Can I get enough of Einstürzende Neubauten?
COPENHAGEN (Pulse): The last time I saw Einstürzende Neubauten was also their last concert before Covid-19, and probably my biggest concert experience. Musiikkitalo (built 2011) in Helsinki probably has the most beautiful acoustics in the world – and the concert was magical. Every little sound was heard and could be differentiated from the others, every little sound mattered in the big picture, and never has one ever got the ultimate understanding of the music for Neubauten.
Einstürzende Neubauten / DR Koncerthuset, København / 13-15.05.22
If I had been a fan of the band before, it became clear that the next time they had to play, I had to go – if it was abroad. The Neubauten in Musiikkitalo became an almost religious experience.
When the “Year of the Rat” tour was announced in 2019, it was clear that one had to go to Copenhagen to experience the Neubauten – partly because it was not put in any data in Norway, but also because the legends Gudrun Gut and Alvo Noto had to be support. As is well known, there was “a slightly bigger crisis than Brexit” as Blixa put it, and the tour that was to celebrate their 40th anniversary was postponed to the year of the bull and reach the year of the tiger – with another date where Michael Rother was support.
The DR Concert Hall was completed in 2009, however, the acoustics are far from as crystal clear as in Musiikkitalo. Six middle-aged men still came stumbling out into the plinth. Shoes make sound. Naked feet make more interesting sound. And it is the interesting sounds that are important for Neubauten. Alexander Hacke makes very tight sounds with his bare feet.
Einstürzende Neubauten is full of artistic musicians who always have many solo projects going on. The explanation of ‘Zivilisatorisches Missgeschick’ says it all – “We have 600 cards with phrases, and then we choose a few cards each and interpret them without telling each other what we do. This is an opus of four minutes, and one of the cards was Radiation into space, so hear if you locate it! ” Sure, yes, after hearing it three times I could clearly hear the radiation. I think.
Blixa Bargeld, NU Unruh and Alexander Hacke have been involved since the beginning, and Rudolf Moser and Jochen Arbeit joined from 1997. Personally, I like the latter. We should perhaps be happy that the madness of the 80s has now been replaced with aircraft turbines and large plastic bags filled with “something indefinable which may have developed intelligence in two years, we dare not open and see”.
Friday’s concert was a bit marked by the fact that it was the first on the tour. That instruments are actually the wrong way by the roadie understandable, the sound level on stage was somewhat dissatisfied with, but Blixa was in a good mood – until he apologized, said “we have shown miscalculated, this is the end of the set and we have just played a hour, we get to invent something ”- and then it became an extra hour.
It’s reasonably large, just so it is said, when the band gets standing ovations for 7, 5, and 5 minutes, respectively, after the first set.
The song material was mainly from “Alles In Allem” (2020) but with songs from “Silence Is Sexy” (2000), “Alles Wieder Offen” (2007) and “Lament” (2014) and it varied from ‘Am Landwehrkanal’ as is a quite traditional folk tune (!) for ‘Reduct’ and ‘Susej’ where a little alternative instruments are used.
Because why use instruments that do not give exactly the sound you are looking for, when you can make the instrument yourself? It’s fascinating what can be used to make beautiful sound! When Alexander Hacke hangs out – I do not know if it even has a name, just that it was the wrong way – or he, Rudi Moser and NU Unruh play a kind of musical chair and play on each other’s instruments – and Jochen Arbeit brings out something like looks most like a toy keyboard instrument he blows into – it’s so playfully light, so simple, so fun and beautiful.
It is somewhat organic throughout, despite the fact that many of the instruments are made of thick metal. It is rumored that ‘ZNS’ (from “Halber Mensch”, 1985) is how Blixa perceived his own nervous system sounds after tripping well and long. Whether this is true you will hardly know, but Neubauten’s music has to a large extent always been inspired by something concrete. ‘Wedding’ is about the district in Berlin (where the song was recorded), ‘Nagorny Karabach’ is not about the geographical location, ‘How Did I Die?’ reminiscent of the myth of the Phoenix. It was once I started a German course to understand what the texts of Neubauten meant – I think the same thing now.
And it is Blixa’s talkativeness that reflects what the band itself thinks about the concert. Rarely have I put such a chatty and happy Blixa as on Sunday, when the sound level had fallen into place and all the instruments stood straight and everything tuned. Almost full hall three days in a row and massive applause is a great boost for anyone after the last for years.
After putting Neubauten up a few times, I actually think this is the best version of the band. The break has done them all good. Blixa has been busy making chefs TV and getting long hair, and Alexander has had a few releases with hackedipicciotto. NOW has workshops for children – how to make sound from what you find in the house – i.a. with the Oslo-based impro-collective DNA? AND? And both Rudi and Jochen have had solo releases.
It goes without saying that I am going to Oslo on September 16, during the Ultima Festival, but it is a bit tempting to go to Dublin (National Concert Hall) or Paris (Le Trianon). Neubauten has a very naked and simple stage show – no fancy lights, no smoke machine, just the band and instruments and their “things” (We have so many things! We have 40 years of things in stock! And they all make music!) – and it will be like a classical concert that deserves a magnificent venue.
You make fun no matter what!
Support artist: Alva Noto is an exciting new acquaintance for me. He has collaborated with Ryuichi Sakamoto and I look forward to hearing more about his work. Gudrun Gut was involved in starting Neubauten, I thought maybe it was a bit fragmented but the lady still makes exciting electronic music! Michael Rother has been doing this for over 50 years (including a small round in Kraftwerk) and I thought he was the most exciting artist of these three. All in all, three artists who have long since ended up on the playlist here.
Set list Sunday: Möbliertes Lied, Wedding, Nagorny Karabach, Die Befindlichkeit des Landes, Sonnenbarke, Seven Screws, Grazer Damm, Alles in Allem, Zivilisatorisches Missgeschick, How Did I Die ?, Am Landwehrkanal, Ten Grand Goldie, Susej, Taschen, La Guillotine De Magritte, Tempelhof, let’s make it a Dada (there was some variation in the order the other days, Friday they played Sabrina and Saturday Redukt)
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