Synth Pioneers (6)
2008-07-25 by Hal BerstramCluster & Eno – Für Luise
Killing two birds with one stone here in the last of the ‘Synth Pioneers’ postings (at least for now) although certain pre-1980s (or even pre-1970s) mavericks will continue to get a look-in later in the year, for sure.
I was going to post something by Eno and something else by German duo Cluster, but as I’d recently got hold of their 1977 collaboration LP “Cluster and Eno” (the music is more imaginative than the title), it made sense to post something from that, particularly given the album isn’t that well known (and is currently unavailable in the UK).
Cluster was a German ‘synth-rock’ outfit comprising Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius. They started out making very experimental albums with ex-Tangerine Dreamer Konrad Schnitzler under the name Kluster, then split with Schnitzler, changed the ‘K’ to a ‘C’, and recruited Conny Plank (later a new-wave/synth-pop producer extraordinaire) for a self-titled album in ‘71.
When Plank left the band (but continued on co-production and engineering duties) they made a very interesting ‘ambient Krautrock’ album called Zuckerzeit (“sugar time”) in 1974. This was a big influence in Brian Eno’s move away from post-Roxy Music avant garde rock and towards ambient music; Eno’s Another Green World album, released in ‘75, is a hybrid of rock and ambient. Eno carried this ethos forward into his collaborative work with David Bowie in Berlin which produced the Low and “Heroes” albums.
Around the same time as he was working with Bowie, Eno got together with Cluster to make Cluster & Eno as well as a follow-up, After The Heat. Confusing? Well done for making it this far!
Anyway, this is a nice little tune.
The next few posts from me are likely to be more dance-oriented after having picked up a bucketload of early 90s techno CDs at Colchester Oxfam… maybe one of the university lecturers was having a clear out.
Download MP3 (0:00min / 0MB)
- Buy here
- - the CD is in print in the US but not here, sadly.
Comments 
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Slowly trying to catch up on listening to Dilated Choonz… you're quite right, Hal – this is a nice little tune indeed!
Re-reading this reminds me… I must post some of that early 90s techno I got at Colchester Oxfam!