Audio CD review:
Einstürzende Neubauten - 2x4

Einstürzende Neubauten - 2x4

Band: Einstürzende Neubauten Title: 2x4 Rating: Release Date: 11 November, 1997 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Fleisch 'Blut Haut' Knochen 2: Sehnsucht (Nie Mehr) 3: Womb 4: Krach Der Schlagenden Herzen 5: Armenisch Bitter 6: Zum Tier Machen 7: Sehnsucht (Still Stehend) 8: Durstige Tiere

Customer Reviews industrial life Like many, I had purchased this on tape, and like many I wore that tape out letting it cycle thru over and over again. Well, two Seinsucht's for the price of one - that alone should justify the purchase of the premiere Live industrial album. It's only eight songs, short of fifty minutes - skimpy for a cd. But the songs capture the feel of live performance. I saw them in Myrtle Edwards Park (with the Burlington Northern freight trains roaring past) in Seattle's epic free concert, and nothing was really canned. While not entirely impromptu, it was certainly immediate. 2x4 is the best intro to Neubauten, and ROIR was right to simply reproduce the original cassette. Not My Cup Of Tea.... N. I'm a fan of the later E. records so this one was way too "industrial" for me. Lot's of gutteral screaming and also just poorly recorded. It seems those who like the early stuff often don't care for the later works but I'm just the opposite. I think these guys grew into something special but to me this stuff is just nothing but noise. A MUST HAVE FOR FANS FOR THE UNINITIATED, EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN IS , AT LEAST ON THE SURFACE, WHAT WE USED TO CALL "INDUSTRIAL", BEFORE THE TERM WAS CO-OPTED AND CORRUPTED BY THE LIKES OF MINISTRY AND NINE INCH NAILS. YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW IF THIS KIND OF THING IS FOR YOU OR NOT. LABELS ASIDE, EN THEMSELVES HAVE GONE FROM MAKING VERY PRIMITIVE, ABRASIVE, SOMETIMES DOWN-RIGHT DISTURBING "SONGS" ( I HASTEN TO USE THAT TERM, THESE RECORDINGS DO NOT FOLLOW THE BASIC "VERSE - CHORUS -VERSE -CHORUS - BRIDGE- CHORUS- FADE" STRUCTURE OF FAMILILAR ROCK N ROLL )ON THEIR EARLIER RECORDINGS HEARD HERE, AND HAVE EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING QUITE UNIQUE; A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO TAKE FOUND SOUNDS AND INCORPORATE THEM INTO MUSICAL PIECES THAT RANGE FROM SEMI- CLASSICAL, AMBIENT, SOMETIMES DANCE-ISH ( BUT CERTAINLY NOT WHAT I'D CALL DANCE MUSIC - IT IS SIMPLY OFTEN VERY RHYTHMIC ) AND SOMETIMES APPROACH WHAT I WOULD CALL TRADITIONALLY ARRANGED "ROCK" MUSIC. I PERSONALLY PREFER THE EARLIER, MORE FREE FORM RECORDINGS. THEY ARE FOR THE MOST PART HEAVILY PERCUSSIVE, USING HAMMERS, PIECES OF METAL, HUBCAPS, ETC TO FORM THE BASIS OF THE RHYTHMS OF THE PIECES. THEY ALSO FEATURE VOCALS THAT ARE ENTIRELY GERMAN, SOME SPOKEN, SOME WHISPERED, SOME CHANTED, AND SOME SCREAMED. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT FOR ME, "2 X 4" INFORMS SO MANY EMOTIONS - IT IS QUITE A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE, DESPITE ( OR MAYBE BECAUSE OF ) ITS SHORT LENGTH. I HAVE PLAYED THIS FOR MANY OF MY FRIENDS WHOM I CONSIDERED TO BE OPEN-MINDED ENOUGH TO ENJOY THIS. THE REACTIONS RUN FROM "THAT IS AMAZING, WHO IS THAT?" TO " MY GOD, WHAT A DREADFUL RACKET, WOULD YOU PLEASE TURN THAT OFF?" AT ONE HALOWEEN PARTY I HOSTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO I PROGRAMMED A FEW EN SELECTIONS INTO THE BACKGROUND LISTENING , AND ACTUALLY HAD A FEW GUESTS TELL ME "THAT SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME. " BLIXA AND CO WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD. IN PARTING I CAN TELL YOU ONLY ONE THING, IF YOU LIKE EN AND DON'T HAVE "2X4" I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. . You can see a complete list of all Einstürzende Neubauten discography, or go back to the Einstürzende Neubauten tabs