Halber Mensch

Halber Mensch (or ½ Mensch; English: “Half Man”) is the third studio album by Einstürzende Neubauten. Some Bizzare Records released the album in 1985 (see 1985 in music). In 2003, after a continuous conflict with “Some Bizarre Records”, the band released a remastered reissue of this album with another version of the cover.

Overview

Halber Mensch shows further development of Einstürzende Neubauten's sound. The group shows a wider artistic range, 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)”.

Track listing

All songs written by Einstürzende Neubauten except where noted.

1. Halber Mensch – 4:13 (Blixa Bargeld)
2. Yü-Gung (Fütter Mein Ego) – 7:14
3. Trinklied – 1:15
4. Z.N.S. – 5:40
5. Seele Brennt – 4:05
6. Sehnsucht (Zitternd) – 2:55
7. Der Tod Ist Ein Dandy – 6:41
8. Letztes Biest (Am Himmel) – 3:28

Additional tracks

Various compact disc versions include some or all of the following tracks:

9. Sand – 3:30 (Lee Hazlewood)
10. Yü-Gung (Adrian Sherwood remix) – 7:28
11. Das Schaben – 9:22

Credits

• Blixa Bargeld - Lead Vocals, Guitars
• Mark Chung - Bass, Vocals
• Alexander Hacke - Guitar, Vocals
• N.U. Unruh - Percussion, Vocals
• F.M. Einheit - Percussion, Vocals

References