Wednesday 16 May 2007

Cluster - Cluster '71 (1971) (@256)












A magnificent compilation about Hans-Joachim Roedelius was released recently, named 'Works (1968-2005)'. Roedelius was a founding member in Kluster, Cluster and Harmonia, seminal kraut-rock groups of the 70's, while he has also collaborated with Brian Eno.
The uploaded album comprises a major influence for many artists of electronica, while it is a mere challenge for all real music fans. We read from allmusic: "... a dislocating, disorienting meld of random space music, industrial noise, proto-ambient atmospherics, feedback, and soundwash that walked some crooked line between musique concrete, improvisation, and raw unmusical terrorism. There is no regular beat, though there is, at times, a very pronounced rhythm.(...) Cluster 71 is a masterwork, not because it set out to be, but in spite of itself. It's one of those moments in rock history where all bets were off and everyone involved — except perhaps the record label — found it liberating."
P.S. Does anybody know who is the third member of the group mentioned as 'Hellas' (look on the upper right corner of the black and white picture above) on the gatefold? If it is for the producer Conrad Plank, why is he nicknamed 'Hellas'?

download link: here

review link (allmusic): here

3 comments:

  1. there is no 3rd member. is rather an instrument (or better, an electronic device, based in diodes - nothing important) .. and is called "helias"!!!

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. I could bet that on the gatefold (of my edition) is written 'Hellas'. A typing error probably? Thanks anyway - the question had remained unanswered for some time now. I found some entries about 'helias' in google. I knew there wasn't a 3rd member; their producer is often considered as such.

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