Cluster

• 4 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Cluster was the pioneering German duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius. Formed on the cusp of the 1970s, they were a part of West Germany's nascent Kosmische Musik scene. The group would use restrained improvisational techniques similar to Gruppo Nuova Consonanza, working with both electric and acoustic instruments (organ, guitar, tone generators, cello, etc.) to create a singular sound that Julian Cope called "a huge beating heart, planet-sized and awesome."

Following the release of Cluster II, the duo relocated to the village of Forst where they built a home studio and began to collaborate with like-minded artists such as Michael Rother and Brian Eno. 1974's Zuckerzeit, Cluster's first album made in their countryside studio, marked a major shift in their music from experimental noise to avant-pop.

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. Hollywood
• A2. Caramel
• A3. Rote Riki
• A4. Rosa

• SIDE B
• B1. Caramba
• B2. Fotschi Tong
• B3. James
• B4. Marzipan
• B5. Rotor
• B6. Heisse Lippen