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"The Map and the Territory" is the sixth studio album from local group EXEK, formed by Albert Wolski. He describes it as ‘‘perhaps less ambitious than some previous EXEK releases. In a positive way, obviously’’. It's both a distillation and expansion of the band's sound, spanning punk, dub, no wave, hip hop, jazz, soul, and even classical arrangements.

The album title echoes the phrase "the map is not the territory" popularized by Alfred Korzybski, a Polish-American philosopher and scientist interested in differences between reality and our perceptions and representations of it. EXEK also lean heavily into exploration and interrogation, and here they challenge their own musical boundaries even more, charting new sonic terrain.

The band have said they aimed toward a "greater focus on songcraft, where elongated jams play second fiddle to choruses and hooks." Tracks like 'Seamstress Requires Regular Breaks' embody this change, transitioning between jazz-funk drumrolls and post-punk marches. Songs such as 'Welcome to my Alibi' and 'Glow of Good Will' interlace the influences of 90's hip-hop and R&B, serving as bridges between genres. Connecting it all are the distinctive elements that define EXEK's sound, such as the dubbed drums, robotic guitars, and deep synthesizer melodies.

For the chance to win a vinyl copy of this week's Album Of The Week, Triple R subscribers can enter here before Sunday 18 October 2023. We have a prize policy of 1 album per subscriber per month so we can share the love and make it fair for all!