The Notwist Wed April 16
Berbati’s Pan
Not many bands start out playing scrappy hardcore punk, and end up playing emotive electronic pop. But sometime in the early ’90s, The Notwist made this exact turnaround–and transitioned gracefully. “It was mainly because we changed our taste in music,” explains vocalist/guitarist Markus Acher. “We still like all this punk rock and hardcore stuff, but we just became interested in all different kinds of music.”
With an American mainstream that’s increasingly open-minded in its acceptance of different forms of electronic music–and electronic pop, in particular–Germany’s The Notwist is touring here at the exact right time. Consisting of Acher, his brother Micha on bass, drummer Martin Messerschmidt and electronics expert Martin Gretschmann (also known as Console, a super electronic act released stateside by Matador), the quartet’s erudite pop music is warm and evocative. Sprinkled liberally with subtle acoustic instruments, Acher’s soft vocals, elegant electronic beats and crinkly samples, they’ve got a slightly artier/more experimental bent than the last record from Hood, and far less scrubbed-clean exuberance than the new one from the Postal Service. This is the Notwist’s first American tour in five years. While hugely popular in their native Germany, Acher says, “On the last American tour, we supported Cornelius and there were lots of people but when we toured alone before that, there were only 20 people at every show.”
That’s gonna change real soon. The band’s 2002 release, Neon Golden, was released in the States last month with three bonus tracks–although I know plenty of record nerds who paid upwards of $20 for the import upon its release last summer. Neon Golden is a fantastic example of the increasing emotionalism in electronic music; it tears you apart with its exacting tenderness, from the delicate interplay between vocals, beats, and stringed instruments. Says Acher, “All this computer stuff makes [the music sound] very synthetic, so it’s really hard to express emotions. We try to find sounds and ways of using electronics to make something like tension, between this very synthetic element and the more human element, like voice and acoustic guitar.”
Beyond the poignancy of The Notwist’s violin samples and slippery beats, Acher’s gorgeous, poetic lyrics are simple, proving words don’t have to be overwrought to have a deep resonance. Acher says, “[The lyrics] are abstract, in a way, and distant. Also, because I’m singing in English, I never totally understand every word, so that’s the nature of it. I always try to express my emotions or things that are important to me. I try to transform them into little stories or pictures.
“I guess it mainly comes from our interest in music,” he continues. “Everything that surrounds us inspires us very much, and we want to express things that really affect us. [For example], I’m not too much interested in this strange ’80s revival thing; it doesn’t touch me at all, it’s so much about, I don’t know, cheesy fashion. I think electronics in any music should be like anything else–not like a fashion, or just to make it hip. They should be used like any other instrument: to support the song. It’s not so important that there are electronic elements in our music; we just try to find the right way to express things.”
Considering Neon Golden just made me melt into a giant pile of depressive, weeping muck seeping through the frigging carpet, I’d say the Notwist has this shit pretty well figured out.