13 & God is the final product of an intensive 17-day studio collaboration between vaunted German electro-pop outfit The Notwist and US-based ambitious free-range "rappers" Themselves. Unlikely bedfellows, a common admiration for each others' work led to the trans-Atlantic tête-à -tête, which originally began with home-made Notwist remixes of tracks from Themselves' avant-garde LP The No Music. All the disparate elements of both groups-Notwist-staple dreamy, catchy hooks and scattered computerized percussion; themselves' esoteric and half-growled, half-whined verses-are noticeably present and, surprisingly, mesh quite well together. The fact that 13 & God is entirely listenable (one needs granite ears for much of Themselves' music) from start to finish seems to indicate that the famously freewheeling Themselves chose to adhere to a more Notwist-friendly framework, if not working subordinately. Either way, the formula works perfectly and equally: harmonious, hummable radio-ready tunes as well as rambling, bizarrely epic tracks are created, and the above note aside, it's not immediately apparent who wrote or performed what. There are moments of dominance: the lead single "Men of Station" reeks of Teutonic influence, replete with Markus Acher's trademark spoken-chanted vocals and Themselves relegated to background noises; the closing track "Walk" is similar to the messily intense cuts found on producer Jel's Meat and Oil EP. Otherwise, the six very different musicians have achieved a near-perfect balance of European electronic pop and American avant-rap. Neon Golden-worthy percussion and harmonization compete with the best No Music beat-poet stream of consciousness vie for position, neither winning out but instead creating an inventive and original-sounding record. The collaboration also has the novelty of minimizing its flaws: when the vocals drone on, inducing slumber, a heavy backbeat will raise the energy; and the structure and harmonization keep otherwise ethereal vocalization grounded. Fans of Themselves may be disappointed that 13 & God is too accessible to the plebian public and not jarring or discordant enough, and Notwist aficionados may be annoyed with Themselves for making such nonsensical noises over an otherwise perfectly-ordered Martin Grestchmann arrangement, but such attacks are Phillistinic. 13 & God has upped the ante for cross-genre collaborations and met or exceeded all of its lofty expectations.
[Chris Roberts]