The Notwist
Magnificent Fall
ALIEN TRANSISTOR
A three-sided, non-chronological batch of rarities from The Notwist originally spread across limited-release EPs, split singles, and other formats sounds about right for brothers Markus and Micha Acher—two guys for whom the word “rare” is a definition as they’ve careened through four decades of doom rock, experimental electronica, polyglot pop, jazz skronk, and whatever else suits their fancy. Sound, style, genre, pace, and product placement have never been barriers for any iteration of The Notwist, up to and including their side-shoulder bands such as 13 & God, Lali Puna, and Ms. John Soda. Why would time or strict narrative structure be an issue?
Guiding a lot of what The Notwist’s loose, goosed, wriggly line of reason is, here, is expressed via the remix. The Notwist digs a good creepy reworking—ask one-time remixers such as Four Tet and Caribou—or whatever it is that acts as a remix when you consider that Odd Nosdam’s take on “Sleep” is anything but chilled or its easily defined opposites (and nothing to do at all with the original track’s spirit or sound), and Grizzy Bear’s “Boneless” is sturdy, flush, and filled with meaty, globby sinew.
But enough of playing off of Notwist titles. The real roots of the history-not-history lesson that is Magnificent Fall regales in the utter joy of what must be in the brothers Achers’ heads when they spin gorgeous alchemical gold on the gluttonous glitch-hop of “Blank Air,” or the twinkling-star ambient drone “Solo Swim,” which features still life, Nico-worthy vocals. Beyond that there’s the plucked, pretty, sand-shifting instrumental “Avalanche” and its reedy, seedier cousin “Red Room”; the gongs, whistles, and bells-blissful lullaby of “One of These Days”; and the inviting yet mournful, strings-strewn “Come In,” with Markus Acher doing his finest Neil Tennant impersonation.
Perhaps the warped, off-key pop of its title track says it best, as Markus’ nasal Germanic croon slices through the track’s dippy, rattling beats with what sounds like a cut up (“Listen up, at anything / It all just slips away / Like it could be real at all”), yet makes perfect sense. If you’re thinking like an Acher, that is.
