Einstüerzende Neubauten "Total Eclipse of the Sun" Our Choice / Rough Trade Records RTD 195.3615.3 1999 (19:23)
Total Eclipse of the Sun (first vocal version) (3:52)
Sonnenbarke (8:14)
Helium (3:10)
Total Eclipse of the Sun (new vocal version) (3:52)
Blixa Bargeld (vocals, helium vocals, hammond-organ, bass-pedals, bird-calls, amplifier), Alexander Hacke (electric bass guitars, plastic bin, electronics, choir), N. U. Unruh (plastic and metal percussion, jet turbine, bass-pedals, choir), Rudolf Moser (plastic and metal percussion, jet turbine, drums, choir), Jochen Arbeit (electric guitars, choir), Tim Isfort (orchestration of "Total Eclipse of the Sun"), Alexandra Kratsch (violin), Ruth-Maria Kosow (violin), Magnus Döhler (viola), Christoph Rabbels (viola), Florian Döhler (cello), Hans Jörg Wever (bassflute).
EN return with a timely 4 track (well, 3 really) ~20 minute EP follow-up to the 1996 album, "Ende Neu". The EP was released a week or so before the eclipse that darkened Europe in mid August. The title track continues the more mellow and melodic side of EN revealed on "Ende Neu". It focuses on Bargeld's vocals about the eclipse (German on track 1, English on track 4), strings, bass guitar and smatterings of quiet percussion. Bargeld sings "all I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really want to see is the total eclipse of the sun" ... which I find amusing for some strange reason. "Sonnenbarke" continues the mood: the hissings and drones of some sort of machine, Bargeld's hushed spoken German vocals, a lazy walking bass guitar line, and a sweeping electronic wave that seems to accompany the "chorus" of the song. The final 1/2 or so of the track introduces percussion which begins relatively quiet but slowly builds through the final minutes. "Helium" makes me giggle every time: plastic and metal percussion sections offset by either Bargeld's vocals on helium (literally), bird calls or choir vocals. Laughter probably wasn't the intended reaction for this piece, but that's what it does for me. I enjoy this EP since I'm more of a fan of the mellow side rather than the bangin' and clangin' side of EN. But, I imagine old school "industrial" EN fans will find this to be rather bland. Regardless, the packaging is interesting: all of the times and locations of the total eclipses are printed on the cd itself and can be seen through 2 slits in the digipack's front cover by spinning the cd and lining up the text. Looks like the next one is Feb. 5, 2000 over Antarctica ... so start booking those flights now!
Einstüerzende Neubauten
Rough Trade
Where did I get this cd? - mail order via Riouxs Records.