Cluster - Berlim 07

Review

Berlin 07 it was recorded in 2007 at a Cluster concert in Berlin, their first there since 1969.

Recorded much in the style of the duo's previous two albums, both of which drew from Roedelius' Sinfonia Contempora sound, that he developed on his two solo albums Sinfonia Contempora No. 1: Von Zeit zu Zeit and Sinfonia Contempora No. 2: La Nordica (Salz Des Nordens). The album's style differs from the Sinfonia Contempora albums as it quite obviously contains elements of Moebius' style as well. It mixes avant-techno with sound clips and mocking synth growls.

Track Listing

Part 1 - 29:47 

Part 2 - 36:45 

Cluster - First Encounter Tour 96

Review

First Encounter Tour 1996 is the thirteenth full-length album by German electronic music outfit Cluster. It is also the third live album released, and the only double album released by Cluster.

First Encounter Tour 1996 was recorded at various concert venues around the United States in 1996 and was produced by noted keyboardist and ambient musician Tim Story at Zeta in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was released on February 25, 1997. First Encounter Tour 1996 was Cluster's only release for the Purple Pyramid label.

The music of First Encounter Tour 1997 flows from one music style to the next and reflects all the varieties of Cluster's music from the 1979 release Grosses Wasser onwards. Some sections of the longer tracks do seem to break new musical ground for Cluster, with deeply atmospheric ambient music leading into sections with a definite melody and beat. Each track is named for the city or cities in which the concerts took place, with the sole exception of the last track which is named for guest musicians Bond Bergland and The Brain (the duo of Paul Fox and Tommy Grenas), which was recorded in Anderson, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois. Much of the music is improvisational but some set pieces were included. For example, the track "Portland Oregon #2" is a live performance of "Emmental" from the 1991 release Apropos Cluster. A short section of "New York City", the nearly 33 minute piece which opens the album, is taken from the avant-garde middle section of the title track from Grosses Wasser. A number of sections of various pieces are very similar to sections of Japan 1996 Live.

Track Listing

1 - "New York City - 32:58

2 - "Phoenix Arizona #1 - 4:04

3 - "Portland Oregon #1 - 29:05

4 - "New Orleans Louisiana" - 4:42

5 - "Portalnd Oregon #2" - 3:36

6 - "Providence Rhode Island" - 7:01

7 - "Eugene Oregon" - 20:13

8 - "Asheville North Carolina" - 2:41

9 - "Chicago Illinois" - 5:31

10 - "Phoenix Arizona #2" - 13:30

11 - "Covington Kentucky" - 4:51

12 - "Minneapolis Minnesota" - 6:51

13 - "Bond Bergland / The Brain" - 15:56

http://www.megaupload.com/ru/?d=XZBNZTOH

http://www.megaupload.com/ru/?d=BWEOOYHF 

Cluster - 1980 - Cluster & Farnbauer - Live in Vienna

Review

Live in Vienna is the eighth full-length album by German electronic music outfit Cluster and their first and only album with Joshi Farnbauer. It is the first of four live albums recorded by Cluster.

On June 12, 1980 Cluster performed at the Wiener Festwochen Alternativ with Farnbauer. The performance was recorded and released as a limited edition cassette on the British York House Records (YHR) label. It was reissued in Germany on the Transmitter label of "Grüne Kraft" owner Werner Pieper.The style of much of the music is highly experimental and discordant and very reminiscent of Moebius and Rodelius' early work with Conrad Schnitzler in Kluster, albeit with updated electronic instrumentation. Two notable exceptions are "Piano and "Ausgang", which are melodic in style. "Piano" concludes with a live rendition on "Manchmal" which originally appeared on the album Grosses Wasser (1979).

Two sections of this album, each between 15 and 16 minutes long, were included as bonus tracks on the Hypnotic CD reissues of the first two Kluster albums, Klopfzeichen and Zwei-Osterei. On August 24, 2010 the album was reissued as a double CD by the American label Important Records. The CD version includes remastered audio and newly created artwork by Dieter Moebius.

Track Listing

1 - "Service" - 32:00

2 - "Kurz" - 4:30

3 - "Piano" - 5:30

4 - "Drums" - 13:30

5 - "Metalle" - 25:15

6 - "Ausgang" - 6:45

Cluster & Brian Eno - Old Land - 1985

Review

Old Land is a Relativity Records 1985 compilation album by Cluster and Brian Eno. All of the tracks had been previously released on two prior albums: Cluster & Eno and After the Heat, which were released on LP by Sky Records in 1977 and 1978 respectively. The title is drawn from a track originally released on After the Heat.

Track listing

"Base and Apex" – 4:29

"Broken Head" – 5:25

"The Belldog" – 6:16

"Tzima N'Arki" – 4:30

"Schöne Hände" – 3:03

"Steinsame" – 4:06

"Wehrmut" – 3:20

"Für Luise" – 5:04

"Old Land" – 4:10

Cluster - Begegnungen II - 1985

Review

Begegnungen II is a Sky Records 1985 compilation album by Brian Eno, Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, and Conny Plank, recording as Cluster, from solo albums, and from various collaborations between the artists. All of the tracks had been previously released elsewhere. The albums these tracks were drawn from are: Material by Moebius & Plank, Zero Set by Moebius, Pank, Neumeier, Durch Die Wuste and Lustwandel, both Roedelius solo albums, After The Heat by Eno, Moebius, Rodelius, Tonspuren, the first solo album by Moebius, Sowiesoso by Cluster, and the eponymous Cluster & Eno. These albums were released by Sky between 1976 and 1983.

The title is the German word for "Meetings" or "Encounters".

Begegnungen II was issued in the US on CD in 1996 by the Gyroscope label. It was also reissued on the San Francisco-based Water label in 2006.

Track listing

"Conditionierer"  – 4:50

"Speed Display" – 5:14

"Mr. Livingstone"  – 5:41

"Broken Head"   – 5:22

"Langer Atem"  – 7:14

"Hasenheide"  – 2:39

"Es War Einmal" – 5:20

"Für Luise"  – 5:01

Cluster - Begegnungen - 1984

Review

Begegnungen is a Sky Records 1984 compilation album by Brian Eno, Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, and Conny Plank, recording as Cluster, from solo albums, and from various collaborations between the artists. All of the tracks had been previously released elsewhere. The albums these tracks were drawn from are: Durch Die Wuste, Roedelius' first solo album, Rastakraut Pasta by Moebius & Plank, After the Heat by Eno, Moebius, Rodelius, Tonspuren, the first solo album by Moebius, Zero Set by Moebius, Pank, Neumeier, Sowiesoso by Cluster, and the eponymous Cluster & Eno. These albums were released by Sky between 1976 and 1983.

The title is the German word for "Meetings" or "Encounters".

Begegnungen was issued in the US on CD in 1996 by the Gyroscope label . It was also reissued on the San Francisco-based Water label in 2006.

Track listing

"Johanneslust" – 4:58

"Two Oldtimers" – 6:58

"The Belldog" – 6:14

"Nervös"  – 3:26

"Pitch Control"  – 6:21

"Dem Wanderer" – 3:52

"Schöne Hände" – 3:02

Cluster - Qua - 2009

Review

Qua is a 2009 album by German band Cluster. It was the first studio album released by the band in eighteen years.

Track list

"Lerandis" - 1:46

"So Ney" - 3:21

"Flutful" - 2:36

"Protrea" - 1:59

"Zircusile" - 1:38

"Xanesra" - 4:02

"Na Ernel" - 3:48

"Putoil" - 1:33

"Malturi Sa" - 4:53

"Diagon" - 1:22

"Gissander" - 6:55

"Ymstrob" - 1:39

"Albtrec Com" - 4:05

"Stenthin" - 3:48

"Curvtum" - 1:00

"Formalt" - 5:03

"Imtrerion" - 5:12

Cluster - One Hour - 1995

Review

One Hour is the eleventh full-length album by German electronic music outfit Cluster. It was recorded live in the studio in Vienna, Austria in July, 1994 and released on January 24, 1995 on the U.S. based Gyroscope label. Precisely one hour of music was culled from four hours of improvisation in the studio. The music is continuous and One Hour is presented as a single piece, the longest Cluster has recorded to date. The CD does have 11 tracks dividing the music, but none of the parts is separately titled. One Hour is structured much like the title track of Grosses Wasser, with short, soft melodic sections at the beginning and the end sandwiching a much longer. rather experimental central section.

Bret Love, who reviewed One Hour for Allmusic, writes, in part:

One Hour [...] is exactly that-- one hour of songs culled from four hours of continuous improvisation. At times the experimental music flows like some bizarre soundtrack for a David Lynch-influenced student film. At others, it sounds like classical music even your Grandma could dig (er... well, maybe not). Although the duo's wildly eclectic, esoteric sound may take some getting used to, One Hour is one of those sneaky discs that continues to grow on you with each listen.

Track listing

"One Hour" – 60:00

Cluster - Apropos Cluster - 1990

Review

Apropos Cluster is the ninth full-length album by German electronic music outfit Cluster. It was also their first album after an eight year long hiatus.

In 1989 Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius reunited to the delight of their fans, recording Apropos Cluster during 1989 and 1990 in Blumau, Austria. The album was released on the Curious Music label in 1991. It was Cluster's first U.S. release. Apropos Cluster is musically and structurally similar to Grosses Wasser though it lacked the rhythmic tracks of the 1979 release, instead comprising a mixture of gentle, ambient pieces in the four shorter tracks followed by the nearly 22 minute long, more experimental title piece.

"Emmental" became the signature track for Cluster. It was included on the 1997 live album First Encounter Tour 1996 and was often performed live by Roedelius at solo concerts during the band's second hiatus.

Apropos Cluster was reissued on the Swirldisc Records label on August 23, 1996.

Track listing

"Grenzganger" – 7:24

"Emmental" – 3:24

"Gespiegelt" – 6:58

"Falls" – 2:57

"Apropos Cluster" – 21:41

Cluster - Curiosum - 1981

Review

Curiosum is the ninth album by the electronic music outfit Cluster. It was also the final collaboration between Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius before an eight year hiatus.

Curiosum was recorded in May, 1981 at Hamet Hof in Vienna, Austria and released later that year. The album was Cluster's last release for Sky. It lives up to its name, with the seven relatively short tracks of offbeat and unusual melodies. Stewart Mason, in his review for Allmusic, writes that Cluster "...had started taking cues from the groups they'd initially inspired. Gone are the side-long experiments of early Cluster albums..."

The album was reissued on CD by Sky in 1996. A 1,000 copy limited edition digitally remastered CD of Curiosum was released on the Japanese Captain Trip label on September 20, 2007.

Track listing

"Oh Odessa" – 3:15

"Proantipro" – 7:30

"Seltsame Gegend" – 8:00

"Helle Melange" – 3:45

"Tristan In Der Bar" – 3:00

"Charlic" – 4:40

"Ufer" – 8:40

Cluster - Grosses Wasser - 1979

Review

Grosses Wasser (Large Water), is the seventh album by the electronic music outfit Cluster. It was co-produced by former Tangerine Dream member Peter Baumann. Grosses Wasser marked the return to Cluster working as a duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius after two albums collaborating with Brian Eno.

Grosses Wasser was recorded and released in 1979 on the Hamburg, Germany based Sky label. It featured a wide variety of styles, including some of the most avant-garde material created by Moebius and Roedelius since the demise of Kluster with Conrad Schnitzler's departure in 1971, particularly during the middle section of the title track, which occupied all of side 2. Other tracks, including "Manchmal" and both the opening and closing sections of "Grosses Wasser" continued the gentle, melodic style of the previous three albums, while others echoed the rhythmic style of Zuckerzeit, albeit with more of an edge. Steven and Alan Freeman, writing in their book The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, describe the title track, in part, as "...a lengthy suite growing out of silence with atmospheric Florian Fricke-like sustained piano tones, via bizarre crackling electronics onto almost tribal-industrial rock percussives."

Grosses Wasser was first reissued on CD by Sky Records in 1992. It was first released in the U.S. by the Gyroscope label on March 19, 1996. A 1,000 copy limited edition digitally remastered CD was released on the Japanese Captain Trip label on September 20, 2007.

Track listing

"Avanti" – 4:44

"Prothese" – 2:04

"Isodea" – 4:03

"Breitengrad 20" – 4:04

"Manchmal" – 2:05

"Grosses Wasser" – 18:38

Cluster - After the Heat - 1978

Review

After the Heat is a 1978 album by Brian Eno and both members of Cluster, namely Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius. The album represents the second collaboration by the trio, the first being 1977's Cluster & Eno. Again, it was created in collaboration with the influential "krautrock" producer, Conny Plank.

The track "Tzima N'Arki" contains a reversed vocal track, part of which includes the chorus of Eno's song "King's Lead Hat" (from his album Before and after Science), itself an anagram of "Talking Heads", whose recordings Eno was producing during that period.

"Broken Head" makes prominent use of tape flanging on Eno's declaimed vocal. The song "The Belldog" is notable for its sequenced analogue synth bassline.

Track listing

"Oil" – 4:12

"Foreign Affairs" – 3:30

"Luftschloß" – 3:10

"The Shade" – 3:08

"Old Land" – 4:10

"Base & Apex" – 4:29

"Light Arms" – 1:29

"Broken Head" – 5:25

"The Belldog" – 6:16

"Tzima N'Arki" – 4:30

Cluster - Cluster & Eno - 1977

Review

Cluster & Eno is a collaborative album by the German electronic music group Cluster and British ambient musician Brian Eno. The style of this album is a collection of gentle melodies: a mixture of Eno’s ambient sensibilities and Cluster's avant-garde style.

In June, 1977 the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius joined with Brian Eno for recording sessions at Conny Plank's studio. The first release from those sessions on Sky Records was Cluster & Eno. Guest musicians on the album included Can bassist Holger Czukay and Asmus Tietchens on synthesizer. The association with Eno brought Cluster a much wider audience than previous albums and international attention.

Bryan Reesman, in his editorial review for Amazon.com, writes, in part:

"Meshing Cluster's affinity for loops and repetition and Eno's penchant for processing sounds, the trio proves that ambient music does not merely consist of drawn-out drones and insipid keyboard tapestries. Certainly many of these nine tracks play off of sustained sounds and atmospheres, but their shorter running times make them more digestible, as does their variety of moods and textures. Highlights include the angelic atmosphere of "Für Luise," the classically inspired piano interlude "Mit Samaen," and the Indian-influenced "One," a trippy progenitor of ethnoambient music, ripe with sitar drones, guitar noises, and exotic percussion that features contributions from Okko Becker and Asmus Tietchens."

The American Gyroscope label reissued Cluster & Eno on CD in 1996. The album was also reissued in the United States by the San Francisco based Water label in 2005.

Track listing

"Ho Renomo" – 5:07

"Schöne Hände" – 3:03

"Steinsame" – 4:06

"Wehrmut" – 3:20

"Mit Simaen" – 4:26

"Selange" – 3:30

"Die Bunge" – 3:45

"One" – 6:06

"Für Luise" – 5:01

Cluster - Sowiesoso - 1976

Review

Sowiesoso is the fourth full-length album by German electronic music outfit Cluster.

Sowiesoso was recorded in just two days in Forst, Germany in 1976. It was Cluster's first release for Krautrock label Sky Records, a relationship which would last until 1983 including albums with Brian Eno, solo recordings, and three albums by the duo of Moebius and former Cluster member and frequent engineer/producer Conny Plank.

Sowiesoso was Cluster's gentlest and most melodic album of electronic music to that point. Brian Eno had worked with Moebius and Roedelius with Harmonia prior to the recording of Sowiesoso and worked with Cluster again on two albums in 1977 and 1978 and the influence of the British ambient musician is clearly heard on the softer and more controlled sound of this album. Russ Curry describes the album this way: "...a fully realized marriage of electronic sounds with a pastoral warmth." Julian Cope included Soweisoso in his Krautrock Top 50.

The album was first reissued on CD by Sky Records in the mid '90s. It has also been reissued by the American label Gyroscope in 1996, the San Francisco based Water label in 2006 and the Japanese label Captain Trip in 2007.

Track listing

"Sowiesoso" – 7:17

"Halwa" – 2:47

"Dem Wanderer" – 3:47

"Umleitung" – 3:25

"Zum Wohl" – 6:50

"Es War Einmal" – 5:25

"In Ewigkeit" – 7:10

Cluster - Zuckerzeit - 1974

Review

Zuckerzeit is the third full-length album by German electronic music outfit Cluster. It was co-produced by Michael Rother, their bandmate in Harmonia (whose two releases Zuckerzeit fell between). The music on Zuckerzeit is different than any other Cluster work and clearly shows Michael Rother's influence, with clearly defined melody and beat and a very rhythmic sound, at times approaching the Motorik style of Neu!. John Bush, writing the review for Allmusic, described Zuckerzeit as: "...a vision of electronic pop, fusing the duo's haunted melodic sense with crisp, scratchy drum programs..."

Among its fans are Brian Eno and Pitchfork Media, which ranked the album number 63 on their "Top 100 Albums of The 1970s" Eno was to later work with Harmonia on Tracks and Traces and the duo on the albums Cluster & Eno and After the Heat. Julian Cope included Zuckerzeit in his Krautrock Top 50.

Track listing

"Hollywood" (Roedelius) – 4:48

"Caramel" (Moebius) – 2:58

"Rote Riki" (Moebius) – 6:18

"Rosa" (Roedelius) – 4:13

"Caramba" (Moebius) – 3:57

"Fotschi Tong" (Roedelius) – 4:21

"James" (Moebius) – 3:21

"Marzipan" (Roedelius) – 3:14

"Rotor" (Moebius) – 2:40

"Heiße Lippen" (Roedelius) – 2:23

Cluster - Cluster II - 1972

Review

Cluster II is the second full-length album by German electronic music outfit Cluster and their first album with the band reduced to a duo. Conny Plank, who was credited as a member on the first album, decided to concentrate on production and engineering. Plank is still credited as a composer together with Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius on all tracks.

Cluster II was recorded at Star-Studio in Hamburg, Germany in January, 1972. It was Cluster's first release for legendary Krautrock label Brain Records, a relationship which would last until 1975 and include the subsequent album Zuckerzeit as well as the first two Harmonia albums, a group which included both remaining members of Cluster and Michael Rother of Neu!.

Cluster II continued the transition away from the discordant, proto-industrial sound of Kluster towards a more electronic sound. It was the first album to feature relatively short tracks and it was the first album in which tracks were named. (Earlier Kluster albums as well as the eponymous first Cluster album had unnamed pieces.) Julian Cope included Cluster II in his Krautrock Top 50.

The album was first reissued on CD in 1994 on the Spalax label with subsequent reissues on Universal in 2004 and Revisited in 2007.

Track listing

"Plas" – 6:00

"Im Süden" – 12:50

"Für die Katz" – 3:00

"Live in der Fabrik" – 14:50

"Georgel" – 5:25

"Nabitte" – 2:40

Cluster - Cluster71 - 1971

Review

Cluster is the eponymous first full-length album by German electronic music outfit Cluster. It is also the only album on which Conrad Plank is credited as a member. Cluster was recorded at Star-Studio in Hamburg, Germany in January, 1971. It was Cluster's only release for the Philips label.

Cluster began a transition away from the discordant, proto-industrial sound of Kluster towards a more electronic sound. Russ Curry of Curious Music credited Conny Plank with the change of direction, describing it as having "...continued the commitment to improvisation but developed a focus on sound structure. Instrumentation included a pair of organs, Hawaiian guitar, cello, and audio generators, all played by Moebius and Rodelius, all of which were electronically treated by Conny Plank.

Thom Jurek, writing Allmusic review, describes Cluster, in part as: "...a dislocating, disorienting meld of random space music, industrial noise, proto-ambient atmospherics, feedback, and soundwash..." The editorial review on the Amazon.com website states, in part:

"The three untitled tracks composed and performed by Moebius and Roedelius are exploratory, ever-changing pieces with focuses on guitar distortion and synthesizer wails, though each goes far beyond. This album deserves the many accolades it's been given, and holds up as an early landmark in the history of beatless ambience."

"The Wire" places Cluster's self-titled debut album in their "One Hundred Records That Set The World On Fire".

The album was reissued with new artwork and a new title, Cluster '71, by Sky Records in 1980. Cluster '71 was digitally remastered (from a vinyl source, not a tape) and reissued on CD in 1996[5] by Sky with new artwork: a total of three different cover designs for the album to date. It received its first U.S release in 2006 on the San Francisco based Water label. The Water reissue restored the original Philips cover art but retains the Cluster '71 name. A 1,000 copy limited remastered edition of Cluster '71 with the original Sky LP cover art was reissued by the Japanese Captain Trip label on September 20, 2007.

Track listing

[untitled] – 15:33

[untitled] – 7:38

[untitled] – 21:17