However, Neubauten soon outgrew the confines of even the broad scope of industrial music. In their 25-plus years, they have produced a dozen studio albums, live records, a remix album and EP, scored theatre pieces, and more.
Lead vocalist Blixa Bargeld is perhaps the best-known member of the group, both for his work with Neubauten and as guitarist for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. His fellow founding members Alexander Hacke and N.U. Unruh have likewise been active in various musical roles outside the group over the years.
Bassist Mark Chung was a member of the group from 1981 to 1994. He founded the publishing house Freibank Music Publishing to handle business affairs for Neubauten and other groups, and has continued in this role (concurrently serving as a senior vice-president of Sony Music International for nine years). Percussionist FM Einheit, was a member from 1981 to 1995, and has also been active as a solo artist and member of groups such as Gry.
Since 1997 the group has also included guitarist Jochen Arbeit and percussionist Rudi Moser.
Neubauten's most recent work has been available exclusively to subscribers to their online home, www.neubauten.org. Neubauten completed the third incarnation of their online project in November 2007 and were touring Europe in 2008 in support of their latest album Alles Wieder Offen.
Currently Einstürzende Neubauten is celebrating their 30th anniversary with a tour through Europe and the United States. In October/November 2010 the band is releasing Strategies Against Architecture IV, the fourth album in the archival compilation series by Neubauten which collates the band’s output from 2002-2010.
Die Libellen
Einstürzende Neubauten Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Im selben Ausschnitt des Himmels
Kriegsflugzeuge die sich tummeln
Bomber wirbeln, stossen herunter
oder stehen lauernd, wartend wie Libellen in der Luft
Ein Flugzeug startet viel zu niedrig
Verschwindet aus dem Blick
Ein Militaertransporter, eine riesige Maschine
Angeschlagen vor dem Absturz, Feuer lugt
Ein erster Schrei, dann alle an Bord
Es explodiert und stuerzt hinter den Haeusern ab
Ein Regen aus Blut
Die Libellen warten im Durchgang
In Einstürzende Neubauten's song "Die Libellen", the lyrics describe the apocalyptic scene of an air raid. The singer recalls the first time they saw the stars in the same area of the sky that is now filled with warplanes. The planes resemble libellae (dragonflies) in the way they hover in the air, waiting to strike. Suddenly, a plane takes off too low and disappears from view, only to reappear above the singer's head, followed by a military transport plane that looks like it's about to crash. The plane is on fire and after a brief scream from those inside, it explodes and crashes behind the buildings, causing and raining down blood.
The metaphor of the dragonflies throughout the lyrics represents the fragility of life and how quickly it can be disrupted or destroyed. The peaceful memory of stargazing is juxtaposed with the violent, chaotic scene of a city under siege. The use of the word "tummeln" (to frolic) to describe the planes highlights the irony of their purpose in the air. The planes that should be graceful and powerful in the eyes of the authorities, seem like dangerous insects in the lyrics.
Overall, "Die Libellen" is an impactful social commentary on the cruelty and pointless destruction of war, and the devastating consequences it has on the innocent.
Line by Line Meaning
Da wo ich das erste Mal die Sterne gesehen habe
The location where I first saw the stars
Im selben Ausschnitt des Himmels
In the same section of the sky
Kriegsflugzeuge die sich tummeln
Warplanes that swarm
Bomber wirbeln, stossen herunter
Bombers whirling, dropping down
oder stehen lauernd, wartend wie Libellen in der Luft
Or lurking, waiting like dragonflies in the air
Ein Flugzeug startet viel zu niedrig
An airplane takes off far too low
Verschwindet aus dem Blick
Disappears from sight
Taucht wieder auf, jetzt ueber unser'n Koepfen
Appears again, now over our heads
Ein Militaertransporter, eine riesige Maschine
A military transporter, a huge machine
Angeschlagen vor dem Absturz, Feuer lugt
Damaged before crashing, fire peeks out
Ein erster Schrei, dann alle an Bord
A first scream, then all aboard
Es explodiert und stuerzt hinter den Haeusern ab
It explodes and crashes behind the houses
Ein Regen aus Blut
A rain of blood
Die Libellen warten im Durchgang
The dragonflies wait in the passage
Contributed by Nora F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.