It just didn’t work as often and the track list here verifies it with only four selections - two regular, two remixes - representing the dismal Big Hit era. They couldn’t grow old and continue chanting and shouting, so they grew into something more ambitious and complex, something close to Depeche Mode. Nitzer Ebb introduced “muscle and hate” to dancefloors and opened up the door for industrial dance music, electronic body music, and all the heavy dance music to follow. As the group grew in confidence and ability, it began to develop the Nitzer Ebb sounda blend of unusual analogue trickery, minimal song structure, heavy drum beats and percussion. Shuffling the tracks makes more sense, but it is interesting to hear how such a primal band evolved. Sonically, Nitzer Ebb evoked the sequenced teutonic basslines and barked commands of Virgin-era DAF in its early days, and took the energy of post-punk bands like Killing Joke and Bauhaus to create a new aesthetic.
The first complaint one might have is that the LPs are chronological, and seeing how Nitzer Ebb lost their way toward the end of their career, the gradual decline in quality on each disc is noticeable. Perhaps the last masterpiece of industrial techno music, Showtime is the pinnacle of a genre and the end of an era.Nitzer Ebb’s first true compilation - with only one album and some singles to pull from, 1988’s So Bright, So Strong barely counts - features the hits and important album cuts on one disc, then presents a selection of remixes on the second disc. From the genre high water mark “Getting Closer” to the ominous suspense of “Lighting Man” right up to the raucous closer, “Fun To Be Had”, it’s one of the most sophisticated and personable records electronic body music ever produced. The off-kilter cabaret influence crops up throughout the album, with worthy examples including "Nobody Knows," a slow bluesy crawl, while "One Man's Burden" in particular is a highlight of Harris' expanding musical reach, with subtle rhythm shifts and orchestrations showing how soft can work for impact just as well as loud. Elsewhere is one of electronic body music's all-time highlights, "Lightning Man." With Harris adding both oboe and horn samples to the beats, helping to create a demented atmosphere reminiscent of Foetus, McCarthy steers away from his usual slogan approach to create a portrait of a strange, demonic figure (apparently a metaphor for alcohol addiction) preying on others.
#Nitzer ebb discography full#
Meanwhile, "Fun to Be Had" starts with an understated, almost swinging start before transforming into a total crowd-pleaser, Harris' astonishing ear for brutally effective rhythms welded to McCarthy in full rabble-rousing mode ("You are young/They are old/Control!/Is all they got to Give!"). The way the song literally revs up alone is worth the listen. "Getting Closer" captures an atmosphere of impending, imminent doom better than just about anything outside of prime Killing Joke, while the heavy synth distortion makes the track rock, all without using guitars. It doesn't hurt that the album is bookended by two of the band's best-ever singles. Keeping all the original D.A.F.-derived tension and approach of the group's earliest days but showing a greater facility for everything from variety in arrangements to more complex lyrics, Showtime doesn't waste a note (it's not even 40 minutes long) and aims for full attack on all fronts. Having arguably perfected their original formula on Belief - as well as reaching its limitations - Douglas McCarthy and Bon Harris started to experiment in a variety of different directions on Showtime, resulting in their best album. ⚠️ DIGITAL ALBUM CONTAINS ONLY TRACKS PREVIEWS ⚠️
#Nitzer ebb discography plus#
Via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Since starting this project back in 2002 the websites counts over 2,5 million visitors. This site serve as interface to all social network sites and to concentrate all NEP as well as FM activities on just one site. Includes unlimited streaming of Showtime (Deluxe Edition) and are the official websites for both Nitzer Ebb and Fixmer/McCarthy. Lightning Man (Barry Adamson Mix) – Bonusįun To Be Had (Dust Brothers Master Mix) – Bonus Lightning Man (The Industry Vs The Ebb Remix) – Bonusįun To Be Had (George Clinton Edit) – Bonus All of this bonus material is not available for download in North America. Included also are several B-sides that were previously available only on the album singles. Limited Edition Deluxe Tri-fold, UV Foiled Digipak sleeve containing 18 Bonus tracks, including all the major hard-to-find club mixes all together on one CD for the first time.