In 2005 in a year off from Film School, Alex recorded a solo EP and changed the X in his name to KS for no real reason. The EP proved to be rough but impressive debut. A band was formed solely for the purpose of having a launch for the EP and thus the ramps were formed.
From these unintentional beginnings, Aleks and the Ramps slowly morphed into a “real” band that played regular shows and composed music in a collaborative process. Performances began to feature choreographed dance moves, ill-fitting basketball uniforms, injuries and equipment breakages due to wild stage behaviour accompanying their schizophrenic pop tunes.
“Watch them bust out moves like some wild New york City hipster remake of a Busby Berkley musical" - Shane Moritz, Beat Magazine 2006
In October 2006 they lugged their instruments and a studio-load of recording equipment to a far-flung scout retreat on the violent shores of the mighty southern ocean, the setting conjuring music makings of seascape-like grandeur mingled with cabin fever.
The Album "Pisces Vs. Aquarius" was the wildly disparate result; a marvelously capricious pop record that oscillates between Beach Boys sing-a-longs and Sonic Youth noise freakouts, often within the same verse.
Also there's a Roxette cover.
In Spanish.
The record was released in early 2007 on Cavalier Music, and was met with praise and sometimes confusion but never indifference.
"...tracks Aminals, Rigor Mortis and Brain each spin out a tale of bodily horror, twisting through backwoods banjo and sickly glockenspiel. Intensely claustrophobic, generally starring some dysfunctional couple hell-bent on doing each other damage, the effect is pure American Gothic." - Emmy Hennings, Cyclic Defrost Magazine, 2006
Since its release, they have undertaken two national tours of Australia, and a performed at The Great Escape Festival in Sydney.
At the time of writing, the ramps are in the preliminary stages of another record, rewriting their bio, and sowing the seeds of a trip to North America.
2008
Attack Mode
Tour EP self-released
2007
They're Recording Everything We Say
Single/EP self-released
Pisces Vs. Aquarius
Album, Cavalier Music
Brain
Single, self-released.
2006
33&1/3 compilation
contributed 'Jesse's Girl' & 'No Se Si Es Amor'; Jacana Records
2005
Aleks
EP, self-released