Haus der Lüge by Einstürzende Neubauten

ALBUM:  Haus der Lüge

BAND:  Einstürzende Neubauten

OTHER FACTS:  Release Year: 1989

Line up:  Blixa Bargeld, Mark Chung, F.M. Einheit, N.U. Unruh, Alexander Hacke

The copy that I'm listening to includes three bonus tracks: two remixes of "Feurio!," and the added track "Partymucke"

Overview:

I'm staring with an easy one.  This is a personal favorite (actually, one of my Top 10, which I do plan on eventually reviewing the lot of).  I am a sucker for concept albums or, at least, albums with continuity, and Haus der Lüge has it in spades.  Each song makes a connection with one another, even when there are audible breaks between them.  It starts with the teeth-grinding, abrasive foreboding of the Intro to the swelling epic conclusion (not including the bonus tracks).  I always love listening to it and I recommend it as a starter for anyone who is interested in this band.  Keep in mind, I am coming at this album from the perspective of a non-German speaker.  In this perspective, I may miss some of the lyrical meanings, but I think it is a very enjoyable experience to let the words, and notes in the voices wash over you and appreciate them as an instrument instead of getting lost in what they are saying.  I, sometimes, prefer foreign language music for this reason.

Highlights:

• Prolog/Feurio!:  I can't help but play these two songs together.  Bargeld sets the tone with stark words spoken in a tone of voice that calls you to pay attention.  He asks a question and begins the answer: "Wir Könnten, Aber -" ("We Could, But -"), only to interrupt the train of thought with loud noise distortion.  The din rings for a short while, and is immediately silenced, only to follow with another question leading to the same end.  The questions, broken with cacophonous screeching, eventually lead to an uproar that slowly fades to the pounding dance-drone that is Feurio!.  Feurio! is one of my favorite songs by this band in it's addictiveness, darkness, and overall dance-ability.  In the liner notes of the album, they mention using this song to liken "Germany as the funeral pyre of Europe."  From what I could glean, the band was referring to how German history (specifically WWII-era) is "revised to suit the living" (quoted, again, from the liner notes) and, perhaps, serve as caution not to forget the ugliness in the past, in order to make a better future (of course, that interpretation is guesswork by yours truly based, again, solely off the liner notes to the album).  In any case, the fire motif is not lost by the music.  That ever-pulsing drone does set my mind to the steady flicker of flames burning at their fullest.  Every time there is a break in the music (for loud percussion or for Bargeld's howling cry for Marinus Van Der Lubbe), the flames inevitably keep fading back into focus.  It is beautiful to listen to and very hook-y.  Feurio! is the most single-like song on the album (maybe even any of their albums?, at least in the top 10 I should think...), and it is easy to get stuck in your head. 
•  Haus der Lüge:  Title song, meaning "House of Lies."  In this song, Bargeld and company start on the first floor and climb all the way to the attic, where God shoots himself (thus "allowing the top floor to be renovated"), all the while describing every floor along the way.  This starts as a pretty dark picture and each floor along the way gets darker until the climax.  This is also reflected aurally, with swelling horns and echoing vocals slowly adding to the pounding beat.  I really like the section in the middle where a percussion break depicts climbing a staircase; it really creates that picture in your mind.  The song is engrossing, and after God's suicide, the sounds come apart, putting me to see the entire house falling apart and crumbling to the ground.  With the destruction of the house, you are led to the "Epilog" (in my CD version, it's MADDENINGLY separated as a different track) which presents our narrator's cellar dwelling.  It is cold, dark and shut off from everything going on upstairs.  He describes it as a womb.  It is safe, dank, "pleasant" and, apparently, where he is going to stay.  I love the picture-esque lyrics as well as the picture-esque sounds to match what is going on in this song.  If a song ever came close to accomplishing the same effect as a painting, this would be it.
• Fait Lux:  This three-part song is beautiful in its own right.  Coming off of the swirling torrent of the title track, it brings the tempo down and swims with sweeping strings and softly sung lyrics.  The music does not break, it just carries the listener further down until the vocals hum you into recordings of the Berlin Riots.  This is followed by the stuttering lyrics and frantic rhythm of "Hirnlego" (part 3 of this piece), which is swirling and falling apart into nothingness.  This song, as with the title track, depict what Einstürzende Neubauten is all about.  The band's name literally translates to "Collapsing New Buildings."  Order to chaos.  Birth to destruction.  (To rebirth?  Perhaps.  I believe that is open-ended.).
• Der Kuss:  I love this song.  This song employs use of a very cool instrument noise.  It is briefly described in the liner notes, but I fail to draw a clear picture from the description.  It sounds loosely like a guitar string that is not tightened all the way being left flapping and buzzing around, and I love that the band finds, not only a usage, but a fitting usage for such a sound.  This song starts out simply and builds to an epic conclusion with the leading bassline, echoing drums, strumming guitars and piano building the swell.  I tend to think of a sunset, deep in orange an reds, as Bargeld depicts love and the depths therein through the meanings within a simple kiss.  The name is as simple as the action, but it means so much more.

 Bonus Tracks:  The remixes are even more danceable versions on Feurio!, and are a lot of fun.  "Partymucke" is a very quiet track, but it causes one to listen closely and maybe notice something they may not have before.  When I like a band, I like listening to as many songs as they have to offer, so I never complain about bonus additions.

Keep in mind, these interpretations and depictions are my own.  I could be wrong, I could be right.  I do not pretend to be an authority on any of this, just an avid fan.  All art is subject to interpretation.  I encourage anyone to listen to this album and draw their own interpretations.  I would love to talk about other interpretations anyone out there might have!  I hope this would help anybody who is curious about this band or, specifically, this album, and my sincere hope is that I can help in any way to get people to want to listen to this album.  It truly is one of my favorites.

(I will try to put one of these out a week.  Hopefully, I can get better as I go along, too!  Hope it was enjoyable, and see you next week!)

Intro

Hello!  Let's get to brass tacks.  This is the beginning of something I've wanted to do for a long time.  I am a music collector, and I own a lot of CDs.  I am very passionate about the music I listen to and, honestly, I always want to read as much as I can about it.  Basically, I want to put out there in-depth information on albums that might or might not be very fleshed out on other websites.  "Review" is not the perfect word, but it is the best one I can use to reflect what I want to do. I am going to be critiquing, but I also want to offer depth, analysis and description to the albums I will review on here.  My ultimate goal is to offer maybe a listener's perspective for someone who might wonder what an album sounds or feels like.  I really want to describe the listening experience with each album I review.  Of course, these are all my personal opinions.  However, I will not cruelly criticize or bring down any musical work I review on here.  Neither, will I meaninglessly praise anything.  I am going to do my best to be as factual and analytical as possible, and give credit to what I think the artist accomplished in their work.  If I do get overzealous with praise, I will try to clarify it as my opinion.  I am going to be reviewing CDs I actually own, so I do not think there will be too much in the negative spectrum, but that will be clarified as opinion as that arises, as well.  I am not here to offend anyone or put down their musical tastes.  I just want to offer information and opinion for those who wish to read it.  Ok - Off soapbox.  I also intend on this being fun!  I hope anyone who finds their way here enjoys what they see!

-592