The Notwist

It’s been a tough couple of years for Notwist fans. Since 2002’s glitch-pop landmark, Neon Golden, the long-running German four-piece have barely made a peep, stepping out only with the odd collaboration or EP, and then to mixed reviews. Little did we know that the last two years were dedicated to The Devil, You + Me, the sixth and arguably most ambitious Notwist recording to date. It’s a record that shows a more mature, often-darker Notwist than that of Neon Golden, as well as one that’s more organic and less ProTools-focused. It’s also an album that truly sounds like it took a whole two years to make. Over a bed of densely layered production, Markus Archer’s ever-vulnerable voice floats above cut-up blips, bleeps and beats as they crash against sweeping orchestral lines, six-strings and piercing bits of noise. Whether you like it or not, the melancholic pop digs deep into your subconscious, coming off very much like a Notwist record, one that lives up to and surpasses all expectations.