Halber Mensch

Producers: Gareth Jones, Einsturzende Neubauten.
Principally recorded at Hansa and Tritonus Studios, Berlin, Germany in 1984 and 1985.
Generally considered to be one of Einsturzende Neubauten's most accessible albums, 1985's HALBER MENSCH finds the German industrial ensemble tempering its sonic assault with the occasional nod to melodies and conventional song structures. Although it seemed as though founding member Blixa Bargeld's dual loyalties to Neubauten and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds might result in diminished returns for the former band, the situation arguably enhanced the Berlin-based group's sound, with a greater attention to mood tempering the act's penchant for noise.
The ominous, pounding, and vaguely danceable "Yu-Gung (Futter Mein Ego)" points to where Ministry would head in the following years, while the clanging "Seele Brennt" is broken up by moments of near-silence, and the eerie (and unexpected) take on Lee Hazlewood's "Sand" nods to '50s/'60s rock & roll, revealing Neubauten's newfound aesthetic balance. For those unfamiliar with Einsturzende Neubauten, this is the best point of departure, and it remains a landmark industrial record.