As the Notwist worked together on its new album, Close To The Glass (Sub Pop), the trio felt the songs were going in too many directions. Ultimately, the band gave up on finding a center and embraced the diversity. “With this record, there were no rules anymore,” says frontman Markus Acher. This outcome makes perfect sense when considering the band’s history. The Notwist is all about exploring possibilities: of the interface of acoustic and electronic, the planned and the unplanned, collaboration and revision, evolution and experimentation. The group has released only seven albums over the course of a 25-year career, and Close To The Glass is only the second since 2002’s landmark Neon Golden. Acher will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new feature on the band.
Markus Acher: Some of the most adventurous music I know, I found on French movie soundtracks from the ’70s, and that’s why I always look for old vinyl from composers like Francois de Roubaix or Philippe Sarde when we get the chance to play in France. Cesar et Rosalie from 1972 is a mixture of haunting strings, Steve Reich-like brass rhythms and a walking arpeggio synth that sounds like Kraftwerk. I haven’t heard anything that sounds like it. It drives you to tears and to the dance floor at the same time. There is also some free jazz on the record and Romy Schneider’s voice. When we collected ideas for our new Notwist album, “arpeggio and strings” was one of the first things we wanted to do. And some of it is still left on the song “Signals.”
Video after the jump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhcHnqTEGng
