"Zeichnungen des Patienten O. T." (or Drawings of Patient O. T.) is the second studio album by the Berlin-based experimental group Einstürzende Neubauten, released in 1983 by Some Bizzare Records. The album was also distributed in Germany by Rough Trade Deutschland, and in the United States, it was released as Drawings of O. T. by PVC/Jem Records in 1984.
The title refers to Oswald Tschirtner, an institutionalized schizophrenic artist who became known for his distinctive, raw artwork. The original vinyl release of the album carried the catalog numbers Rough Trade Records #RTD 18 and Some Bizzare Records #SBVART 2.
Zeichnungen des Patienten O. T. represents a departure from the more abrasive, industrial sounds of the band's debut album Kollaps (1981), showcasing a broader range of moods and experimental approaches. The group continued their exploration of unconventional sounds, using everyday objects and industrial materials to create music. These sounds often included banging, scraping, plucking, and manipulating resonant objects, a hallmark of the band's signature style. However, the album also introduces a variety of new techniques, including the use of found sounds, such as telephone conversations and recordings from the Hamburg fish market. The song "Armenia" incorporates a sample of the Armenian song "Toun en kelkhen imastoun yes," further demonstrating the band's embrace of sampling and the use of non-musical elements.
One of the more notable characteristics of this album is the prominent use of bass guitar. While the bass is played in a minimalistic style, it adds to the overall sonic texture, supporting the unique atmosphere without necessarily providing a traditional rhythmic or harmonic backbone. The band's shift toward more structured compositions is evident in some tracks, with Trouser Press critic David Sheridan commenting on the band's move toward conventionality, even noting that the title track "even has a chord progression."
The track "Armenia" gained additional recognition when it was used in the soundtracks of Michael Mann's 1995 film Heat and his 1999 film The Insider.
