Whatever happened to The Notwist?

[Davey]

That's really all, no more, just wondering, Neon Golden was so good that I figured it would be a stepping stone to more future greatness, and thought they would be ready. But it's been 5 years, hasn't it? Too many other projects? Back in the 70s David Bowie put out a new record every year, and he was stoned on stardust most of that time. C'mon Markus, I want some more Consequence.

[3-LockBox]

I agree, Neon Golden is a great album and it has stayed in rotation, though I only bought it last year. Has it been 5 years since they put out an album?

[Mike]

Good post, just done a bit of digging on the web and came up with this. Although didn't they used to be a thrash metal band? hope they haven't gone back to their roots.

Cheers
Mike

http://jbreitling.blogspot.com/2008/...05216982087060

Bradley's Almanac's excellent 2008 preview contains some particularly exciting news for us: there will be a new Notwist record this spring. At least according to the Notwist-Ultras.com blog, which we had never encountered before. A post there in late November reported that the recording was completed and that the set was being mastered in November and December 2007. The name of the new set, which will be The Notwist's sixth, has not yet been disclosed, but it will likely be released by City Slang in April or May. Longtime fans will be interested to note that founding drummer Martin Messerschmidt has left The Notwist, and that drumming in the new record was executed by Masha Qrella and Saroos timekeeper Andreas Haberl. Mr. Haberl will also drum on planned German tour dates. We reviewed the excellent DVD "On | Off The Record," which memorialized the making of Notwist's superlative 2002 set Neon Golden, right here last February.

[Davey]

A post there in late November reported that the recording was completed and that the set was being mastered in November and December 2007. The name of the new set, which will be The Notwist's sixth, has not yet been disclosed, but it will likely be released by City Slang in April or May.

Wow, that is good news. Hope they mastered this new one like Neon Golden, at Abbey Road by oldtimer Chris Blair. That one has a really nice sound, just about perfect for the music. Let me see now, who else do I want some news about ....

Can you tell me what's cooking on that new Hellsayers record!!??

[nobody]

Cool...should be interesting. You ever hear that Masha Qrella album came out maybe the year after Neon Golden? Similar vibe. The drummer should fit in fine.

[Davey]

You ever hear that Masha Qrella album came out maybe the year after Neon Golden? Similar vibe.

Never heard about that one, thanks. Hood's Cold House is a big favorite from the same time, actually just before maybe. Always remain linked in my head. The Hood album is colder as the title would suggest, and not as warm sounding recording-wise either, but quite similar. Funny, knew we had talked about it some back in the day so just did a google and a pretty cool thread popped up, started by our buddy Jim Clark. Lots of good old faces you don't see any more, hope they are all doing well and having fun ... (btw, best to click on View->Page Style->No Style if using Mozilla to make it more readable) ...

http://archive.audioreview.com/10/0EF67574.php

[Jim Clark]

Apparently they made so much money off Davey inspired RR purchases of Neon Golden that they didn't need a second album before now. Must be nice.

Seems I recall something on Metacritic last year that made mention of a 2007 Notwist release that obviously got massively delayed. Glad to see it wasn't vanquished to a vault somewhere.

jc

[3-LockBox]

Although didn't they used to be a thrash metal band? hope they haven't gone back to their roots.

You know, I wondered about that. A former co-worker saw my Notwist CD one day and wanted to borrow it, seemingly excited about seeing that they had done a new album. He brought the CD back and said he "didn't think it was the same band". He said The Notwist he was familiar with had a Nirvana-like sound. He said, "these guys sound like some indie-pop band".

[Davey]

Cool, like what Mike said, just saw a post today over at I Love Music about it ...

... some news are public now. last week berlin-pop-journalist walter wacht had the chance to listen to notwist’s new record, which is still untitled and will be released on cityslang on Mai 2, 2008. the new record was mastered at the famous abbey road studios in london, uk (notwist’s 2002 record “neon golden” got also it’s mastering there). the record has 11 tracks, a total playtime of only 42 minutes and the to be confirmed tracklist is looking like that:

The Notwist - “untitled“:

01. Good Lies
02. Where In This World
03. Gloomy Planets
04. Alphabet
05. The Devil, You & Me
06. Gravity
07. Sleep
08. On Planet Off
09. Boneless
10. Hands On Us
11. Gone Gone Gone

[Davey]

Hey! Guess we must've triggered some Notwist action cause the new single is all over the web today, even mentioned on the AMG front page blog (which seems about as far as you can get at that site these days). Cool, in an understated electro-organic fashionably late kind of way...

http://stereogum.com/archives/mp3/ne...es_008334.html

[3-LockBox]

You know what, I found a copy of an older Notwist CD, at the used store, and damned if they weren't grunge. Its called Nook and its from 1992, so these guys have been around a long time, unless of course there was another band called The Notwist back then. I didn't pick up the CD...it didn't appeal to me.

[bobsticks]

Came across the "Neon Golden" in the used bins for three dollars...best three bucks I've spent in a hot minute...as good as Vampire Weekend and mops up the cuts I heard off the Malkmus record.

Thanks Monkey-D for continuing your run as master of timely, obscure references.