Exhausted Modern

Exhausted Modern is the discomforting and thought-provoking alias of Ladislav Zensor, a Czech musician, DJ and the head of the Endless Illusion label.

As his moniker suggests, Ladislav is mostly interested in dystopic sonic constructions that rely heavily on analogue technology, industrial feel, rawness of character and digital magic in post. In his musical narratives he observes and abstracts the fata morganas of our civilisation, dissolving them into musical compositions. These owe their influence to all nonconformist genres developed with electronic means, whether it be 80’s Detroit or Holland’s later West Coast scene.

His first full-length album ‘The Year of the Rat’ uses metaphors from the Chinese zodiac calendar to amplify comments on broken societal mechanics, capitalistic hierarchies, and the frustrations of its victims – the people. Despite Exhausted Modern’s dystopian sound, one which ranges from fast melancholia to simmering rage on the LP, there are hints of a brighter future scattered in EM’s musical output or his artistic presence.

His label Endless Illusion is an internationally acclaimed imprint which he co-founded back in 2011. It became a platform for event promotion and music publishing, connecting the Czech scene to the wider world by releasing music from like-minded freaks. With an ever-lasting need to dig deeper, the label has released several records of local electronic music pioneers under the Jupiter 08 sub-series, and Ladislav’s curation of the Endless Illusion mix series brings monthly guest appearances from unsung creators around the world. In 2021 together with Psj, Still Sparkling and Studio Anymade he launched a new music label titled LTE.