Neon Golden

Neon Golden is rooted in the experimental musical style that The Notwist had moved towards on their previous two studio albums 12 (1995) and Shrink (1998), which found the band eschewing the abrasive rock of their early work and delving into electronic music.{{cite news|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2003/02/25/trans-europe-expression/|title=Trans-Europe Expression|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=25 February 2003|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Orlov|first=Piotr}} The songs on Neon Golden fuse indie rock and electronic elements,{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/best-albums-of-2002-1798208875|title=Best Albums of 2002|website=The A.V. Club|date=11 December 2002|access-date=23 January 2021|last1=Modell|first1=Josh|last2=Murray|first2=Noel|last3=Phipps|first3=Keith|last4=Rabin|first4=Nathan|author-link4=Nathan Rabin|last5=Thompson|first5=Stephen|author-link5=Stephen Thompson (journalist)|last6=Battaglia|first6=Andy}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/the-notwist-the-songs-are-very-different-but-hopefully-it-makes-sense-to-put-them-together-as-a-sort-of-puzzle-or-mosaic-149566|title=The Notwist: 'The songs are very different but hopefully it makes sense to put them together as a sort of puzzle or mosaic'|website=The Line of Best Fit|date=10 April 2014|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Collini|first=Eleonora}} taking influence from styles such as glitch{{cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2003/03/12/notwist/|title=The Notwist: 'Neon Golden'|website=Salon|date=12 March 2003|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Young|first=Rob}}{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/notwist-devil_you_me|title=The Notwist: The Devil, You + Me|website=Exclaim!|date=17 June 2008|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Thiessen|first=Brock}} and IDM.{{cite news|url=https://www.sfweekly.com/music/the-notwist-2/|title=The Notwist: The Devil, You + Me (Domino)|newspaper=SF Weekly|date=22 October 2008|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Ware|first=Tony}} The A.V. Club described the album as a "synthesis of dreamy indie-rock balladry and stark electronic underpinnings", while MusicOMH critic Dylan Kilby referred to it as a work of "electronic post-rock".{{cite web|url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/notwist-close-glass|title=The Notwist – Close To The Glass|website=MusicOMH|date=23 February 2014|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Kilby|first=Dylan}}

{{Album ratings

| MC = 89/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/neon-golden/the-notwist|title=Neon Golden by The Notwist Reviews and Tracks|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=27 February 2021}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/neon-golden-mw0000020532|title=Neon Golden – The Notwist|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=12 January 2015|last=Carlson|first=Dean}}

| rev2 = Alternative Press

| rev2score = 4/5{{cite magazine|title=The Notwist: Neon Golden|magazine=Alternative Press|issue=176|date=March 2003|page=92}}

| rev3 = Drowned in Sound

| rev3score = 10/10{{cite web|url=https://drownedinsound.com/releases/15809/reviews/4141565|title=Album Review: The Notwist – Neon Golden / On/Off The Record (Deluxe Edition)|website=Drowned in Sound|date=22 November 2010|access-date=12 January 2015|last=Takru|first=Radhika|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618041844/https://drownedinsound.com/releases/15809/reviews/4141565|archive-date=18 June 2021|url-status=live}}

| rev4 = The Guardian

| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2002/feb/01/shopping.artsfeatures2|title=The Notwist: Neon Golden (City Slang)|newspaper=The Guardian|date=1 February 2002|access-date=12 January 2015|last=Aizlewood|first=John}}

| rev5 = The Independent

| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news|title=Pop: Album Reviews|newspaper=The Independent|date=9 February 2002|last=Perry|first=Tim}}

| rev6 = Muzik

| rev6score = 4/5{{cite magazine|title=The Notwist: Neon Golden|magazine=Muzik|issue=81|date=February 2002|last=Holmes|first=Andrew|page=61}}

| rev7 = Pitchfork

| rev7score = 9.2/10{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5845-neon-golden/|title=The Notwist: Neon Golden|website=Pitchfork|date=6 February 2002|access-date=12 January 2015|last=Buckman|first=Luke}}

| rev8 = Rolling Stone

| rev8score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=2046016|title=Notwist: Neon Golden|magazine=Rolling Stone|issue=918|date=20 March 2003|access-date=12 January 2015|last=Gensler|first=Andy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030627122008/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=2046016|archive-date=27 June 2003|url-status=dead}}

| rev9 = Uncut

| rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|title=The Notwist: Neon Golden|magazine=Uncut|issue=164|date=January 2011|last=Pattison|first=Louis|page=97}}

| rev10 = The Village Voice

| rev10score = B−{{cite news|url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv204-04.php|title=Consumer Guide: Parts of the Elephunk|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=10 February 2004|access-date=12 January 2015|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau}}

}}

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Neon Golden received an average score of 89 based on 20 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". The album was acclaimed upon its initial release in Europe in 2002,{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/mar/05/artsfeatures.popandrock|title=The Notwist|newspaper=The Guardian|date=5 March 2002|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis}} while in the United States, it was widely hyped well before its official February 2003 release date due to its circulation via import copies and file sharing.{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/notwist-neon-2496017650.html|title=The Notwist: Neon Golden|website=PopMatters|date=15 April 2003|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Begrand|first=Adrien}}{{cite news|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2003/03/04/where-do-i-go-now/|title=Notwist – April 4 and 5 – Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street, 212-219-3006|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=4 March 2003|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Eddy|first=Chuck|author-link=Chuck Eddy}} In The Village Voice{{'}}s 2003 Pazz & Jop poll, Neon Golden was voted by critics as the year's 33rd best album.{{cite news|url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres03.php|title=The 2003 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=17 February 2004|access-date=23 January 2021}}

Pitchfork ranked Neon Golden at number 131 on its list of the 200 best albums of the 2000s.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7710-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-20-1/?page=4|title=The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s|website=Pitchfork|date=28 September 2009|access-date=30 June 2019|page=4}} Neon Golden has been cited by critics as a landmark album of indie electronic, or "indietronica", music;{{cite web|url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/coma-voyage-voyage/|title=COMA – Voyage Voyage|website=Loud and Quiet|date=27 November 2019|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Gatward|first=Tristan}} Tristan Gatward of Loud and Quiet remarked in 2019 that the sound of indie electronic music in the 2000s "was dictated" by the record. In 2014, PopMatters writer Jose Solis described it as a "truly groundbreaking" album that "set in motion an electronica-meets-indie rock revolution that [would] define the sound of a decade."{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/179884-from-one-wrong-place-to-the-next-an-interview-with-the-notwist-2495678209.html|title=From One Wrong Place to the Next: An Interview with The Notwist|website=PopMatters|date=13 March 2014|access-date=23 January 2021|last=Solis|first=Jose}}

{{Track listing

| all_lyrics = Markus Acher, except where noted

| title1 = One Step Inside Doesn't Mean You Understand

| music1 = {{hlist|Markus Acher|Micha Acher}}

| length1 = 3:15

| title2 = Pilot

| music2 = {{hlist|Markus Acher|Micha Acher|Martin Gretschmann}}

| length2 = 4:28

| title3 = Pick Up the Phone

| music3 = Gretschmann

| length3 = 3:55

| title4 = Trashing Days

| music4 = Micha Acher

| length4 = 3:24

| title5 = This Room

| music5 = {{hlist|Markus Acher|Micha Acher|Gretschmann|Martin Messerschmid}}

| length5 = 4:45

| title6 = Solitaire

| note6 = lyrics by Gretschmann

| music6 = Gretschmann

| length6 = 3:29

| title7 = One with the Freaks

| music7 = Markus Acher

| length7 = 3:38

| title8 = Neon Golden

| music8 = {{hlist|Markus Acher|Micha Acher}}

| length8 = 5:54

| title9 = Off the Rails

| music9 = {{hlist|Markus Acher|Micha Acher}}

| length9 = 3:27

| title10 = Consequence

| music10 = Micha Acher

| length10 = 5:13

| total_length = 41:28

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = 2003 US edition bonus tracks

| title11 = Scoop

| music11 = {{hlist|Markus Acher|Gretschmann}}

| length11 = 3:26

| title12 = Propeller 9

| music12 = {{hlist|Micha Acher|Gretschmann}}

| length12 = 4:25

| title13 = Formiga

| music13 = {{hlist|Markus Acher|Micha Acher|Gretschmann}}

| length13 = 2:21

| total_length = 51:40

}}

Sample credits

• "Solitaire" contains elements from Drowning by Numbers, composed by Michael Nyman.

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Neon Golden|others=The Notwist|publisher=City Slang|year=2002|id=20184-2|type=liner notes}}

{{columns-start}}

The Notwist

• Markus Acher
• Micha Acher
• Martin Gretschmann
• Martin Messerschmid

Additional musicians

• Biboul F. Darouiche – conga
• Roberto Di Gioia – keyboards, piano
• Johannes Enders – tenor saxophone
• Sebastian Hess – cello
• Robert Klinger – double bass
• Saam – cajón, kanjira, zarb
• Ulrich Wangenheim – bass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone

{{column}}

Production

• Chris Blair – mastering
• Galore – production
• O.L.A.F. Opal – mixing, recording
• Mario Thaler – mixing, recording

Design

• Philipp Arnold – cover design
• Andreas Gerth – cover design

{{columns-end}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Discogs master|9468|Neon Golden}}

{{The Notwist}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2002 albums

Category:The Notwist albums

Category:City Slang albums

Category:Domino Recording Company albums

Category:Virgin Records albums