The Notwist is a fertilely imaginative group on their own, but they seem to thrive equally well in cooperative settings. 13 & God, their self-titled debut collaboration with Themselves, is a felicitous meeting, resulting in an IDM record that combines heady, intriguing arrangements with variegated formal structures.

" Low Heaven" leads with its arrangement, bringing together synth horns, an octave bass-piano ostinato, and programmed beats; but when the chorus comes in, layered vocals open up expansively, washing over the proceedings. "Afterclap" has a similar profile, with a lush chorus that is quite stunning, both in its placement and its warm ambience. "Men of Station" combines a mid tempo electronica groove that clicks on all cylinders with an infectiously catchy looped vocal hook.

The magic wrought by 13 & God is most apparent in songs like "Ghostwork." The introduction is almost languid and ambling in its ambience, lulling the hearer into a sense of balladic complacency. Suddenly, the music shifts into the world of trip-hop, with rapping and glitchy beats shaking you out of our reverie. Just as quickly, this section concludes, wafting away with a shake of percussion and wisp of synthetic harmony. What follows is a miniature avant electronica tone poem. How all of this manages to cohere is a mystery; in a musically economical sense, perhaps it doesn't. Still, it's fascinating to marvel at the journey taken and the deft shuffling of references. "Ghostwork" certainly keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering "how'd they get from there to here?"

I like that you have to wait for the "goodies" on a lot of these songs. The gradual approach of the introduction on "Tin Strong," consisting primarily of a three-note bass riff, makes the arrival of its full-on syncopated glitchtronica glory all the more exciting. Hopefully, the Notwist will be able to juggle being in two bands as well as 13 & God has juggled all of the memorable musical nuggets contained herein. - Christian Carey