Halber Mensch
| Halber Mensch | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:HalberMenschAlbumCover.jpg | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2 September 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1983–1985 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:32 | |||
| Label | Some Bizarre | |||
| Producer | Gareth Jones, Einstürzende Neubauten | |||
| Einstürzende Neubauten chronology | ||||
| ||||
Halber Mensch (or 1/2 Mensch; English: Half Person) is the third studio album by German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten, released on 2 September 1985 by Some Bizzare Records in the U.K. and by What's So Funny About GmbH in Germany. In the U.S., the album was distributed by Rough Trade Records.[1]
Background
Halber Mensch shows a wider artistic range for the group, incorporating elements of electronic dance music in "Yü-Gung (Fütter mein Ego)" and performing the title track nearly a cappella. The group also expands their dynamic range; Blixa Bargeld's voice in "Seele Brennt" suddenly switches from a barely audible whisper to a high-pitched scream, while quiet bass guitar overtones float over relatively restrained percussion in "Letztes Biest (am Himmel)".
Critical reception
Trouser Press described Halber Mensch as Einstürzende Neubauten's "strongest record" and "truly remarkable."[10] AllMusic called it "an excellent feat of industrial music."[2] In a 2019 feature, Pitchfork named it the second-best industrial album of all time.[11]
Reissue
In 2002, after a continuous conflict with Some Bizzare Records,[citation needed] the band released a remastered reissue of the album through their own label Potomak, with a slight variation of the cover image.[12]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Einstürzende Neubauten, except as noted
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Halber Mensch" ("Half Person") | Blixa Bargeld | Alexander Hacke, Bargeld, F.M. Einheit, Mark Chung, N.U. Unruh, Nikkolai Weidemann | 4:13 |
| 2. | "Yü-Gung (Fütter Mein Ego)" ("Yugong (Feed My Ego)") | 7:14 | ||
| 3. | "Trinklied" ("Drinking Song") | 1:15 | ||
| 4. | "Z.N.S." ("C.N.S.") | 5:40 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Seele Brennt" ("Soul Is Burning") | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Sehnsucht (Zitternd)" ("Desire (Trembling)") | 2:55 |
| 3. | "Der Tod Ist Ein Dandy" ("Death Is a Dandy") | 6:41 |
| 4. | "Letztes Biest (Am Himmel)" ("Last Beast (In the Sky)") | 3:28 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Sand" (Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra cover) | Hazlewood | 3:30 |
| 10. | "Yü-Gung (Adrian Sherwood Remix)" | 7:28 | |
| 11. | "Das Schaben" ("The Rasping") | 9:22 |
Personnel
|
|
|
References
- ↑ "Einstürzende Neubauten - Halber Mensch". Discogs. 1985. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bush, John. "Halber Mensch – Einstürzende Neubauten : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ↑ Thompson, Dave (12 April 2000). "Alternative rock". Miller Freeman Books – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Einstürzende Neubauten". Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
- ↑ Strong, Martin Charles (1999). The great alternative & indie discography. ISBN 9780862419134.
- ↑ Kubanke, Ulf. "Ein Mantel wie Sandpapier für zeitlose Zeilen". Laut.de.
- ↑ Gary Graff, ed. (1996). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (1st ed.). London: Visible Ink Press. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-7876-1037-1.
- ↑ Mauro Roma. "Einstürzende Neubauten". OndaRock. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Einstürzende Neubauten". Spin Alternative Record Guide (1st ed.). New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- ↑ Sheridan, David; Fasolino, Greg; Robbins, Ira. "trouserpress.com :: Einstürzende Neubauten". trouserpress.com. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ↑ best industrial
- ↑ "Einstürzende Neubauten - 1/2 Mensch". Discogs. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
External links
- Halber Mensch at Discogs (list of releases)