Ship

After six years away from regular studio releases, The Notwist return with Ship, a three-track EP that feels both like a welcome reintroduction and a glimpse of what’s still to come. Released via Morr Music, it’s a compact but beautifully varied set that reminds you just how much ground this band can cover without ever losing their identity.

The title track, Ship, grows out of the band’s long-running connection with Japanese duo Tenniscoats, whose friendship with The Notwist developed through Munich’s Alien Disko festival and a number of recent collaborations. Tenniscoats’ Saya appears here, her voice drifting through a percussive, slightly off-kilter arrangement built around a gently detuned synth line and clean, grounded guitar work. It’s subtle, inventive, and quietly absorbing.

Loose Ends leans closer to classic The Notwist territory: a patient, expanding ballad led by Markus Acher’s unmistakable vocal. Originally born from sessions for Bastian Günther’s film One Of These Days, it carries some of that soundtrack sensibility with it, full of atmosphere and restraint. Closing track Avalanche is an instrumental piece with a careful optimism to it, rounding the EP off on a thoughtful, open note.

What makes Ship so satisfying is how naturally it brings together the different strands of the band’s recent years — soundtrack work, side projects, international collaboration — and shapes them into something cohesive. Short, but full of detail, it’s an exciting marker of where The Notwist are right now, and a strong sign that the next album will be well worth the wait.