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.
Krieg in den Städten
Einstürzende Neubauten Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
verbrannte erde
ich steh auf viren
ich steh auf chemie
aufstehn
abst
ürzen
The lyrics to "Krieg in den Städten" by Einstürzende Neubauten explore themes of violence, destruction, and turmoil in urban spaces. The line "Aufstehn/hinlegen" can be interpreted as a call to action - to wake up and take action against the chaos around us, but then to also find moments of rest and stillness in between. The phrase "verbrannte erde" literally means "burnt earth," and reflects the idea of total destruction and devastation. The lines "ich steh auf viren / ich steh auf chemie" suggest a fascination with things that can cause harm, such as diseases and chemicals.
The repetition of "aufstehn / abstürzen" can be interpreted as a cycle of hope and despair - the desire to rise up and fight against chaos, followed by the inevitable crash back down. This theme is further emphasized by the jarring and dissonant instrumentation of the song, which creates a sense of chaos and instability.
Overall, "Krieg in den Städten" is a powerful commentary on the destructive nature of human conflict and the impact it can have on urban environments.
Line by Line Meaning
Aufstehn/hinlegen
Rise up and lie down, symbolizing the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the war
verbrannte erde
Referring to the military tactic of scorching the earth, leaving nothing behind for the enemy to use
ich steh auf viren
Expressing a twisted fascination with biological weapons and their destructive power
ich steh auf chemie
Glorifying the use of chemical weapons to annihilate enemies and disrupt their infrastructure
aufstehn
abstein
A repeating of the first line, emphasizing the chaotic, repetitive, and brutal aspects of urban warfare
Contributed by Sebastian T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.