The Notwist is a German indie rock band. Formed in 1989 in Weilheim, German… Read Full Bio ↴The Notwist is a German indie rock band. Formed in 1989 in Weilheim, Germany, the band moved through several musical incarnations despite maintaining a relatively stable lineup. While their early records moved through hardcore into dark indie rock, their recent efforts, for which they have received the most attention, have been very strongly influenced by the electronica scene, along with the other groups of Morr Music.

Markus and Michael Acher formed the group together with Martin Messerschmidt in Weilheim, near Munich. In 1990 they recorded their self-titled debut The Notwist, a grunge-metal oriented LP. 1992 saw the release of Nook, which has an indie rock sound, while their 1995 album 12 contains their first flirtation with electronica. Martin Gretschmann (aka Console) joined the group in 1997. Shrink, released in 1998, is a jazz-electro-rock album. The album Neon Golden (released in 2002) put them on the map for American listeners.

In 2003 the band started their own record label Alien Transistor and released a soundtrack for the movie Lichter by Hans-Christian Schmid. On September, 6th 2004 the EP Solo Swim came out, a collaboration between The Notwist, Console and Klimek, which is also the soundtrack for the documentary Kanalschwimmer by Jörg Adolph. Both EPs are only available on vinyl as is the latest EP by Rayon (Markus Acher), released in spring 2006.

Some of The Notwist's songs have been remixed by Four Tet, Manitoba, Console, Loopspool, and others. Singer Markus Acher collaborated with Anticon rapper/producer Alias on the song Unseen Sights.

The Notwist recently formed a supergroup with Themselves named 13 & God, whose eponymous debut was released in 2005. Other acts in which members of The Notwist are participating include Village of Savoonga, Tied & Tickled Trio, Lali Puna, Ms. John Soda, Potawatomi, Alles wie Groß, Ogonjok, Rayon, 3 Shades of Blues, Hometrainer, Bolzplatz Heroes, Alien Ensemble, and Schweisser.

In 2006, Messerschmitt left the band on friendly terms. Markus Acher stated that "it just didn't work anymore".

The Devil, You + Me and was released in Europe in May, 2008. On June 17, 2008 the album was released in North America on Domino Records.

2014 saw the release of Close to the Glass released in the US on Sub-Pop.

http://www.notwist.com

Members

* Markus Acher - guitar, vocals
* Michael Acher - bass
* Mecki Messerschmidt - drums
* Martin Gretschmann (aka Console) - programming

Belle de L'ombre / Walk On
The Notwist Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I never thought that you are wrong
I never thought that you're that strong
I'll avoid and I'll despise
To think of you and me

How can I talk to you?
Cause you'll deface the things I shared with you
How can I hold you tight?

This hole inside

Walk on
Will it always be the same?
Walk on

Walk on

Will it always be the same?
Walk on

Overall Meaning

In The Notwist's song Belle de L'ombre / Walk On, the lyrics delve into the conflicted emotions that come with a broken relationship. The first two lines reveal the singer's lack of awareness of the negative traits of their partner, hinting at a certain level of infatuation or idealization. However, the next line shows a shift in attitude - the singer will avoid and despise any thoughts of a future with this person. The internal conflict is further reinforced in the next stanza. The singer wonders how they can even communicate with this person anymore, as they will tarnish what they once shared together. Even physical intimacy becomes difficult due to the emotional void within the singer. The repetition of "walk on" emphasizes the idea of moving forward, even if it feels like treading through the same emotional landscape.

Overall, the lyrics suggest a certain level of emotional maturity and acceptance of the end of a relationship while also acknowledging the difficulty of moving on.

Line by Line Meaning

I never thought that you are wrong
I never believed that you could be mistaken

I never thought that you're that strong
I never realized how resilient you could be

I'll avoid and I'll despise
I'll steer clear and loathe the thought

To think of you and me
The idea of us together disgusts me

How can I talk to you?
I'm at a loss on how to communicate with you

Cause you'll deface the things I shared with you
You'll tarnish the memories we created together

How can I hold you tight?
I can't even bring myself to embrace you

This hole inside
This emptiness within me

Walk on
Keep moving forward

Will it always be the same?
Will my situation never change?

Walk on
Continue on despite hardships