EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN PERPETUUM MOBILE ALBUM MUTE, PLAYGROUND RELEASE: FEBRUARY 9, 2004 (UK), FEBRUARY 10, 2004 REVIEW: JANUARY 21, 2004

There walk giants among us. And they are called Einstürzende Neubauten. In the beginning, these giants demolished new built houses in Berlin with their sonic assaults. Nowadays they gently rebuild them in new shapes, whispering "Silence Is Sexy".
It is staggering the way Blixa Bargeld and his cohorts manage to re-invent themselves, year after year. And to be honest, I would have been satisfied if "Perpetuum Mobile" had been half as good as the previous proper album "Silence Is Sexy".
It is almost better.
The low-key sound structures are still eminent; utilising silences, small noises, whispering vocals and piano. But this time around, rhythm instruments are used more in all their shapes and forms, giving the songs another drive and momentum. The song writing is also a bit better (and it has never been anything less than brilliant) giving me instant favourites: the dark and foreboding "Ich gehe jetzt", melancholic and forceful "Dead Friends around the Corner" and strangely compelling "Selbstportrait mit Kater". At the same time the record gets a thematic scope.
I don’t know what has caused all this. Maybe it's the fans that paid to be part of the recording process via the web, maybe it's a sign of a band totally in tune with their own maturation process or maybe it's just that Blixa and the boys are so god damned talented. "Perpetuum Mobile" is not just a record; it's work of great importance, which grows, with every listening.
The one thing preventing "Perpetuum Mobile" to strike through the roof, reaching the rare ten as grade, is the fact that that would mean Einstürzende Neubauten had reached their creative peak and I think they haven‘t. They have many years more of good records, redefining music as we know it, in them. Making gigantic leaps of imagination for the rest of us.
As I said – there walk giants among us. I am very happy if I can rest in the sound scapes that are their footsteps from time to time.

KALLE MALMSTEDT