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.
Herde
Einstürzende Neubauten Lyrics
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The lyrics to Einstürzende Neubauten's song Herde are a testament to the band's ability to blend raw noise with poetic lyrics that are charged with meaning. The lines that stand out the most in the song are "Merle (die Elektrik)" which can be interpreted in different ways. "Merle" could be a reference to a female name, or it could be German for blackbird. The term "die Elektrik" might be a nod to the electrical components that are used in the construction of the song, as Einstürzende Neubauten was known for their use of unconventional instruments.
The song's lyrics seem to be an observation of society and how people can be like a herd. The word "Herde" means herd in English and is a metaphor for the masses that follow the norm without questioning it. The use of industrial sounds and distortion reinforces the idea of a system that is broken and chaotic. The lines "Ich denke an eine Herde / Die sich auf ein Ziel zubewegt / Ohne sich umzudrehen" loosely translate to "I think of a herd that is moving towards a goal without looking back." This line is a powerful commentary on how people can blindly follow what is expected of them without questioning their actions.
In conclusion, "Merle (die Elektrik)" in Einstürzende Neubauten's song Herde can be interpreted as a symbol of the electrical and technological age that is both a product and a participant of society. The song's lyrics demonstrate the band's ability to express deep societal commentary in a unique and raw way that is typical of Einstürzende Neubauten's style.
Contributed by Allison W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.