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: If you’re in Munich, and you’re after records, you should visit our good friend Andi Stäbler’s record shop Gutfeeling (Maistr.1, 80337 Munich). It’s tiny, but filled with hand-picked new and secondhand vinyl. Andi knows a lot about punk rock, Hank Williams, Cuban, Bavarian and Rembetika music, about Bob Log III and brass music. He also makes the best espresso in town. He plays in different bands: G-Rag y Los Hermanos Patchekos, Dos Hermanos and Landlergschwister. They are all legendary live bands, and if you’re lucky, they are playing at night somewhere in or around Munich. Something you definitely shouldn’t miss.
Video after the jump.
