If Your Mirror Breaks by The Ex

 

The Ex is a legend, a dynamic hybrid that will soon span 50 years of collective, collaborative and expanding work. Through many personal changes and changes in the style and music itself, they are still here. And what a great comeback it is.

When I was thinking of approaching this album, I thought: maybe a different mindset and different aspects should be highlighted this time, when I will try to describe their music. And I feel even stronger now that the best way to do it is simply story telling, a narrative that is more on pair with literature. My first thought was what Ryszard Kapuscinski once said about learning history through personal stories of individuals from all walks of life but surely someone who has been affected by the history.

Who couldn't tell this tale better than The Ex'ers. 

“reality is shifting / there is no escape”

“I get desperate / I feel the wide washing of death” - those are just two lines that you can hear here on the album. Shattered illusions and shattered ideas of life well lived and other existential aspects are present here in one way or another. Put it in a wider concept of how The Ex has existed in the social space as well as their cultural approach towards blending different elements of music and their experience in this field - and the picture is already deepening and widening.

There is something else in their output and that thing is perseverance and the energy that both sustains it and stems from it. They are impossibly energetic and somewhat through the cracks of pessimism, the realism and optimism re-appears. Maybe we should treat The Ex as a proper ''radio music'' that uplifts and shatters all the negativity. I have had that feeling throughout listening of this album.

Blend ethnic music with crunchy post-punk experimental guitars, polyrhythmic net of  Katherina's drumming along with Arnold's vocals and spoken word poetry. There you go... They are back and will stay here for good.

Katherina Bornefeld - Drums, percussion, vocals

Arnold de Boer - Vocals, guitar

Andy Moor - Guitar

Terrie Hessels - Guitar

Recorded by Jan Schenk @ Schenkstudio, Amsterdam, Dec. 2, 3, 4, 2024 Mixed by The Ex @ Arnold’s Upstairs

Mastered by Bob Weston @ Chicago Mastering Service

Artwork & Lay-out: Emma Fischer

Cover painting: ‘Woeloem’ Hessels

Photos by Geert Vandepoele

Cut by Lex van Coeverden at The Vinyl Room

Pressed by Discomat bvba, Herk-de-Stad (B)

Thanks: Mila-merch & Luc-sound

                                                                     Bandcamp