Notwist

“On this album, they employ the services of noted laptop arranger and future member Martin Gretschmann (he of Console notoriety), who puts his programming skills to work on about half of the tracks, and as a result, you’re offered a glimpse at what kind of band The Notwist will become. Gretschmann’s influence is most evident on a handful of songs: The beautifully dark “Torture Day” employs a subtle techno accompaniment and tiny hints of loops underneath the sparse drums and guitar, as Markus finally has a sound that’s best suited for his thin voice. “Noah” has more of a laptop feel, as Gretschmann’s Autechre-like aural collages start to become more audible, more and more intertwined with the sparse arrangement of guitar and vocals. The closing track “12” has more of an organic feel, as the trio manage to sound like Radiohead before even the Oxford band themselves started to sound like Radiohead, with its dark chorus, and its sudden shift to jazzy improvisation, with strings and bass clarinet (that jazzy sound comes into full fruition on the band’s next album). It’s not a consistent record, but 12 marks a massive leap for a band who started off as sounding so one-dimensional.” - Popmatters