Cluster & Eno

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Cluster & Eno
Cluster & Eno.jpg
Studio album by
Released1977
RecordedJune 1977
StudioConny's Studio, Cologne, Germany
Genre Ambient
Length36:10
Label Sky
Producer
Cluster chronology
Sowiesoso
(1976)
Cluster & Eno
(1977)
After the Heat
(1978)
Brian Eno chronology
Discreet Music
(1975)
Cluster & Eno
(1977)
Before and After Science
(1977)

Cluster & Eno is a collaborative album by German electronic music group Cluster and English 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.

Contents

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, already well known for involvement with pop acts like Roxy Music, brought Cluster a much wider audience than previous albums and international attention.

Sky Records issued the album on CD in 1989, shuffling the running order. 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.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Pitchfork 8.7/10 [3]
Spin 9/10 [4]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 6/10 [5]

Bryan Reesman, in his editorial review for Amazon, 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. [6]

Track listing

All songs composed by Brian Eno, Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius.

  1. "Ho Renomo" – 5:07
  2. "Schöne Hände" – 3:03
  3. "Steinsame" – 4:06
  4. "Wehrmut" – 5:01
  5. "Mit Simaen" – 1:30
  6. "Selange" – 3:30
  7. "Die Bunge" – 3:45
  8. "One" – 6:06
  9. "Für Luise" – 3:20

Some editions have the track names "Wehrmut" and "Für Luise" swapped. [7]

Personnel

Additional musicians

Technical personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conny Plank</span> German record producer and musician

Konrad "Conny" Plank was a German record producer and musician. He is known for his innovative work as a sound engineer and producer in Germany's krautrock and kosmische music scene in the 1970s. Plank was involved in releases by Neu!, Scorpions, Kraftwerk, Cluster, Harmonia, Ash Ra Tempel, Guru Guru, Kraan, and other German groups of the era. He later produced for new wave acts such as D.A.F., Eurythmics and Ultravox. As a billed performer, Plank also formed the group Moebius & Plank, releasing 5 albums between 1979 and 1986.

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Musik von Harmonia is the debut album from the influential German krautrock group Harmonia, released in January 1974 by Brain Records. Formed by the addition of Neu! guitarist Michael Rother to Cluster, they recorded the album from June to November 1973 in Cluster's Forst recording studio. It was self-produced by the group using a primitive mixer and three tape recorders.

<i>Deluxe</i> (Harmonia album) 1975 studio album by Harmonia

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<i>Durch die Wüste</i> 1978 studio album by Hans-Joachim Roedelius

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References

  1. Waynick, Michael. "Cluster & Eno – Cluster / Brian Eno". AllMusic . Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  2. Male, Andrew (May 2016). "Two's company". Mojo . No. 270. p. 103.
  3. Beta, Andy (7 May 2016). "Cluster / Brian Eno / Dieter Moebius / Roedelius: Cluster: 1971–1981". Pitchfork . Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  4. Hultkrans, Andrew (November 2009). "Reissues". Spin . Vol. 25, no. 11. p. 82. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  5. Powers 1995, p. 129.
  6. Reesman, Bryan. "Cluster & Eno". Amazon . Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  7. "Release group "Cluster & Eno" by Cluster & Eno - MusicBrainz".

Works cited