| 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 | ||||
| ||||
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[edit]
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[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Alternative Rock | 8/10[3] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [4] |
| The Great Alternative & Indie Discography | 5/10[5] |
| Laut.de | [6] |
| MusicHound Rock | [7] |
| OndaRock | 8.5/10[8] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10[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[edit]
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[edit]
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 | 3:30 |
| 10. | "Yü-Gung (Adrian Sherwood Remix)" | 7:28 | |
| 11. | "Das Schaben" ("The Rasping") | 9:22 |
Personnel[edit]
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References[edit]
- ^ "Einstürzende Neubauten - Halber Mensch". Discogs. 1985. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ a b 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[edit]
- Halber Mensch at Discogs (list of releases)
