The Notwist

Emerging in the late 1980s from the small Bavarian town of Weilheim, The Notwist took shape within a local scene where independent rock, jazz, and experimental music intersected. Founded by brothers Markus and Micha Acher together with drummer Martin Messerschmid, the band first operated in a vein close to hardcore and metal before gradually moving toward a more melodic rock. The early albums The Notwist (1990) and Nook (1992) document this transition, while 12 (1995) and then Shrink (1998) more explicitly incorporate electronic elements and harmonies influenced by jazz and post-rock. The arrival of Martin Gretschmann as programmer reinforced this shift toward a hybrid aesthetic, which The Notwist refined with Neon Golden (2002) and The Devil, You + Me (2008), where electronic textures, understated guitars, and a fragile voice come together in a format akin to independent pop. In the 2010s, an expanded lineup featuring Andi Haberl, Max Punktezahl, and Cico Beck supported Close to the Glass (2014), the instrumental collection The Messier Objects (2014), and the live album Superheroes, Ghostvillains + Stuff (2016). With Vertigo Days (2021), The Notwist continued exploring repetitive structures, occasionally krautrock-tinged atmospheres, and detailed arrangements, often nourished by exchanges with the network of Weilheim-related parallel projects such as Tied & Tickled Trio, Lali Puna, or 13 & God.