Ammer Einheit -- Deutsche Krieger -- Invisible Records

Track Listing

Overdrive
Vorspiel - Das Fünfte
I. Akt - Sprechmaschine
II. Akt - 01.08.1914, Königsschloß
III. Akt - Schlachtfeld
IV. Akt - 09.11.1918
Enterprise
Vorspiel - Der Fünfte
I. Akt - 30.01.1933, Radio
II. Akt - Sender 1212
III. Akt - 24.12.1941
IV. Akt - 08.05.1945, Bunker
Paradise
Vorspiel - Die Fünfte
I. Akt - 02.07.1967, Fernsehen
II. Akt - 19.05.1970
III. Akt - 08.05.1976
IV. Akt - 18.10.1977, Requiem

Ever since FM Einheit's departure from the industrious innovators Einstürzende Neubauten, he has been occupying his time with a lot of collaborations. This is a fairly recent addition to Einheit's collection of commissioned works being released through Invisible, and judging by the direction this material took compared to the latest Neubauten disk, Ende Neu, it's easy to see how he was growing apart from them musically. This material was originally broadcast over German radio, which is the most appropriate medium for something so deeply connected to German history.

Deutsche Krieger's impact is surely heightened with the listener's understanding of the German language, and since I can't speak it myself a large portion of this record is lost on me. There are three sections to this album arranged in chronological order, and each one takes a historical look at three of the most important political German icons. The first section surrounds Kaiser Wilhelm, with cackling recordings that date back to 1918. The second section, "Enterprise", is devoted to the infamous Adolf Hitler, who unfortunately doesn't need much of an introduction. The final chapter is about Ulrike Meinhof, who was a founder of the West German "Red Army" anarchist group. Through their own speeches and media samples we are introduced to the in depth influence of these individuals, and their impact on German politics.