Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 25, 2026

Halber Mensch

Halber Mensch is the third studio album by German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten, released on 2 September 1985 by Some Bizzare Records in the U.K. and by What's So Funny About GmbH in Germany. In the U.S., the album was distributed by Rough Trade Records.

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Jul 25, 2026
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Halber Mensch
Studio album by
Einstürzende Neubauten
Released2 September 1985
Recorded1983–1985
Genres
Length35:32
LabelSome Bizarre
ProducersGareth Jones, Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten chronology
Zeichnungen des Patienten O. T.
(1983) 		Halber Mensch
(1985) 		Fünf auf der nach oben offenen Richterskala
(1987)

Halber Mensch (or ⁠1/2⁠ Mensch; English: Half Person) is the third studio album by German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten, released on 2 September 1985 by Some Bizzare Records in the U.K. and by What's So Funny About GmbH in Germany. In the U.S., the album was distributed by Rough Trade Records.1

Background

Halber Mensch shows a wider artistic range for the group, incorporating elements of electronic dance music in "Yü-Gung (Fütter mein Ego)" and performing the title track nearly a cappella. The group also expands their dynamic range; Blixa Bargeld's voice in "Seele Brennt" suddenly switches from a barely audible whisper to a high-pitched scream, while quiet bass guitar overtones float over relatively restrained percussion in "Letztes Biest (am Himmel)".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star2
Alternative Rock8/103
Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar4
The Great Alternative & Indie Discography5/105
Laut.deStarStarStarStarStar6
MusicHound RockStarStarStarStar7
OndaRock8.5/108
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/109

Trouser Press described Halber Mensch as Einstürzende Neubauten's "strongest record" and "truly remarkable".10 AllMusic called it "an excellent feat of industrial music".2 In a 2019 feature, Pitchfork named it the second-best industrial album of all time.11

Reissue

In 2002, after a continuous conflict with Some Bizzare Records, the band released a remastered reissue of the album through their own label Potomak, with a slight variation of the cover image.12

Track listing

All tracks are written by Einstürzende Neubauten, except as noted.

Side A
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Halber Mensch" ("Half Person")Blixa BargeldAlexander Hacke, Bargeld, F.M. Einheit, Mark Chung, N.U. Unruh, Nikkolai Weidemann4:13
2."Yü-Gung (Fütter Mein Ego)" ("Yugong (Feed My Ego)")  7:14
3."Trinklied" ("Drinking Song")  1:15
4."Z.N.S." ("C.N.S.")  5:40
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Seele Brennt" ("Soul Is Burning")4:05
2."Sehnsucht (Zitternd)" ("Desire (Trembling)")2:55
3."Der Tod Ist Ein Dandy" ("Death Is a Dandy")6:41
4."Letztes Biest (Am Himmel)" ("Last Beast (In the Sky)")3:28
CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Sand" (Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra cover)Hazlewood3:30
10."Yü-Gung (Adrian Sherwood Remix)" 7:28
11."Das Schaben" ("The Rasping") 9:22

Personnel

References

References

  1. "Einstürzende Neubauten - Halber Mensch". Discogs. 1985. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  2. Bush, John. "Halber Mensch – Einstürzende Neubauten : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  3. Thompson, Dave (12 April 2000). "Alternative rock". Miller Freeman Books – via Internet Archive.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Einstürzende Neubauten". Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
  5. Strong, Martin Charles (1999). The great alternative & indie discography. ISBN 9780862419134.
  6. Kubanke, Ulf. "Ein Mantel wie Sandpapier für zeitlose Zeilen". Laut.de.
  7. Gary Graff, ed. (1996). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (1st ed.). London: Visible Ink Press. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-7876-1037-1.
  8. Mauro Roma. "Einstürzende Neubauten". OndaRock. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  9. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Einstürzende Neubauten". Spin Alternative Record Guide (1st ed.). New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  10. Sheridan, David; Fasolino, Greg; Robbins, Ira. "trouserpress.com :: Einstürzende Neubauten". trouserpress.com. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  11. "The 33 Best Industrial Albums of All Time". Pitchfork. 17 June 2019.
  12. "Einstürzende Neubauten - 1/2 Mensch". Discogs. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
External links