar for the Soul was released via Warner Music Group. The recording took place in Budapest, with mixing completed at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. Production credits include Brian Anderson as co-producer and mastering by Howie Weinberg in New York City. Distributed globally through Warner Bros, one critic described the album as “Beatles in blender.”
Following production completion, Sexepil toured across the United States, performing at both SXSW and New York City's iconic venue CBGB. The single Jerusalem along with its music video received substantial rotation on MTV’s 120 Minutes and Alternative Nation. They headlined Sziget Festival’s main stage and secured three Arany Zsiráf awards recognizing best album, best video clip, and best cover art. Despite these achievements, the band entered an almost ten-year hiatus period, making occasional appearances at Sziget Festival in 2001 and 2006.
Your Scream Is Music
In 2007, Mick Ness, the band's lead vocalist, exited due to scheduling conflicts and diminishing motivation. Following auditions and evaluation of regional artists, drummer Tibor Vangel stepped up as the frontman after his vocal demo recordings were discovered. The recording process commenced in 2008 but extended over nearly six years until completion.
In June 2012, Sexepil briefly reunited with their original singer Zoltan Hegyi for a series of well-received concerts across Hungary, including an appearance at the Volt Festival in Sopron. Subsequently, the band continued developing their new album.
Mixing was handled by Dávid Schram, while mastering took place in Los Angeles under Gavin Lurssen's expertise. The single Rat King was unveiled on YouTube on November 11, 2014. The full album Your Scream Is Music was released digitally on November 17, 2014, followed by CD and double gatefold vinyl editions a month later.
The Acoustic Sessions
In 2017, Sexepil issued an acoustic EP through the Hungarian label Grund Records. This release comprises five reinterpreted tracks from their previous works alongside a new song titled "Disillusion," co-created with former vocalist Mick Ness. Anesz Szalai contributes lead vocals on two selections. The EP is accessible on CD, vinyl, and digital platforms.
Band members
- Current lineup
- Tamás Kocsis – guitar and backing vocals (1984–present)
- Tibor Vangel – drums, vocals, guitar, programming (1984–present)
- Zsolt Ábrahám – guitar (2012, 2016–present)
- Past members
- László Viktor – bass and backing vocals (1984–2016)
- Mick Ness – vocals and guitar (1989–2007)
- Zoltán Hegyi – vocals (1984–1989)
- Endre Deák – guitar (2001–2016)
- János Fazekas – guitar (1984–1986)
- Gábor Varga – keyboards and samplers (1991–2001)
- Judit Lőrincz – keyboards (2001–2007)
- Csaba Mosonyi – bass and keyboards (1983–1986)
- Zoltán Farkas – keyboards (1988)
- Miklós Csala – guitar (1986)
- Touring musicians
- Anesz Szalai – vocals (2014–present)
- Dávid Nagy – drums (2015–present)
- Ákos Örményi – bass (2016–present)
- Bence Bátor – drums (2017–present)
- Árpád Kiss – trumpet (2015–present)
- Zoltán Demeter – bass (2017)
- Ferenc Golovics – drums (2014–2015)
Timeline
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bar:Kocsis text:"Tamás Kocsis" bar:Vangel text:"Tibor Vangel" bar:László text:"Viktor László" bar:Deák text:"Endre Deák" bar:Ness text:"Mick Ness" bar:Hegyi text:"Zoltán Hegyi" bar:Varga text:"Gábor Varga" bar:Csala text:"Miklós Csala" bar:Lőrincz text:"Judit Lőrincz" bar:Mosonyi text:"Csaba Mosonyi" bar:Farkas text:"Zoltán Farkas" bar:Fazekas text:"János Fazekas"
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</timeline>
Discography
- Albums
- Egyesült Álmok (Ring, 1988)
- ',,,bi... (cassette exclusive, WeAst, 1990)
- Love Jealousy Hate (Polygram, 1991)
- Against Nature (WeAst, 1993)
- Sugar for the Soul (Warner, 1995)
- Your Scream Is Music (2014)
- The Acoustic Sessions (Grund Records, 2017)
- Singles
- Jerusalem (1995)
- Compilations
- Nap Nap Fesztivál (1992)
- Human Telex (1992)
- Magyar Narancs (1995)
- Biturbo (2006)
- Remixes
- Mixepil - The Remixes (Warner, 1997)
- Egyesült Álmok reissue with bonus tracks (1G, 1997, 2009)
Videos
- Igazi Zöld
- Angel
- Somewhere
- Bliss
- Nobody is an Island
- Eroding Europe
- Eroding Europe (XPC Mix)
- Jerusalem
- I Come
- Rat King (2014)
- Dormant (2015)
- Go Away (2016)
- The Wind (2017)
- Your Little Revolution (2017)