Moebius, Plank, Mayo - 1998 - Ludwig's Law

Review

Ludwig's Law is the one and only album released by trio of Dieter Moebius, Conny Plank, and Mayo Thompson. It was actually the fourth album recorded by the team of Moebius & Plank. In 1983 the duo recorded a series of electronic tracks using an Emulator, an early form of sampling keyboard that enabled them to duplicate other instruments without having to deal with the musicians who played them. Mayo Thompson of Red Krayola recorded a series of monologues and vocal tracks which were added to the music Moebius & Plank had recorded. According to the Earpiece website "topics include the fate of chickens owned by a 'farmer gabriel' and the effect of lack of sunlight on human intelligence." Sky Records, which had released the first three Moebius & Plank album, rejected the master and Ludwig's Law was relegated to the vault. It was finally released on November 16, 1998 on the Drag City label.

Track Listing

1 - "Scientists" - 0:38

2 - "Das Apartment" - 4:30

3 - "The Truth?" - 5:14

4 - "Ludwig's Law" - 4:20

5 - "42" - 3:44

6 - "Farmer Gabriel" - 4:51

7 - "Gestalt" - 4:43

8 - "Taras Bulba" - 5:06

9 - "Boy Boy Boy" - 3:16

Moebius & Plank - 1995 - En Route

Review

En Route is the fourth full-length album released by German electronic music duo of Dieter Moebius and Conny Plank. It was actually the fifth and final album recorded before Plank's death in 1987. En Route was recorded in 1986 at Conny's Studio outside of Cologne. As Plank's health deteriorated the recordings were left incomplete. The album was completed and mixed by Moebius & Gebhard. The 11th through 13th tracks on the CD are remixes by Manu Guiot done in 1995. It was released by the Dubuque, Iowa-based Curious Music label in 1995.

Track Listing

1 - "Automatic" - 5:17

2 - "Don't Point The Bone" - 5:03

3 - "Drum!" - 4:47

4 - "EChaos" - 3:25

5 - "Muffler A" - 4:45

6 - "Pick The Rubber" - 4:33

7 - "The Truth?" - 3:28

8 - "Prehistoric" - 2:37

9 - "Die Wirren" - 3:26

10 - "Muffler B" - 2:25

11 - "Don't Point The Bone" (remix) - 5:09

12 - "Automatic" (remix) - 4:21

13 - "Prehistoric" (remix) - 5:38

Moebius, Plank, Neumeier - 1983 - Zero Set

Review

Zero Set is the only album by the German electronic music trio of Dieter Moebius, Conny Plank, and Mani Neumeier. It followed two collaborations by Moebius & Plank as a duo. Zero Set was recorded in September, 1982 at Conny's Studio outside Cologne, and released by Sky Records in 1983.

The music on Zero Set is strongly influenced by African rhythms and music. One track, "Recall", features Sudanese vocals by Deuka. Matthew Weiner describes it for Soulmind Online: "Though not a dance record per se, Zero Set is one of the earliest extensions of Krautrock’s possibilities on the dance floor, pitting the profoundly electronic sequence patterns of Plank and Moebius against the hyperactive percussives of Guru Guru drummer Mani Neumeier. On tracks such as the prophetically titled 'Speed Display' and 'Pitch Control', the phasing, chattering and decidedly Germanic grooves found on Zero Set constitute vibrant proto-techno at its earliest and finest." David Ross Smith, writing for Allmusic, describes the album: "...a highly percussive affair with Mani Neumeier. The album is saturated in drum and synth rhythms and polyrhythms, resulting in compositions that are energetic and infectious." Zero Set was a turning point for Moebius and Plank, a fact lamented by Steven and Alan Freeman in their book The Crack In The Cosmic Egg. They say, in part: "...working with Mani Neumeier on Zero Set strangely took the music too close to techno for comfort..."

Track Listing

1 - "Speed Display" (5:13)

2 - "Load" (5:20)

3 - "Pitch Control" (6:23)

4 - "All Repro" (3:28)

5 - "Recall" (8:34)

6 - "Search Zero" (8:38)

Moebius & Plank - 1981 - Material

Review

Material is the second full-length album by German electronic music duo of Dieter Moebius and Conny Plank. Material was recorded in July, 1981 at Conny's Studio outside of Cologne. It was released by Sky Records in 1981. Steven and Alan Freeman, writing in The Crack In The Cosmic Egg describe Material and the 1980 Moebius & Plank debut album Rastakraut Pasta, in part, this way: "Their early albums as a duo were revelations of innovation, bringing unlikely combinations of industrial rock, cosmic and even dub music (on Rastakraut Pasta) together in a hybrid of genres. A reborn spirit of Krautrock that played recklessly with offbeat forms..." The incessant, forceful beat on "Conditionierer", the opening track of Material, could easily have been suitable for club dance music if not for all the odd electronic sounds added on top.

Track Listing

1 - "Conditionierer" - 8:46

2 - "Infiltration" - 7:40

3 - "Tollkühn" - 6:11

4 - "Osmo-Fantor" - 4:27

5 - "Nordöstliches Gefühl" -7:13

Moebius & Plank - 1980 - Rastakraut Pasta

Review

Rastakraut Pasta was recorded in September, 1979 at Conny's Studio outside of Cologne. It was released by Sky Records in 1980. Instrumentation on the album includes electronics, voice, guitar, and flute, all of which are credited to both Moebius & Plank. Can alumnus Holger Czukay plays bass on three tracks: "Feedback 66", "Missi Cacadou", and "Two Oldtimers".

Track Listing

1 - "News" - 4:53

2 - "Rastakraut Pasta" - 6:17

3 - "Feedback 66" - 4:57

4 - "Missi Cacadou" - 5:31

5 - "Two Oldtimers" - 7:02

6 - "Solar Plexus" - 4:55

6 - "Landebahn" - 1:28

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 - 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