Fex (band)

FEX
FEX in 1984
Background information
Also known asModulators (1980-1983)
OriginKiel, West Germany
Genres
Years active
  • 1980–1988
  • 2024–present
LabelThe Outer Edge
Members
  • Michael Hädrich
  • Ture Rückwardt
  • Norbert Ziermann
Past members
  • Hans-Reimer Sievers
  • Ilona Rückwardt
  • Dirk Reichardt
  • Jörg Lemcke
  • Volker Schenk
  • Karl-Heinz Eckert
  • Manfred Fox
  • Heino R.
Websitefex-band.com

FEX is a German post-punk and new wave band based and formed in Kiel in October 1980[1], best known for their song "Subways of Your Mind", also known as "The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet", the subject of a 17-year-long internet search to identify the song title and original artist.[2][3][4][5]

Although the band only released a six-track tape during their original tenure, keyboard player Michael Hädrich revealed during a Reddit AMA that FEX "had songs for a full 2 set concert". One of the tape's songs, "Jenny", also appeared on the compilation album Zeus Top Hits in 1985. Fex reformed in the wake of the search for "Subways of Your Mind" and began releasing more songs in late 2024, the first being "Goldrush".[6][7] In December 2024, Hädrich discovered the NDR version of "Subways of Your Mind" in his storage; it was made available for streaming in January 2025.[8]

History

Formation and original tenure (1980–1988)

In 1978, German musician Ture Rückwardt formed a band named Sunshine Caravan. Even though most of the line-up is unknown today, it is known that Ture was doing vocals and guitars, in association with a woman named Regina.

2 years later, Ture disbands Sunshine Caravan to create Modulators in the fall of 1980, and which initially consisted of Ture Rückwardt on guitar and vocals, Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Eckert on keyboard, Norbert Ziermann on bass, and Ture's cousin Manfred Fox on drums. The band was reconfigured a year later, adding Ture's wife Ilona as a vocalist, adding Michael Hädrich as a second keyboardist, and replacing Manfred on drums with Heino R.[1]

Modulators combined German lyrics with elements of new wave, punk, and electronic music. They released a four-track vinyl titled Hygiene Hygiene Hygiene in 1982.[9] Michael, Norbert, and Heino all left the band shortly afterwards. The band did not add a second keyboardist to replace Michael, but Norbert and Heino were replaced with Volker Schenk and Hans-Reimer Sievers, respectively.[10]

In 1983, Modulators changed their name to FEX[10] and started rehearsing in a rehearsal room in the Heikendorf industrial area. The band name derives from the Southern German slang word Fex, akin to "zealot" or "nerd", describing someone passionately enthusiastic about something.[11] Eckert left the band in the fall of 1983, and Volker left to join a jazz band shortly afterward. Kalle and Volker's replacements were Michael Hädrich and Jörg Lemcke. Michael also played guitar for the band. By September 1984, Ilona Rückwardt had gone on maternity leave, prompting Ture to become lead vocalist, with Hädrich providing backing vocals and second guitar in addition to keyboards. FEX started to gain more exposure outside Kiel with their participation in the Newcomer Show music competition, which was hosted in 1984 by radio and television personality Manfred Sexauer and organized by Hamburg-based insurance broker Zeus. The competition was held nationwide, FEX performed in September at the Glocke concert hall in Bremen and managed to beat seven other bands. One of the rewards was the contribution of a track to the Top-Hits compilation album released in April 1985. The band decided on "Jenny", which they recorded at Planet Wave Studio.[12][13]

Not long after the Newcomer Show performance, Lemcke decided to depart, as the band's growing professional commitments clashed with his university studies. He was replaced by Norbert Ziermann, formerly of Modulators.[14] With this lineup, FEX entered the newly built Hawkeye Studios in Ganderkesee to record a six-track tape in November 1984. A newspaper report on this undertaking also mentioned their plans to release a vinyl record sometime in spring and tour Northern and Central Germany in March 1985.[14][15] While a vinyl release did not materialize, the band toured various venues across Germany from March to May. The tour culminated in an appearance as the opening act of the Bruchhausen-Festival in Bruchhausen-Vilsen on May 26.[16][15] Not long after the tour, Hädrich decided to relocate to Munich and left the band.[11] FEX continued with a varying constellation of band members, most notably Dirk Reichardt as Hädrich's replacement and the return of Ilona Rückwardt as vocalist, but eventually disbanded in 1988.[17][9]

In the 1990s, The Rückwardts formed a new band named Raindogs, which FEX's original bassist Volker Schenk joined as well. While a photo of a CD the band released in 1994 has surfaced, the songs themselves have not.[18]

Reunion and Skyscraper (2024–present)

On November 4, 2024, the song "Subways of Your Mind", also known as "The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet", was identified as being from FEX. On November 7, Rückwardt, Hädrich and Ziermann reunited to perform a live acoustic version of "Subways of Your Mind" on German radio station NDR 1 Welle Nord. This was the band's first performance since dissolving in 1988.[19][20] On November 8, Sievers contacted NDR 1 for an interview after reading about the band's reunion in a local newspaper, and was subsequently put in contact with the other band members.[16] The four musicians eventually got together recording sessions in a Hamburg studio on December, including a new version of "Subways of Your Mind".[21]

On December 9, Berlin-based label The Outer Edge announced a 7" vinyl release of the original version of "Subways of Your Mind" as a single, with "Heart in Danger" on the B-side, for a January 2025 release. It was put up for pre-order on the label's Bandcamp page on December 12.[22] The digital version of the single was released on the 20th. On Christmas Day 2024, a tape containing the original NDR version of "Subways of Your Mind" was found by the band and made available on streaming platforms in January.[8] Sievers announced shortly after that he would be leaving FEX due to personal and family commitments.

On May 16, 2025, The Outer Edge announced FEX's full-length debut album Skyscraper for release on July 8, containing remastered versions of all six songs from their six-track tape and three new tracks, "Skyscraper", "Strange Feeling" and "Dirty Slapstick", also recovered from original 1980s recordings. The original 1984 recording of "Subways of Your Mind" from the cassette owned by Darius S., whose sister Lydia had initiated the search for the track, was also included as a bonus track. Darius also made the cover art for the album.[23]

On January 23, 2026, a NDR report on television announced that FEX is working on a new album of original songs for the first time since 1988[24].

Band members

Current members[17]

  • Michael Hädrich – keyboards, vocals, guitar (1981–1982; 1984–1985; 2024–present)
  • Ture Rückwardt – composer, vocals, guitar (1980–1988; 2024–present)
  • Norbert Ziermann – bass (1980–1982; 1984–1988; 2024–present)

Former members[17]

  • Hans-Reimer Sievers – drums (1982–1988; 2024–2025)
  • Ilona Rückwardt – vocals (1980–1984; 1986–1988)[25]
  • Dirk Reichardt – keyboards (1985–1988)[26]
  • Jörg Lemcke – bass (1983–1984)[27][28]
  • Volker Schenk – bass (1982-1983)[29][17]
  • Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Eckert – keyboards (1980–1983)[29][17]
  • Manfred Fox – drums (1980-1981)
  • Heino R. – drums (1981-1982)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Label
2025 Skyscraper: Waves from the Past The Outer Edge

EPs

Year Title Notes
1985 FEX Cassette containing studio recordings[30] sold at live shows
2025 More Waves from the Past Limited-edition EP, bundled with the Skyscraper album[31]

Singles

Year Title Notes
1985 "Jenny" On compilation album Zeus Top-Hits
2024[32] "Subways of Your Mind"

b/w "Heart in Danger"

2024[33] "Subways of Your Mind" (live) Recorded in May 1985 at the Roxi in Paderborn
2025[34] "Subways of Your Mind" (original version of TMMS) Original version that aired on NDR
2025[35] "Subways of Your Mind" (TMMS version)

b/w "Talking Hands"

2025[36] "Dead End"

b/w "Sarah", "Promise"

All featuring vocalist Ilona Rückwardt

Other known songs

  • "Right and Wrong"[37]
  • "Hard Ride"[37]
  • "Second Hand Love"[37]
  • "Influence"[37]
  • "Talk About"[37]
  • "Killing Joke"[37]
  • "Epcot"[37]
  • "Waiting Song"[27]
  • "Don't Call Me Loser"[27]
  • "We Don't Want It No More"

References

  1. ^ a b "Karl Eckert (Kalle) - Early FEX Lineup". www.reddit.com. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Blistein, Jon (5 November 2024). "Case Closed: One of the internet's biggest musical mysteries has likely been solved". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 November 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024. A "lost" New Wave track stumping listeners for over 15 years was identified as "Subways of Your Mind" by the German band FEX
  3. ^ Davis, Wes (5 November 2024). "Reddit sleuths track down the band behind the internet's most mysterious song". The Verge. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024. Now we know that the song is called "Subways Of the Mind" by a band named FEX. Here's a recording provided by Michael Hädrich, a 68-year-old former band member.
  4. ^ Böhm, Markus; Kleinz, Torsten (5 November 2024). "Netzrätsel nach Jahren gelöst: Hinter dem »geheimnisvollsten Lied des Internets« steckt eine deutsche Band" [Internet mystery solved after years: A German band is behind the "most mysterious song on the Internet".]. Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 6 November 2024. Es ist ein historischer Tag. Nicht etwa wegen der US-Wahl. Sondern, weil etwas anderes geschehen ist, das sich für einige Menschen offenbar ähnlich weltbewegend anfühlt: Das Geheimnis um den »most mysterious Song on the Internet«, und damit eines der bekanntesten Netzrätsel überhaupt, ist gelüftet worden. Nach 17 Jahren. [It's a historic day. Not because of the US election. But because something else happened that apparently felt equally earth-shattering to some people: The secret of the "most mysterious song on the Internet," and thus one of the most famous online mysteries of all time, has been revealed. After 17 years.]
  5. ^ "Band Fex war's - aus Kiel. Rätsel um mysteriösen Internet-Song aus den 80ern gelöst" [It was the band Fex - from Kiel. Mystery of mysterious internet song from the 80s solved]. Süddeutsche_Zeitung (in German). 7 November 2024. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024. In den 80ern läuft in einer jungen Radiosendung ein Synthie-Pop-Song mit coolem Sound und markanter tiefer Stimme. Jahrzehnte später sucht eine Frau im Internet die Macher – und löst einen Hype aus. [In the 80s, a young radio show played a synth-pop song with a cool sound and distinctive deep voice. Decades later, a woman searched the internet for the makers – and triggered a hype.]
  6. ^ a b MysteryDX7_Official (11 November 2024). "I am Michael Hädrich from FEX (keyboards, guitar, vocals). AMA". r/TheMysteriousSong. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  7. ^ FEX band (21 November 2024). Goldrush. Archived from the original on 22 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ a b Jänisch, Julia (16 January 2025). "FEX: Originalaufnahme des "Most Mysterious Song" gefunden". NDR (in German). Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  9. ^ a b FEX band (3 July 2025). FEX Promise #fex #fexband #tmms #fexskyscraper #lostwave #postpunk #newwave. Retrieved 3 July 2025 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ a b "Reddit - The heart of the internet". www.reddit.com. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  11. ^ a b "Kommt aus Kiel: "The most mysterious song on the Internet"". Kieler Nachrichten. 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Das Konventionelle dominierte". Weser-Kurier (in German). 21 September 1984.
  13. ^ "Zeus-Show nach bewährtem Muster". Der Spiegel (in German). 26 February 1984. ISSN 2195-1349. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Rock mit Wave und vielen Elementen des Pop". Nordwest-Zeitung (in German). 19 January 1985.
  15. ^ a b Casiello, Pete; Hädrich, Michael (11 November 2024). "After Hours Café". WRDV-FM. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via SgtStevePH on YouTube.
  16. ^ a b Jänisch, Julia (8 November 2024). ""The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet": Band FEX nach 40 Jahren wieder komplett". NDR (in German). Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d e Comfortable_Glow (10 January 2025). "Timeline Correction". r/TheMysteriousSong. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  18. ^ "Raindogs, CD Release from Türe Rückwardt 1994". www.reddit.com. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  19. ^ x0jony (7 November 2024). FEX – Subways Of Your Mind (Live @ NDR 1). Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ Synowski, Lisa (7 November 2024). ""The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet" von Kieler Band im Radio". NDR (in German). Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  21. ^ "FEX - "Subways of your mind" ZDF interview and new version recording!". ZDF. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  22. ^ "Subways Of Your Mind (Like The Wind) [Official], by FEX". The Outer Edge. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  23. ^ FEX (8 July 2025). Skyscraper (CD). Berlin: The Outer Edge. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  24. ^ https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/abendschau/sendung-23-01-2026-alles-was-bayern-bewegt/br/Y3JpZDovL2JyLmRlL2Jyb2FkY2FzdC9GMjAyNVdPMDE3NDkwQTA
  25. ^ FEX band (3 July 2025). FEX Promise #fex #fexband #tmms #fexskyscraper #lostwave #postpunk #newwave. Retrieved 3 July 2025 – via YouTube.
  26. ^ Fuchs, Burkhard (9 January 2010). "Deutschlands beste Filmmusik wird in Bönningstedt produziert". www.abendblatt.de (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  27. ^ a b c Safe-Escape-6050 (10 December 2024). "Never heard before: the practice room version of Subways of Your Mind". r/TheMysteriousSong. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  28. ^ ComLog Werbung. PR. Visuelle Kommunikation (10 December 2024). FEX Subways of Your Mind Heikendorf. Retrieved 10 December 2024 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ a b hans_im_gluegg (21 April 2025). "I have got a flyer (…". r/TheMysteriousSong. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  30. ^ "Reddit - The heart of the internet". www.reddit.com. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  31. ^ Fex - More Waves From The Past, June 2025, retrieved 3 October 2025
  32. ^ Fex - Subways Of Your Mind, 20 December 2024, retrieved 3 October 2025
  33. ^ Fex - Subways Of Your Mind (Live), 26 December 2024, retrieved 3 October 2025
  34. ^ Fex - Subways Of Your Mind, 13 January 2025, retrieved 3 October 2025
  35. ^ Fex - Subways Of Your Mind, 14 March 2025, retrieved 3 October 2025
  36. ^ "Dead End, by FEX". The Outer Edge. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
  37. ^ a b c d e f g "We played "Jenny", w…". 12 November 2024.
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