Destruction time again

Dave Henderson learns the drill with EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN

There's something about someone beating the hell out of an iron bar, or even someone attempting to demolish the stage at the Lyceum with a road drill.

Not since the embryonic days of punk have people gone berserk over what is basically a crushing, thunderous noise.

But there's a lot more subtlety to EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN. On the surface the sea of faces might be waiting for that violent climax when Mufti crashes something to the ground, but there's a spontaneous musical complexity to what EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN do. It's just that the tools of their trade aren't the orthodox guitar, bass, drums, that rock and roll has revolved around for so many years.

They're difficult to track down though. Several meetings have to be blown out before Mark [sic] from the ensemble takes time off from a hectic schedule to relate his version of the group's chaotic history.

I remember being introduced to their first LP, many moons ago, by Fritz of the SKIDOOS. Pulling it from the rack he intoned various comments along the lines of "weird", "strange", "road drills", and "foreign". I bought the record, "Kollaps", the next day. Well, what other recommendation could you want?

"The concept of "Kollaps" was to make the most unlistenable record ever, but in the studio we didn't really stick to it. At that time, there was a lot of experimental music going on in Germany, so it wasn't so odd, but it had no structure that anybody could recognise. We got two reviews which were quite enthusiastic, but the guys who wrote them were so weird themselves that nobody could understand what they were going on about?"

Some time later, the album eventually surfaced on import in the UK. Eventually people got wind of it, enthusiasm began to spread, and as other parts of their back catalogue - a 12 inch with Lydia Lunch, and a double seven inch pack - emerged, NEUBAUTEN made their UK debut at the Lyceum supporting the BIRTHDAY PARTY. The seed was sown, Stevo moved in, and two LPs - a follow up to "Kollaps" and a compilation of earlier material - were planned to be preceded by numerous anarchic but compulsive live shows which suitably enhanced their eccentric image.

Touted as revolutionary in their dismissal of the expected musical formats, NEUBAUTEN quickly developed a kind of cult status. But Mark is very reticent [sic] to admit that the group are in any way leaders of some new, change making, movement. People seem keen to lump them in with TEST DEPT and SPK, but there are obvious differences in style and presentation. The comparison stops at similar instrumentation and is as futile as comparing ORANGE JUICE with TWISTED SISTER because they both use guitars.

"I don't like the idea of being a figurehead, personally. Speaking for myself I'm very suspicious of things like that, I don't think we're aiming for that at all. I'd love to shake up the whole society, but you can't leave that to music. Perhaps it could be a part of it, we'd just be very pleased if we could widen people's awareness of hearing things, that could be a good part of a general development. If I was talking to "The Sun" I'd say "Sure, man, we're the spearhead of a rebellion?"

But it's NEUBAUTEN's approach to music that is different. They dismissed, at an embryonic age, the pitfalls and predictability of the medium they were working in, and opted to limit themselves to a new vocabulary of sound from a different set of instruments.

"The decision to abandon things that could tempt us to fall back into structure was conscious. For instance, on the new LP we've tried to use anything that works for the sounds we wanted to get. We've thrown away about two-thirds of what we've recorded because it didn't sound as good as we wanted it to or because it just didn't convince us?"

The new LP, "Zeichnungen Des Patienten OT", sees the light of day next week. It's come a long time after "Kollaps", but it's obvious that the intermittent [sic] period has been set to maximum effect.

The new collection of orchestrated sound has moved briskly on, they haven't bothered to rest on their laurels and develop their metallically driven pieces, they've transferred the aggression and inventiveness to a new set of instruments. The end result is a similar set of emotions translated in a new style with fire and feeling.

"It's a step further and it's quite different. We're not using the metal sound so much, and we've tried to expand into new directions. We've attempted to use rhythms that get away from the usual dance patterns. For instance, there's a song that is based on the movement of a squash ball across a court; if you try to tap your feet to it, it doesn't work. It was really difficult to work with, but it's become really accessible to me now. If you have an open mind when you listen to it, you'll be OK?"

But the majority of people are conditioned to listen to music in a certain way. With the radio pumping 4/4 rhythms into your head all day it's improbable that many people will be able to grasp the intricacies of a squash ball rhythm.

"We've never really worried about how people are going to perceive it or the difficulties they're going to have listening to it. We've always worked in a way where we've just felt that we want to do something and we just did it. If the ideas are good then there's always going to be people who can understand them?"

Obviously NEUBAUTEN aren't going to be dislodging Boy George from his beloved number one spot. For the majority of people it's just too much work listening to their records. They realised that they might not even shift many records initially, but as "Kollaps" sold, eventually, by word of mouth the new LP will be recognised as the brave statement it is, in time.

But where do NEUBAUTEN fit in? Do they even have to? Their history has been littered with art-oriented performances and stylised presentation that isn't really akin to the tawdry rock'n'roll circus.

"I think we'd appreciate the situation, eventually, where the term "music" was completely lost. But I do like the idea of calling it "music" because that means the term becomes bigger. If you call it music then people listen to it, if you don't then people's brains shut it out. The whole thing of using road drills is a real paradox because no worker in the street has people listening to him?"

But in that sense, using road drills and other everyday sounds makes people more aware of the environmental soundtrack that is around them every day.

"If it makes people aware of what's going on around them a bit more, then that's good. For me, personally, it's been a nice development. Working with the group has changed my attitude to things, it's made me listen to different things. Working the way we do allows you to leave things that you are able to cope with, like drums, it makes you try things the more difficult way. We get insecure sometimes listening to what we've done and not knowing what to make of it, whether it is genius or rubbish?"

It's that narrow edge between the two extremes that makes NEUBAUTEN the potent force that they are. Struggling between the two poles is a difficult game, the line is slim, but for them it's obviously worth the risk.

"The point is that the safety you might think you're getting from staying on secure ground is such absolute nonsense. The safer you feel, the more likely that you're going for the real bad end of things?"

EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN are unpredictable. They've bent, out of shape, the ethics of a generation weaned on pre-packed music - be it either pop or rock - and produced an innovative alternative.

Although, as Mark insists, it isn't a daring precedent to be followed and admired, it is an integral step for anyone willing to open his or her ears a little further.

Contrary to rumour there is life beneath, over and above mainstream entertainment. NEUBAUTEN area rewarding move towards re-education.

The choice is yours.

"Sounds", November 19, 1983