Subtle Sounds
* The Notwist: Intro (1.0 mb) | (unknown) (3.5 mb) | One With The Freaks (8.5 mb) | Pick Up The Phone (8.5 mb)
From Live In Vancouver : 2004
For a long time, I’ve been hearing about this German band, The Notwist but never really got to hear them. For some reason, I’ve always lumped them together with the Anticon crew and others in the indie hip-hop genre. So it was a complete shock to me when I first heard them. They have a great indie rock sound with electronic elements. Almost like a Boards Of Canada if they were a band with guitars and singing.
But that wasn’t always the case. Apparently, this group started out as a heavy metal outfit in the early ’90’s, releasing two albums before realizing that they might be interested in different things. They became more interested in subtle rhythmic and electronic sounds and started incorporating them into their music. And the results are amazing. They have a very elegant sound that makes it difficult to figure out where the acoustic ends and the electronics begin.
My first introduction to them was their collaboration with Themselves, 13 & God. The results were intoxicating. They, very successfully, combined the indie rock with the indie hip-hop. After listening to 13 & God, I knew I had to listen to The Notwist. I finally managed to track down this live concert recording of theirs from Vancouver, Canada. After listening to this countless times, you can bet that I’ll be looking for more of their records.
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Ill Wil said,
January 13, 2006 @ 4:26 pm
I’ve really liked what I’ve heard form this group. Anticon really knows what they are doing. A good label with a great evolution of sound. Always satisfies.
Akio said,
January 14, 2006 @ 7:07 pm
Good stuff. Didn’t realize they were a heavy metal band at one point - I can’t really picture it, neh?
Where the heck do you find these live recordings, anyhow?
fnordboy said,
January 16, 2006 @ 2:19 pm
Notwist are great (and 13+God was a revelation). In addition to “Neon Golden”, from which “One with the Freaks” and “Pick up the Phone” are taken, I’d also recommend “Shrink” - the CD immediately preceding Neon Golden.
cb said,
January 18, 2006 @ 3:31 pm
Hey Akio.
Glad you’re liking this stuff. As to where I’m getting all these live recordings…shoot me an email, and I’ll be glad to tell you all about it.
-cb
the of mirror eye » Subtle Neon said,
October 20, 2006 @ 6:12 pm
[...] Back in the beginning of 2006 (almost 10 months ago, yikes!) I posted some live tracks by this band, The Notwist (look here). Since I really associate their sound with the desolate fall/winter landscapes, I decided to track down this album, Neon Golden. And boy am I ever glad that I did. This album has been living in my cd player ever since I got it. [...]