Audio-visual artist and Raster-Noton co-founder Alva Noto, real name Carsten Nicolai, is teaming up with Einstürzende Neubauten mainman Blixa Bargeld for a new EP and album.

Long-time admirers of each other’s work, Nicolai and Bargeld (pictured above) first collaborated 2007, developing a musical concept combining Bargeld’s “impulsive” vocalisations with Nicolai’s elaborate beat structures and soundscapes. As well as performing their own material, the duo have also reinterpreted tradtional songs like ‘I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground’ (famously recorded by Bob Dylan and The Band in 1967).

Since their first live appearance three years ago in San Francisco, Nicolai and Bargeld have recorded several songs together under the name anbb (see what they did there?). The first anbb release will be an EP on Raster-Noton entitled Ret Marut Handshake, five tracks cut on 12″ vinyl. This will be followed soon after by a full-length album on R-N, details forthcoming.

In addition to his myriad solo works and performances, Carsten Nicolai has collaborated with the likes of Michael Nyman and Ryuichi Sakamoto in recent years. As well as helming legendary industrial outfit Neubauten, Blixa Bargeld (born Hans Christian Emmerich) was guitarist in Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds over the years 1983-2003.

Tracklist:
A1. Ret Marut Handshake
A2. One
B1. Electricity Is Fiction
B1. Bernsteinzimmer
B3. I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground