The Walrus - Music With Big Fuckin' Teeth!

10/18/2007

Discovery & Rediscovery: Schroeder's Cat, The Notwist and Si Schroeder

Back in 1998 I was starting my first year in community college and my soundtrack was comprised of My Bloody Valentine, Rollerskate Skinny (for some reason they were huge where I grew up) and The Swirlies. A friend of mine, who was always into the latest in shoegaze and electronic-pop music, would often premiere his new finds in my car (he always said my stereo provided the best sound quality.)

One day he played two bands for me that I had never heard of, Schroeder's Cat, a My Bloody Valentine influenced band from Ireland and The Notwist, a pop group from Germany whose album Shrink mixed glitchy beats, buzzing guitars and unbelievable vocal melodies. I instantly liked each band's music and I asked my friend to let me borrow the two discs.

From then on, I became obsessed with these records because of their perfect mix of programmed beats, tranquil vocals and noisy guitars.

So whatever happened to these bands? Well, The Notwist went on to record their immaculate breakthrough album, 2002's Neon Golden, but Schroeder's Cat sadly disappeared.

Good news though. Recently I have discovered that one half of that duo released an album in 2006 called Coping Mechanisms under the moniker Si Schroeder. It is a solid mix of Laurie Anderson and, ironically, Notwist's Neon Golden. Download and hear for yourself.

I have also included tracks by The Notwist from their 1998 album, Shrink and Schroeder's Cat from their one and only EP, which that same friend was kind enough to send to me last night, after all these years. Thanks DS!

Si Schroeder's Coping Mechanisms is available at Trust Me I'm a Thief.

Notwist's Neon Golden is available at Insound.

Notwist's Shrink is available used through Amazon.

Good luck finding that Schroeder's Cat EP, but you could always just email me, and I would be happy to send it your way...