Halber Mensch
| Halber Mensch | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2 September 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1983–1985 | |||
| Genre | Industrial, experimental | |||
| Length | 35:32 | |||
| Label | Some Bizarre | |||
| Producer | Gareth Jones, Einstürzende Neubauten | |||
| Einstürzende Neubauten chronology | ||||
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Halber Mensch (or 1/2 Mensch; English: Half Person) is the third studio album by German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten. It was released on 2 September 1985, through record label Some Bizzare Records.
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)".
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)" ("Yü-Gung (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 cover) | Lee Hazlewood | 3:30 |
| 10. | "Yü-Gung (Adrian Sherwood Remix)" (remix by Adrian Sherwood) | 7:28 | |
| 11. | "Das Schaben" ("The Rasping") | 9:22 |
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Trouser Press described Halber Mensch as "[Einstürzende Neubauten's] strongest record" and "truly remarkable".[2] AllMusic called it "an excellent feat of industrial music".[1] In a 2019 feature, Pitchfork named it the second best industrial album of all time.[3]
Re-issue
In 2003, after a continuous conflict with Some Bizzare Records,[citation needed] the band released a remastered reissue of this album with another version of the cover.
Personnel
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References
- ^ a b Bush, John. "Halber Mensch – Einstürzende Neubauten : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ^ Sheridan, David; Fasolino, Greg; Robbins, Ira. "trouserpress.com :: Einstürzende Neubauten". trouserpress.com. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ^ best industrial
External links
- Halber Mensch at Discogs (list of releases)