Been a fan for 30 years Blixa Bargeld is one of the coolest mofos on the planet, as well as being the singer here he was also a long time member of the bad seeds, with Nick Cave asking him to be his guitarist after he saw him screaming on a early neubauten video he saw on TV, he never played guitar before and would often go on tour with the bad seeds without a guitar and would just borrow one from the support band and plug it straight into the PA without any effects set up. You mentioned blue man group and stomp but these guys were doing it way before and to a higher artistic level incorporating buildings and architecture into there soundscapes and creating new instruments out of metal plastics and machines...true heavy metal even miking up a hollow underpass bridge on one track an incredible sound. And live they are one hell of an experience, when they go big and brutal they go really big and brutal but also capable of producing beautiful tracks too tracks like nargony kaarabach, stella maris, Youme & Meyou or blume or even pre edm break beat on something like yu gung(futter mein ego) or feurio, also often have choral tracks were they explore the human voice. True orignals
Blixa Bargeld, the singer in this band, is the ONLY singer I know who can manage to perfectly mimic the sound of a tea kettle boiling over with his voice.
most of the industrial sounds are achieved acoustically with homemade metal objects, found objects, power tools... and for spaciality they often used very large rooms as found in factories.... for example a making sound like something between a cello and saxophone made by pushing a table across a factory floor with the friction causing vibrations, resonanz etc....
There are so many good Neubauten songs that would have been more interesting to analyze. Der tot ist ein dandy, Halber mensch, Haus der Luge, Headcleaner, 12305(te) nacht and even Sand. But good to see them here anyway!
I also see the disconnect between the dominant lyrical emotion (melancholia) and the dominant musical emotion (eeriness). But I think it makes sense for this song. I think the lyrics deal with the larger context, the overall historical arcs. And at that point in German history, melancholia is very fitting. You have a country that made a speedy recovery after the catastrophe of the third reich. This experience of a relatively well lived life, against the backdrop of the sins of your fathers might make for a melancholic mood. The "Marlene go home!" line likely references this ambivalence in Germany at the time. Marlene Dietrich was well respected, even having a street named after her. Her return to Germany might have symbolized the healing process for some, but it was quickly tainted by the reminder that many fascist elements were still present in Germany. Nazi-sympathizers sent death threats and organized protests when she returned to Berlin for a show. The eeriness in the music might be describing the individual experience of someone living in West Berlin (where the band is from). People in West Berlin were citizens of the FRG, but the city was enclosed by a heavily militarized border wall built by the GDR. I myself have difficulties imagining that feeling, but eeriness would probably be part of it.
OK - here's your bridge to Fad Gadget (AKA Frank Tovey RIP). Ensturzende Neubauten translates to "collapsing new buildings." They did a collaboration with Fad Gadget titled "Collapsing New People," but be sure to find the version they play on (there are several). When Frank Tovey died, Depeche Mode came out and said without Fad Gadget, there would have been no Depeche. Ensturzende Neubauten preferred using found objects for their percussion. I think you might find the band Test Dept interesting as well, now you've heard some Ensturzende. They have a lot to choose from, but I'd recommend one of their tracks featuring both bagpipes and didgeridoos. However, my favorite album of theirs features neither - and that album is Gododdin (with Brith Gof) - 1989. Brith Gof is a Welsh vocal group singing in Gaelic, and the album is on Celts facing overwhelming odds face the foreign invaders. An amazing album. Really enjoyed your review here. So glad I found your channel!
Every day is not suitable as a Neubauten day for me. But the days that are, Neubauten reach hights within me that are higher than anything else musically. (My fav would probably be Redukt. But that's today. Tomorrow it's some other song by them.)
Yeah, I didn't get a strong read on this either. The foreign language plus a musical genre that's outside my wheelhouse doesn't help. That said, I was taken by the sonic soundscapes here, and I can't help but think of the tradition of German electronic music going back to Kraftwerk and, even before then, back to composers like Stockhausen. This definitely has a more industrial tinge, but it also doesn't remind me much of bands like Nine Inch Nails or Ministry or those bands. Interesting stuff.
Not quite the original Industrial band but close enough for most folks. Lots of early sampling and constructed instruments. German AF. Verging on cliche but better than that sounds, I reckon.
Been a fan for 30 years Blixa Bargeld is one of the coolest mofos on the planet, as well as being the singer here he was also a long time member of the bad seeds, with Nick Cave asking him to be his guitarist after he saw him screaming on a early neubauten video he saw on TV, he never played guitar before and would often go on tour with the bad seeds without a guitar and would just borrow one from the support band and plug it straight into the PA without any effects set up. You mentioned blue man group and stomp but these guys were doing it way before and to a higher artistic level incorporating buildings and architecture into there soundscapes and creating new instruments out of metal plastics and machines...true heavy metal even miking up a hollow underpass bridge on one track an incredible sound. And live they are one hell of an experience, when they go big and brutal they go really big and brutal but also capable of producing beautiful tracks too tracks like nargony kaarabach, stella maris, Youme & Meyou or blume or even pre edm break beat on something like yu gung(futter mein ego) or feurio, also often have choral tracks were they explore the human voice. True orignals
Blixa Bargeld, the singer in this band, is the ONLY singer I know who can manage to perfectly mimic the sound of a tea kettle boiling over with his voice.
I do have to say that a probably better song to listen to for the first time by them would be Yü-Gung (Fütter Mein Ego)
Basically anything out of _Halber Mensch_ or _Haus Der Luege_ should have been the choice for introduction...
most of the industrial sounds are achieved acoustically with homemade metal objects, found objects, power tools... and for spaciality they often used very large rooms as found in factories.... for example a making sound like something between a cello and saxophone made by pushing a table across a factory floor with the friction causing vibrations, resonanz etc....
There are so many good Neubauten songs that would have been more interesting to analyze. Der tot ist ein dandy, Halber mensch, Haus der Luge, Headcleaner, 12305(te) nacht and even Sand. But good to see them here anyway!
I also see the disconnect between the dominant lyrical emotion (melancholia) and the dominant musical emotion (eeriness). But I think it makes sense for this song. I think the lyrics deal with the larger context, the overall historical arcs. And at that point in German history, melancholia is very fitting. You have a country that made a speedy recovery after the catastrophe of the third reich. This experience of a relatively well lived life, against the backdrop of the sins of your fathers might make for a melancholic mood. The "Marlene go home!" line likely references this ambivalence in Germany at the time. Marlene Dietrich was well respected, even having a street named after her. Her return to Germany might have symbolized the healing process for some, but it was quickly tainted by the reminder that many fascist elements were still present in Germany. Nazi-sympathizers sent death threats and organized protests when she returned to Berlin for a show.
The eeriness in the music might be describing the individual experience of someone living in West Berlin (where the band is from). People in West Berlin were citizens of the FRG, but the city was enclosed by a heavily militarized border wall built by the GDR. I myself have difficulties imagining that feeling, but eeriness would probably be part of it.
The band name is a Play of words EinstürzENDE NEUbauten. (END NEW).
Great review !
OK - here's your bridge to Fad Gadget (AKA Frank Tovey RIP). Ensturzende Neubauten translates to "collapsing new buildings." They did a collaboration with Fad Gadget titled "Collapsing New People," but be sure to find the version they play on (there are several).
When Frank Tovey died, Depeche Mode came out and said without Fad Gadget, there would have been no Depeche.
Ensturzende Neubauten preferred using found objects for their percussion.
I think you might find the band Test Dept interesting as well, now you've heard some Ensturzende. They have a lot to choose from, but I'd recommend one of their tracks featuring both bagpipes and didgeridoos. However, my favorite album of theirs features neither - and that album is Gododdin (with Brith Gof) - 1989. Brith Gof is a Welsh vocal group singing in Gaelic, and the album is on Celts facing overwhelming odds face the foreign invaders. An amazing album.
Really enjoyed your review here. So glad I found your channel!
My favorite song by them, genius.
Great song, this is the first Ensturzende Neubauten I ever had and this was one of my favorite songs.
Every day is not suitable as a Neubauten day for me. But the days that are, Neubauten reach hights within me that are higher than anything else musically. (My fav would probably be Redukt. But that's today. Tomorrow it's some other song by them.)
The translator got the band name pretty well by the way at least from what I've heard Blixa the singer say.
Yes i am german it is correct !
Yeah, I didn't get a strong read on this either. The foreign language plus a musical genre that's outside my wheelhouse doesn't help. That said, I was taken by the sonic soundscapes here, and I can't help but think of the tradition of German electronic music going back to Kraftwerk and, even before then, back to composers like Stockhausen. This definitely has a more industrial tinge, but it also doesn't remind me much of bands like Nine Inch Nails or Ministry or those bands. Interesting stuff.
Next up: SPK's Slogun... or not (Bryan might have a mental breakdown).
Not quite the original Industrial band but close enough for most folks. Lots of early sampling and constructed instruments. German AF. Verging on cliche but better than that sounds, I reckon.
Please do Skinny Puppy’s Worlock
That really hurt my brain.
13:54 that's just asmr 👁👁