Ende Neu [Import]

I am usually a fan of classical music. But a couple of yearsago, I had a chance to listen to this CD by Neubauten, right aroundthe time when it was being blamed for shootings in schools and other violent acts by children. I listened with a critical ear, expecting to be disgusted by what I heard. However, I was amazed at how complex, creative, and interesting Neubauten's music really is. It seems that the artist is truly reacting to the darkness and depression of the industrialized, mechanized, business-oriented world. His reactions seem genuine and powerful -- and that's what good art is all about. Most Industrial Rock artists don't seem as good as Neubauten. However, I now tell critics to give Industrial Rock a listen before arriving at an opinion. I also changed my mind about the cultural significance of this kind of music. A lot of people blame the music for making kids violent. But after listening to the music, I have to say I strongly believe that the music simply communicates what teenagers are already feeling about the world. Let's face it, we now live in a depressing, dark, impersonal, cold place. Kids feel that more than anyone else. Also, kids REACT to that more than anyone else. As a matter of fact, this music is probably PREVENTING violence by giving kids an alternative way to express their anger and fear -- by listening to the music, talking about it with their friends, and expressing themselves at concerts. Kids first feel the way they do because adults have screwed up the world, THEN they discover music that helps them make some sense of the world that those adults screwed up. It's not the Industrial Rock that makes kids violent in school. It's the other way around -- kids who are sensitive to what's happening in the world discover Industrial Rock because the messages in it speak more clearly than most of what adults have to offer. I would much rather have kids listening to this music than the junk that fills the top-40 lists, where the singers are spewing worthless drivel about absolutely nothing. Top-40 music may be "nicer," but it has got no power, and it is completely commercialized. Industrial Rock has a voice, it's original, and it's an honest reaction to the world we live in.

I am sure that fans are a blessing, but sometimes they can be the worst thing that can happen to an artist. Extreme fans can either blindly praise their worst efforts or dismiss any hint of progress or change in anyone's career just because it no longer fulfills their narrow expectations. EN opened a world of possibilities during the first 10 years of their career and some fell in love with Blixa's angry wails and the somber, tuneless assaults of "Drawings of the Patient O.T." . But the ones who paid more attention, knew that there was deeper thought and emotion into it, not just anger and rebellion. You can label them experimental, but not because they use random methods to make their music, but because there is the passion, the idea, the hope and the patience that it is required for the adventure of discovering something important. Of course EN music is not for everyone, not for mass consumption, not to listen while you are doing something else, not to party or go clubbing. EN (de)compose music that demands all your attention and your patience and at the end it always rewards. I disagree with the ones that consider that with Ende Neu our heroes sold out. Quite the opposite. It is just that they are more developed, the experiment is in a more accomplished stage. Listen to NNNAMMM for instance. There is pattern, there is a more structured rhythm but there is also a breathtaking harmonization of hundreds of machine sounds that sound like sheer sonic adventure. It is the gold they obtained from years of playing with alchemy and it is true to their premise that beauty can be found everywhere and anything can be an instrument and not just a tool. Sure it is not an angry, punk song, you can even dance to it, however it still sound dangerous and daring like nothing you have heard before. Listen to Stella Maris and Explosion in the Festival Hall (shame I don't speak German) and you will feel the teasing, the tension, the explosion. Pay attention to the wonderful lyrics, they are real poems even after they were translated to English, even if you just read them outside the context of the music. Take notice on how every song is different, how they are everything but predictable, how much they respect their audience by elaborating a different idea(s) on every song rather than making 10 renditions of the same tune as we are getting used to by most of the current rock bands. It has taken hard work and discipline, endless talent and inspiration for EN to keep going with such extreme ideas and bullet proof integrity, one can only hope they keep making brilliant records for a long time because they are one of the very few consistently thrilling music forces around.

i had no clue what to expect from this album. i didnt know weather to expect just some random noise, or good music. theyve been called industrial, but its really like no other, and they dont hide behind that "well its art" curtain either. its really good, and has a soul. they use some weird items to make music, but youd just think its a sampler, or some random noise already created, but they record all the sounds themselves, which is interesting. this is an excellent release, and i plan to indulge in more of their albums. very melodic, and interesting music. catchy, and flows. i was quite suprised by this record, cause its excellent. if you want a good record, thats sung in 90% german, here it is.