Exit Oz is a contemporary jazz project from Timisoara, Romania. It was started when former bassist, guitarist and vocalist, Alexandru Iovan, started playing the tenor saxophone, in 2011. The actual formation of the project happened when he asked for support from Ovidiu Zimcea in recording and adding samples to some of his ideas, thus giving birth to the Apartment Sessions, which spawned later on into the band’s first album.
“Împământenit”, the debut LP, was released locally in May 2014 at Sinagoga din Cetate in Timișoara and internationally in July at Gărâna Jazz Festival to great critical acclaim. It focuses on the love-hate relationship with the composer’s place of origin and in doing so, it takes influence from the local folklore both in paraphrasing traditional ritualistic themes and in the conceptual narrative that it develops.