TerpTerrie Hessels

Emma Fischer and Terrie Hessels

2021

"'IMPROVISING’ is the story of an incredible journey by Emma Fischer (painter, graphic designer, ceramist) and Terrie Hessels (guitar player in The Ex) through 21 countries in Africa. They travelled for a year in an old Land Rover. Not as tourists, but as travellers with an open mind and free attitude, dealing with countless unexpected, unpredictable, sometimes risky, but mainly fascinating and fantastic situations"

Brader Mûsîkî

2020

"The Ex met Kurdish singer Brader Mûsîkî in 1991and asked him, after seeing him play, for the ‘6.Series’. Brader with The Ex as backing band became “6.2“: “Millîtan” and “Cemê Rynê”, plus a booklet with extensive Kurdish history. Between 1991-1993 they did some concerts together... Then, after more than 25 years, they met again. Socially it felt like yesterday. Eating together, telling history, listening to music. - Terrie Ex"

Kaja Draksler & Terrie Ex

2020

"Scrape meets sigh, jagged fish-hook pluck meets sparse wire-damped drizzle, instinct meets intuition, and when the disc is done, it’ll seem quite sensible to dive back in and swim the whole length in reverse. - Bill Meyer, Dusted"

Ken Vandermark & Terrie Ex

2019

"these good friends somehow manage to find “seemingly incompatible tactics that somehow fit together.” The tactics, as the titles often suggest, are quite chaotic, and opt for muscular head-on collisions and jumpy cat-and-mouse games with a raw, in-your-face sound. -Eyal Hareuveni, Free Jazz Blog"

3Musketiere

2019

"A wonderful document of a time long past - Richard Foster, The Quietus"

Jaap Blonk & Terrie Ex

2018

"Don't expect conventional stuff. Let yourself be challenged. Who's Knocking? Well, Jaap Blonk and Terrie Hessels who not only make music very freely, but are also busy with electronics. Friends, musicians among themselves. Very nice album for those who like to be surprised. -Philippe De Cleen, Written in Music"

Lena Hessels

2018

"There is an unsettling darkness at work in Billow. It is not the black romanticism of teenage depression, but the discomfort that pops up at turning points, the discomfort from reading ghost stories, the short gasp when you stare down a cliff. Maybe all hallucinations that seem too real. Despite the bleakness and even hints of violence (bones get broken, curtains burn), the songs retain a slightly surreal vibe and scattered moments of fragile nakedness (“Sunflowerbby”). While many aspiring singer-songwriters attempt to get it all out at once and end up with over-wrought songs that try to convey too much, there’s a refreshing spirit and compactness to these songs. It is an intriguing and inventive series of stories and dreams, set to carefully crafted music. Elusive, suggestive and unvarnished, yet always heavy with a promise of both adventure and unease, because, as Hessels repeats in “Welter”: “Luck is everyone in disorder”. ” -Guy Peters, September 2018"

Getatchew Mekuria

2017

"Getatchew passed away on April 4, 2016 at the age of 81 after a musical career of more than 68 years. As a final tribute The Ex has published this photobook. 168 pages. Four sections of pictures; a selection from Getatchew's private album with historical photos and photos by three very different international photographers — Andy Moor, guitarist in The Ex, Matias Corral and Nick Helderman who came on tour in Europe, America and to Addis Abeba — to document this unique collaboration between Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex & Guests. This photobook is the result of what appears to be an unlikely collaboration between Dutch underground band The Ex and Ethiopian saxophone legend Getatchew Mekuria. The Ex fell in love with an old Getatchew cassette from 1972, and in 2004 they wanted to invite him for their 25th Anniversary Festival. They went to Addis to find him and when they met, Getatchew was up for it right away. The result was a fruitful 10-year collaboration with more than a 100 concerts worldwide, plenty of enthusiastic press and two beautiful CD/LPs. In 2014, because of diabetes, he developed serious problems with his legs and couldn't travel any more. The Ex at that point decided to organise a Celebration of Getatchew Mekuria concert series in Ethiopia, including the National Theatre in Addis Abeba. It sold out. 1500 people came and there was a standing ovation. A truly honourable farewell to a great musician. Soon after this, his health began to deteriorate quickly. The book is co-published by Terp Records and Ex Records (EX 146-B). "