Alles Wieder Offen cover

Alles Wieder Offen

Released

By 2007, Einstürzende Neubauten had fundamentally shifted the way they worked within – or outside of – the music industry. Self-sufficiency was now their modus operandi, supported directly by fans, who became subscribers, and were welcomed into Neubauten’s inner sanctum, with access to footage of recording sessions and the capacity to respond and critique material in development. Out of this came Alles Wieder Offen (Everything Open Again), one of Neubauten’s most focused albums. There’s only one new instrument here (a box of aluminium sticks) – but in the place of innovation comes a certain confidence and assuredness. The rhythmic propulsion of “Let’s Do It a Dada” and the Faust-esque piano clang of “Die Wellen” are urgent as ever, but perhaps the revelation here is the group’s comfort in subtlety – “Nagorny Karabach” is one of their loveliest melodies. “Susej” draws from the archives, bringing a 1982 ‘cellar guitar’ recording into the now, for one of the album’s most compelling, intimate performances.

Jon Dale

Suggestions
Perfect Lives cover

Perfect Lives

Robert Ashley
Mask Talk cover

Mask Talk

Tolouse Low Trax
Cake cover

Cake

Jonathan Coleclough
Steampunk Serenade cover

Steampunk Serenade

Honey Ear Trio
Onwards to the Wall cover

Onwards to the Wall

A Place to Bury Strangers
Illusions cover

Illusions

Arthur Blythe
Live 04 cover

Live 04

Mouse on Mars
Time Travel cover

Time Travel

Dave Douglas Quintet
Youth in Mourning cover

Youth in Mourning

Philip Johnson