qbico is always expensive
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 23 April 2009 18:59 (fifteen years ago) link
well, let the buyer beware, I think -- Schnitzler / Freuigmann / Seidel historically played under the name 'Eruption' from 69-73, and he's now retroactively taken to calling that band 'Kluster' for new CDs of unreleased music, like the two on Important last year. Which I liked all right, though nowhere near as much as Kluster proper. The three Moebius / Roedelius / Schnitzler Kluster albums have their own sound (the sound = the instrumental lineup) and I think Schnitzler's muddying the waters a bit with these.
I'm glad they're coming out & there's got to be some good music somewhere on that box, but I'm not really tempted by this.
The real news though is this: April 30th, 2009: http://www.nepenthemusic.com/catalog/humanbeing.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/Human-Being-Live-Zodiak-Berlin/dp/B001UTXAV6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1236707860&sr=8-4
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 23 April 2009 19:04 (fifteen years ago) link
Rastakrautpasta's getting a release on Water this week.
― Alex in SF, Thursday, 23 April 2009 19:08 (fifteen years ago) link
I saw that at Aquarius last week, I'd love to see an opened copy, they do such a great job with their booklets. The original Sky CDs are all 1-sided inserts.
there are late 60's film clips from the Zodiak Free Arts Club in the Kraftwerk and the Electronic Revolution DVD, which is actually a very interesting documentary on the origins of Krautrock -- the first hour is all about Tangerine Dream / Kluster / Ash Ra Tempel, with interviews with Schulze / Moebius / Roedelius / Schnitzler & lots of clips. Kraftwerk's first record isn't even mentioned until 60 minutes in, at which point the documentary switches over mostly to critics talking about the records and the archival footage becomes far less interesting, but if you like Krautrock 68-71 you definitely want to see that DVD
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 23 April 2009 19:16 (fifteen years ago) link
whoa, that sounds great! just bumped the kraftwerk dvd to the top of my netflix queue.
never heard of human being before.
― original bgm, Thursday, 23 April 2009 19:51 (fifteen years ago) link
Me too! Thanks Netflix!
― Alex in SF, Thursday, 23 April 2009 20:07 (fifteen years ago) link
the Human Being record is interesting if you're already into the Kluster records. it makes the Kluster records sound hi-fi by comparison, sounds like it's recorded one auditorium over from the one they're in, but it actually makes for weird ambience. no bongos or flutes or anything even remotely recognizable or hippy, this is just strange drone music
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VMepLvJZL._SS500_.jpg
new cluster record out next tuesday: http://www.nepenthemusic.com/catalog/qua.html
produced by tim story in his studio, sounds like this is the first time since 1981 they're releasing a proper studio record instead of just putting out live stuff or live-to-DAT improvs
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 21 May 2009 23:52 (fourteen years ago) link
PR fluff on that link makes it sound pretty good, but I caught them at no fun fest last year and wasn't too into it.
will still check this out, tho. hoping to be pleasantly surprised.
― original bgm, Friday, 22 May 2009 18:17 (fourteen years ago) link
― groovypanda, Friday, 22 May 2009 21:09 (fourteen years ago) link
Milton, how is the new Cluster record?
― Plunge Protection Team, Wednesday, 10 June 2009 18:43 (fourteen years ago) link
it's like the recent live shows / records, but with more layers overdubbed. But the layers still feel largely improvised and meandering, there's less in the way of chords / melody / counterpoint or any pre-composition than I was hoping, it's all about texture. Shorter tracks means it's paced faster than the last three official live records, so I've already listened to it more times than those, and I love how they never really repeat themselves, every record they've done is very different and this one is too. The sound samples at amazon give you a good idea of what's going on.
I like Moebius' last one 'Nurton' better, especially the last third. The last Roedelius / Tim Story album 'Inlandish' has some nice piano & counterpoint on it that approach the early solo stuff, though the production is on the glossy side.
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 10 June 2009 21:16 (fourteen years ago) link
the Human Being CD that just came out, though, that one's bonkers, and in this case the press release is not hyperbole, knowing that Tangerine Dream & Agitation Free were hanging out at Schnitzler's club, and that that was the house band -- that music predates every single Krautrock record & resets the whole history. listening to it with what Stockhausen was doing before and after, going from Hymnen to Aus Den Sieben Tagen / Stimmung is also interesting
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 10 June 2009 21:24 (fourteen years ago) link
I need to hang out on this thread more often. Human Being, wha?
― Nate Carson, Thursday, 11 June 2009 06:45 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKhYoeC-X-Q
― original bgm, Thursday, 11 June 2009 13:24 (fourteen years ago) link
http://www.nepenthemusic.com/catalog/humanbeing.html
yeah, summing up after more listening, the California 2008 live sets (esp. Big Sur & Aquarius) >>>> Berlin 07 and Qua
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 11 June 2009 17:48 (fourteen years ago) link
i've been playing some of a roedelius record a bunch lately (i can't remember which, but the one with cafe culture, i think it's called, and mitsommer as a bonus track (which is lovely)) - there's a crazy limited box set (<200 copies) getting a lot of play on fabio's show on fmu if anyone's interested on geeking on unheard classic cluster.
― the heart is a lonely hamster (schlump), Thursday, 11 June 2009 18:16 (fourteen years ago) link
that box set is Schnitzler's Kluster (no Moebius / Roedelius) but I am interested in checking it out, thanks for repping the playlists
Schnitzler on Kluster / Eruption:
http://www.eurock.com/Display.aspx?Content=Kluster.aspx
Seidel: There is some confusion about Kluster/Eruption recordings. This is rooted long ago in the past but should also be solved after these many years. Kluster was always Conrad's brainchild. Eruption was used for events where Kluster was open to other people
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 11 June 2009 18:24 (fourteen years ago) link
Episodes 8 & 10: feed://www.eurock.com/Podcasts/EurockLive.xml
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 11 June 2009 18:30 (fourteen years ago) link
I've enjoyed most everything I've heard from that Kluster box, but ye gads it's expensive.
― ian, Thursday, 11 June 2009 20:42 (fourteen years ago) link
http://www.importantrecords.com/releases/imprec308_release_page.htm
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 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.
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 18:42 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah, I'm curious about this one. anyone heard it?
― original bgm, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 20:32 (thirteen years ago) link
have only heard the two 15-minute excerpts tacked on as bonus tracks to the original Kluster CD reissues, and they definitely fit in there. atonal drones & fields with a lot of bowed cymbal & scraped percussion, no melodies to speak of, very abstract. the excerpts fade out just as they seem like they're about to get going, so I'm looking forward to hearing the whole thing.
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 21:18 (thirteen years ago) link
http://boomkat.com/cds/340331-cluster-farnbauer-live-in-vienna-1980
2nd sample = Roedelius had a piano there after all
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 21:26 (thirteen years ago) link
digging those samples.
― original bgm, Thursday, 30 September 2010 14:08 (thirteen years ago) link
picked up the Cluster & Farnbauer CD. there are some good sections for those who are very patient -- it was obviously an improvised concert and appears to be presented in moderate fidelity with no editing, the sound is thin and the textures are very spare. I don't think I'm ever going to need to listen to the first disc again. track 5, the 25 minute 'Metalle' on the 2nd disc is where they finally get there. the drumming on 'Drums' is so haphazard & sideways, you can kind of see why the collaboration happened, they did share an aesthetic.
upthread I mentioned bowed cymbals, but that was from memory, there's nothing bowed here, all the drones come from synths.
the bootleg of Cluster's 77 Metz show has slightly more repeat listenability than this, which is truly fans only. that being said, I'm happy it's out.
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:19 (thirteen years ago) link
& here's stephen illife's review (the only guy who's reviewed nearly every single Cluster album). he likes it more. who am I kidding, of course I'm going to listen to the first disc again. just not today.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stepheniliffe/5036327861/
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 27 October 2010 19:25 (thirteen years ago) link
starting to think sowiesoso might be the prettiest album ever made
― sonderangerbot, Tuesday, 16 November 2010 22:49 (thirteen years ago) link
Good news that the long awaited CD re-release of Roedelius' Selbstportrait is now finally out. Here's my review of it:http://www.flickr.com/photos/stepheniliffe/5208519329/
― Stephen Iliffe, Monday, 29 November 2010 20:37 (thirteen years ago) link
hey Stephen. thanks for posting.
original track order and everything! can hardly wait for volumes 2-3-5. especially 3.
― Milton Parker, Monday, 29 November 2010 20:48 (thirteen years ago) link
awesome, had no idea these were in the works
― (ㅅ) (am0n), Monday, 29 November 2010 20:54 (thirteen years ago) link
I am told by the record label Bureau Buskies that they will definitely do all the Selbstportrait volumes up to vol. 6.
4 and 6 are already with 1 and 2 just coming out now, and 3 and 5 to follow in 2011.
― Stephen Iliffe, Monday, 29 November 2010 21:53 (thirteen years ago) link
looks like they're redoing cluster II as well? guess the water label has gone under [ba-dum-tsssshhhh]
― (ㅅ) (am0n), Monday, 29 November 2010 21:57 (thirteen years ago) link
i'm all confused now. i have Selbstportraits I, II, III, and VI. what is IV? and V?
― nerve_pylon, Tuesday, 30 November 2010 00:53 (thirteen years ago) link
http://www.discogs.com/Roedelius-Wenn-Der-S%C3%BCdwind-Weht/master/28323http://www.discogs.com/Roedelius-Flieg-Vogel-Fliege/release/1426718
mentioned nowhere on the packaging -- no one realized these albums were IV & V until he put out another one in 1990 and called it VI.
I, II, III & VI are all archival 70's recordings from Forst, some of the themes ended up reworked on the studio albums. I suspect IV & V were new recordings, but that he later decided were in the older style and so retroactively annointed them. they definitely sound different than the other new solo recordings on Sky from 78-84.
― Milton Parker, Tuesday, 30 November 2010 01:08 (thirteen years ago) link
oh! thanks! i do have those two too. anyhoo, kudos to Bureau for reissuing all of these.
― nerve_pylon, Tuesday, 30 November 2010 02:06 (thirteen years ago) link
And not forgetting the wonderful Selfportrait volumes 7 to 8 (7 = Ahead of the Wind, 8 = Introspection) these were recorded much later on after year 2000 and are digital rather than analogue but they have the same small scale intimacy and warmth, plus added colours and textures.
― Stephen Iliffe, Friday, 3 December 2010 21:58 (thirteen years ago) link
I really like this one a lot. I caught their performance in NYC last year and it was pretty magical.
― A happenstance discovery of asynchronous lesbians (Capitaine Jay Vee), Saturday, 4 December 2010 01:00 (thirteen years ago) link
For those who might be interested, here is a haiku-style poem about Cluster's Grosses Wasser that was reproduced on the sleeve of the Water label's CD-rerelease of the album: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stepheniliffe/5208523107/in/set-72157624709969408/
― Stephen Iliffe, Thursday, 9 December 2010 21:30 (thirteen years ago) link
Discovered the Moebius/Plank/Neumaier record Zero Set today.Enjoying the tracks that are up on youtube.
― Trip Maker, Friday, 10 December 2010 00:04 (thirteen years ago) link
Here's a new and lengthy review of the classic Moebius/Plank Rastakraut Pasta:http://www.flickr.com/photos/stepheniliffe/5051492108/in/set-72157624709969408/
― Stephen Iliffe, Sunday, 16 January 2011 20:29 (thirteen years ago) link
“In Conny’s hands, his mixing desk becamea sophisticated instrument,” says Petrus Wippel.
“He customised it with a quad stick so he could pan any instrument left and right, as well as dry and wet, with one fingertip, and make it fly through time and space.”
should come standard
― Milton Parker, Sunday, 16 January 2011 23:30 (thirteen years ago) link
Ah. I was listening to Jardin Au Fou just this evening. Such a lovely record. It is nice to see some appreciation for it earlier in this thread.
― MEG_tron (kraudive), Sunday, 16 January 2011 23:40 (thirteen years ago) link
Here's a lengthy text about the Harmonia Eno 76 album Tracks and Traces: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stepheniliffe/5377752168/
― Stephen Iliffe, Monday, 24 January 2011 20:52 (thirteen years ago) link
i want to start a Zuckerzeit vs. Sowiesoso poll but i don't know if enough people here have heard those albumsbesides, Sowiesoso should win in a landslide!
― frogbs, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 18:10 (twelve years ago) link
you are underestimating ILM.
― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 18:42 (twelve years ago) link
for real
― Art Arfons (La Lechera), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 18:44 (twelve years ago) link
Curiosum vs. Metz 23-9-77 poll
― Milton Parker, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 19:02 (twelve years ago) link
i'm not sure how many of the above posters post anymore? I know Cluster is spoken very highly of but they're nowhere as well known as Neu! or Can
ok, ok, the real reason is that i have made too many polls lately
― frogbs, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 19:05 (twelve years ago) link
but seriously, Sowiesoso is amazing, did these guys do anything else like it?
There are moments that echo Sowiesoso spread throughout Moebius' and Rodelius' respective discographies. Like this tune has that vibe imohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKr2rfheAAM
― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 19:12 (twelve years ago) link