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
My Faults
The Notwist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see people under the under the rulings, said not I'll hear them cry
I'm so tired, I'm sick and tired
And nothing coming off that, not my fault
It's not my fault; I try to give you
It's not my fault; I try to confuse
Tried to be everything
Did it for all to see
Did it for me to see that nothing ever changes in this small town
It's not my fault; I tried to give you
It's not my fault; I tried to confuse
It's not my fault; I try to give you
It's not my fault; I try to give you
The lyrics of The Notwist's My Faults are difficult to interpret at first, but on closer inspection, they contain a profound message about how the singer is burdened by the problems of the people around him. The reference to the bomb that escapes from him may be interpreted as his inability to control the destruction that surrounds him. The ruling refers to the authorities who should be preventing this chaos, but they are failing to do so. The people around him are suffering, and he can see and hear their cries for help, but he is powerless to stop it. The repetition of "it's not my fault" suggests that the singer is aware of his impotence and is frustrated by his inability to make things better.
The singer then shifts his focus to his own personal struggles, saying that he is tired and sick of it all. However, his attempts to change things have been futile. He tried to be everything, but he failed to bring about any meaningful change. He did it for others to see, and to prove something to himself, but nothing ever changes in this small town. The repetition of "it's not my fault; I try to give you" suggests that the singer is trying to attribute blame to himself, but he is not responsible for the problems he is facing. He tried to give his best, but it was never enough.
Line by Line Meaning
When the bomb escapes you
When something goes wrong and it's out of your control
I see people under the under the rulings, said not I'll hear them cry
I see people suffering under unfair laws and regulations, but I am powerless to do anything about it
I'm so tired, I'm sick and tired
I am exhausted and fed up with trying to fix things
And nothing coming off that, not my fault
Despite my efforts, nothing has changed, and it's not my fault
It's not my fault; I try to give you
I've done my best to help
It's not my fault; I try to confuse
I've tried to distract you from the problems at hand
Tried to be everything
I tried to fulfill every expectation put upon me
Tried to be everything, but romance starts here
Despite trying to be everything, I can't force a romantic connection to happen
Did it for all to see
I did everything in public, leaving no room for hidden motives
Did it for me to see that nothing ever changes in this small town
I did everything to prove to myself that change is impossible in this stagnant environment
It's not my fault; I tried to give you
I've done all I could to help
It's not my fault; I tried to confuse
I've tried to distract you from the problems at hand
It's not my fault; I try to give you
I've tried to help as much as I can
Contributed by Elena R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.