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.
Epharisto
Einstürzende Neubauten Lyrics
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Epharisto
Ein träumender Mann
mit einem Fischleib
rücklings auf dem Wasser treibend
schaut er flußabwärts
The lyrics of Einstürzende Neubauten's song Epharisto depict a dreaming man floating on his back with the body of a fish. The surreal imagery suggests a sense of disconnection from reality, perhaps symbolizing a desire to escape from the limitations of the human form or from the mundane concerns of everyday life. The man seems to be drifting downstream, indicating a passive acceptance of the course of life and a willingness to surrender control to external forces.
The title of the song, "Epharisto," is a Greek word meaning "thank you." This may suggest a sense of gratitude for the dream state as a means of experiencing a different reality or for the temporary reprieve it offers from the pressures of waking life. The use of non-traditional instruments in the song, such as power drills and metal objects, creates a dissonant and unsettling soundscape that further emphasizes the dreamlike quality of the lyrics.
Overall, Epharisto is a surreal and enigmatic song that invites the listener to contemplate the nature of dreams, reality, and the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Ein träumender Mann
A man who is dreaming
Epharisto
An unknown word that is potentially the name of the dreamer or the river he is floating on
Ein träumender Mann
The dreamer is mentioned again
mit einem Fischleib
The dreamer has the body of a fish, which may represent his connection to the river or his fluid nature in the dream world
rücklings auf dem Wasser treibend
The dreamer is floating on his back, being carried by the current of the river
schaut er flußabwärts
He looks downstream, suggesting that he is moving towards a new direction or destination
Contributed by Asher T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.