After several years fronting the Winston-Salem, NC-based band Foxture, Marlon Blackmon, aka NEW EX, began recording solo material in 2021 that would later secure his spot as the second artist to join Polychromatic Records. Produced by Travis Dark, Blackmon’s new sound was a radical departure from the dreamy indie rock of his previous projects. Where Foxture was dreamy and lush, NEW EX is a darkly experimental flavor of alternative R&B and hip-hop.

His 2022 debut EP Temporary abounds with a tongue-in-cheek sense of egomania (“Sanity”) and playful toxicity (“Ruin My Life”) that few outside of The Weeknd can get away with. Following on the heels of Temporary, the first half of 2023 saw the releases of the singles “Weightless” and “Demons,” with a new EP landing in 2024.