After years of sonic exploration and experimentation, The Notwist have returned with News From Planet Zombie, an album that balances melancholy and optimism across a suite of compelling pop songs. Recorded in their Munich home base, the album reflects a chaotic world while responding with warmth and generosity, showcasing the band’s creative and spiritual consolidation. This is also the first studio album since 1995’s 12 to feature the band recording together in its expanded live formation.
The Notwist have long been celebrated for their distinctive musical language, a sound that remains consistent even as the contexts for creation shift unpredictably. On News From Planet Zombie, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced a fully collaborative approach. Songs were brought to the collective, arranged, rehearsed, and recorded live in the studio, a process that imbues the album with an energy that feels immediate and dynamic.
The result is an album alive with the chemistry of the band, enhanced by fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. Tracks like “Teeth” open quietly and reflectively, while “Propeller” floats along with chiming keys that ripple like stones skimming water. “The Turning” emerges with one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies, demonstrating the band’s gift for combining intricate musicianship with emotional resonance.
News From Planet Zombie was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. The live, collaborative environment is evident in the album’s texture, with rough edges that allow the songs to breathe and evolve in the listener’s ears. Guest contributions reflect Munich’s cosmopolitan music scene: Enid Valu adds vocals, Haruka Yoshizawa plays taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao contributes clarinet, and Mathias Götz appears on trombone.
The album also features two covers, a rare move for The Notwist. They reinterpret Neil Young’s “Red Sun,” originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and Lovers’ “How the Story Ends,” a folk-pop gem from Athens, Georgia. Both tracks integrate seamlessly into the album, revealing the band’s ability to transform familiar material with poetic nuance.
News From Planet Zombie reflects both the anxieties of contemporary life and the enduring resilience of community. Markus Acher explains that the album’s title and some lyrics reference B-movies and horror films, serving as a metaphor for the often surreal chaos of the modern world. Yet, there is a prevailing sense of hope.
“The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,” Acher reflects. “Always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows in one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.”
Formed in 1989 in Weilheim, near Munich, The Notwist initially moved through heavy metal and indie-folk before embracing electronica, a shift that brought them global recognition. Early albums such as Nook and 12 laid the groundwork for their unique sound, while 1998’s Shrink and 2002’s Neon Golden introduced a jazz-inflected, electronic-tinged pop sensibility that captured international attention.
Over the years, the band has seen several lineup changes. Andi Haberl replaced original drummer Martin Messerschmidt in 2007, and Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Theresa Loibl have contributed to the current expanded live lineup.
Former member Martin Gretschmann, known as Console, left in 2014. Alongside The Notwist, the Achers have pursued other creative projects, including 13 & God, Lali Puna, and Village Of Savoonga, further broadening their musical horizons.
With News From Planet Zombie, The Notwist deliver an album that is both deeply reflective and vibrantly alive. It captures the tension of a world in flux while celebrating the enduring power of collaboration, community, and musical exploration. This latest release is a testament to the band’s ongoing evolution and their ability to create music that resonates across borders, generations, and moods.
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