Log in to your account
Stats
Biography
The original lineup, which consisted of Beate Bartel, Gundrun Gut, Blixa Bargeld, and N.U. Unruh, used to play at the venue Moon Club in Berlin. After the two females in the group, Gut and Bartel, left the group and drummer F.M. Einheit was added, the band collaborated on an LP, released in November 1981 under the title “Kollaps” or “Collapse” in English. The musical alias “Einstürzende Neubauten” translated to English means “Collapsing New Buildings,” an appropriate description of the abrasive sounds that make up the band’s music.
Neubauten’s third album “Halber Mensch” or “Half Man” which was released in 1985, showed the band’s growth with more structured songs and coherent lyrics. This breakthrough occurred after the louder, more experimental sophomore album “Zeichnungen des Patienten O.T” or “Drawings of Patient O.T.” in 1983. Einstürzende Neubauten supported “Half Man” by touring in the U.S. and Canada, showing up with unexpected and new performance ideas from pyrotechnics to destruction of metal objects on stage. The band received a following in Asia, especially Japan and their fourth and fifth albums “Fünf auf der nach oben offenen Richterskala” (Five on the open-ended richter scale) and “Haus der Lüge” (house of the lie) brought their bizarre industrial sound to the mainstream.
Some of Einstürzende Neubauten more experimental songs that have become well known include “Armenia,” “Yü-Gung (Fütter mein Ego),” “Z.N.S.” and “Feurio!” Lead singer Blixa Bargeld is one of the more active members of the group, having also sung simultaneously in the band Nick Cave and the Band Seeds for a period of time. Einstürzende Neubauten has celebrated over 30 years of music with both studio and live-recorded albums.
Live reviews
I was lucky enough to see Einsturzende Neubauten’s first UK gig supporting the Birthday Party at the London Lyceum in 1983. It was a ‘year zero’ moment and one of the most intense and thrilling 20 minutes of live music I’ve ever experienced. You could feel the expectation in the audience as various metal instruments/sculptures were constructed on stage alongside the usual backline of amps. A large metal spring loomed menacingly over the stage and everything was bathed in a dark metallic blue light. Then it happened – Mufti walked on and began pummelling the living daylights out some poor defenceless hollow metal object; Unruh followed a few seconds later and began scraping and bashing his “instrument” in counterpoint to Mufti’s jackhammer rhythms; the void within the clatter of metal was suddenly filled with a low frequency white noise as Marc Chung walked on stage, picked up his bass guitar and strummed all four strings as fast and as furious as humanly possible. Finally, Blixa wandered up to his microphone, alien hair all in/out of place, and began screaming and wailing. For the next 20 minutes I was on a total high and shaking like a leaf by the end. This was a life changing experience and one I would never forget - as I said, a year-zero moment. How could anything beat that? Well, the following year I witnessed the ‘Concerto for Voice and Machinery’ at the ICA involving several Neubauten members and Genesis P-Orridge playing various instruments usually found on a building site, accompanied by Frank Tovey on ‘vocals’ who made a sound akin to a chicken being strangled. This strange ensemble was ‘conducted’ by someone in traditional coat tails – at least he tried to conduct them for the first 5 minutes or so, after which he gave up and joined one of the others (I think Mufti of Neubauten) in using a pneumatic drill to tunnel through the floor. The whole affair lasted 20 minutes or so – It was incredibly loud and a totally thrilling experience. If this is what the end of the world looks and sounds like then I hope I’m around to enjoy the moment. Unlike others I managed to escape unscathed from the flying glass regurgitated from the miked up concrete mixer and the road drills chewing up the floor inches from the audiences feet - oh, those were the days when you really did fear for your life at a gig!
Going to a Neubauten gig in the 80’s was both exciting and dangerous. Einsturzende Neubauten are also one of the reasons my ears are now irreparably damaged. I have only myself to blame …
darren-gash
In the early gigging days of Einsturzende Neubauten (considering their 34 year history) it was apparently quite common for their concerts to end in complete chaos. Part of their instrumentation in those days would include drills, chainsaws, and cement mixers, and, well, things would get a bit out of hand amidst the onslaught of industrial noise. At one show, shards of glass flew out into the audience, hurting some members. The organisers of the concert tried to intervene and forcibly remove the band. The audience weren’t having it and piled on. You could say they were redefining ‘audience participation’. These days things are quite different, but you can still expect a vast array of instruments - at their Melbourne concert they amplified various bits of scrap metal, tubes, pipes, air compressors, bells, hammers, rocks, tapes, and at one point a television. There were also moments of near silence, a large dynamic range being a feature they’ve started working into their music over the years. Their current lineup consists of Blixa Bargeld (who was absolutely compelling) on lead vocals, guitars and keyboard, Alexander Hacke on bass, guitar, and vocals, N U Unruh vocals and custom-made instruments, Jochen Arbeit on guitar and vocals, and Rudolf Moser, also on custom-made instruments, percussion and vocals. Their almost 2 and a half hour set was noisy, chaotic at times, but also beautiful, humorous, intense. I’ve never seen anything like it.
philsomervell
German experimental outfit Einstürzende Neubauten or Collapsing Buildings to the none native speakers have gained a huge reputation on the live circuit for their innovative take to the genre and dedication to their touring schedule. They have been round the globe numerous times and appear to be becoming more energetic and impassioned with every performance despite their growing ages.
This fire is partly fuelled by the enthusiastic fanbase who gather around the front of stage in order to get as close to lead singer Blixa Bargeld as possible. The group runs through a setlist mainly comprising of the new album this evening which fans seem to absolutely lap up. There are older tracks aired including 'In De Loopgraaf' which receives huge roars of approval from the gathered masses. The unpredictability and sheer energy involved in tonight's performance is a lesson for any bands heading out onto the live circuit. The band is assured to be going for another 35 years at this rate.
sean-ward
Videos (1)
