Halber Mensch
Studio album by
Einstürzende Neubauten
Released2 September 1985
Recorded1983–1985
GenreIndustrial, experimental
Length35:32
LabelSome Bizarre
ProducerGareth Jones, Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten chronology
Zeichnungen des Patienten O. T.
(1983)		 Halber Mensch
(1985)		 Fünf Auf der Nach Oben Offenen Richterskala
(1987)

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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Alternative Rock8/10[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
The Great Alternative & Indie Discography5/10[5]
Laut.de[6]
MusicHound Rock[7]
OndaRock8.5/10[8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[9]

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, 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

Side A
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Halber Mensch" ("Half Person")Blixa BargeldAlexander Hacke, Bargeld, F.M. Einheit, Mark Chung, N.U. Unruh, Nikkolai Weidemann4:13
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
Side B
No.TitleLength
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
CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Sand"Lee Hazlewood3:30
10."Yü-Gung (Adrian Sherwood Remix)" 7:28
11."Das Schaben" ("The Rasping") 9:22

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Einstürzende Neubauten - Halber Mensch". Discogs. 1985. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 Bush, John. "Halber Mensch – Einstürzende Neubauten : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  3. ↑ Thompson, Dave (12 April 2000). "Alternative rock". Miller Freeman Books – via Internet Archive.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Einstürzende Neubauten". Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
  5. ↑ Strong, Martin Charles (1999). The great alternative & indie discography. ISBN 9780862419134.
  6. ↑ Kubanke, Ulf. "Ein Mantel wie Sandpapier für zeitlose Zeilen". Laut.de.
  7. ↑ Gary Graff, ed. (1996). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (1st ed.). London: Visible Ink Press. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-7876-1037-1.
  8. ↑ Mauro Roma. "Einstürzende Neubauten". OndaRock. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  9. ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Einstürzende Neubauten". Spin Alternative Record Guide (1st ed.). New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  10. ↑ Sheridan, David; Fasolino, Greg; Robbins, Ira. "trouserpress.com :: Einstürzende Neubauten". trouserpress.com. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  11. ↑ best industrial
  12. ↑ "Einstürzende Neubauten - 1/2 Mensch". Discogs. Retrieved 20 August 2020.

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