Fex (stylized as FEX) is a German new wave band based and formed in Kiel in late 1983. They are best known for the 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.[1][2][3][4]
Although the band only released a six-track demo tape during their original tenure, keyboard player Michael Hädrich revealed during a RedditAMA 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", a B-side of the tape.[5][6] In December 2024, Hädrich discovered the NDR version of "Subways of Your Mind" in his storage; it was made available for streaming in early 2025.[7]
History
Modulators, formation and original tenure (1980–1988)
Logo, designed c.1983 by Hans-Reimer Sievers
Fex was preceded by a band called Modulators, which formed in the fall of 1980 and consisted of spouses Ture and Ilona Rückwardt, Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Eckert, Norbert Ziermann, Michael Hädrich and Heino R. 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, but disbanded shortly afterwards.[8]
According to guitarist Ture Rückwardt, Fex started 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.[9] The Rückwardts and Eckert were joined by Volker Schenk on bass and Hans-Reimer Sievers on drums. Schenk was replaced by Jörg Lemcke after a short period and Eckert left the band in spring 1984; his replacement was former Modulators bandmate Michael Hädrich. By September 1984, Ilona Rückwardt had gone on maternity leave, prompting Ture Rückwardt 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.[10][11]
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 another former Modulators member, Norbert Ziermann.[12] With this lineup, Fex entered the newly built Hawkeye Studios in Ganderkesee to record a six-track demo tape in November 1984. A newspaper report on this undertaking also mentioned their plans to release a vinyl sometime in spring and tour Northern and Central Germany in March 1985.[12][13] 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[de] in Bruchhausen-Vilsen on May 26.[14][13] Not long after the tour, Hädrich decided to relocate to Munich and left the band.[9] 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.[15][8]
Reunion and Skyscraper (2024–present)
FEX reunites for their performance on NDR, November 7, 2024.
On November 7, 2024, 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.[16][17] 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.[14] The four musicians eventually got together in a Hamburg studio in December, with the recording sessions including a new version of "Subways of Your Mind".[18]
On December 9, Berlin-based label The Outer Edge announced a 7" vinyl release of the original demo 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.[19] 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.[7] Sievers would also announce 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 the 1985 demo 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, and Darius provided the cover art.[20]
↑ 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.]
↑ "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.]
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