Cluster Zuckerzeit
Recently I felt really stuck with how was I writing music. I felt like my beats were sort of reflective and dull. I was talking with my friend Jaqueline from 0th and we were reminiscing about old times in SF. A couple of times I hung in her art studio while she was quilting vinyl and we would bond over Cluster…..specifically the Zuckerzeit album. I searched my mp3′s and found the record and listened to it four times until I fell asleep. It blew up my brain. I have listened to it 5000 times and I felt like I was listening to it for the first time.
Cluster (Hans Joachim-Roedelius/Deiter Mobieus/Conny Plank) are a seminal krautrock/electronic pop/ambient group from 1970s’ Germany. They were also in a band with Brian Eno called Harmonia, a ground breaking ambient group. Clusters’ 1974 album Zuckerzeit seems to be timeless. It is impossible to tell if this record was made 35 years ago or 5 minutes in the future. Julianne Cope of Tear Drop Explodes (and Krautrock expert/author) hails that Zuckerzeit is one of the best Krautrock records ever recorded.
Zuckerzeit is a collaboration between Cluster and Michael Rother of Neu!. Rother’s influence on this record is apparent when listening to its Motorik, repetitive and rhythmic, influence. The Collaboration between Cluster and Rother perfectly highlights Clusters’ melodic sensibility/synth design with Rother’s rhythmic perfection. It is so fucking good. This record influenced all that is electronic music.
A couple of years ago Cluster toured the US. I saw them in SF at Great American Music Hall and it was probably one of the best decisions I have made.
basically just listen to this record…and I love Krautrock…
this is soo dope! thanks for posting i hav been on a brian eno and a krautrock kik as of late…hav you seen this bbc doc?prolly..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B89-69icyc
luv yr blog n stuff btw
thanks for posting.
a couple of years ago I hosted Damo Suzuki of Can in Oakland, CA for 4 days. We ate, hung out, and I brought him to his shows.
it made a very big impact on my life.
CLUSTER yes
ive been on this album so much this past week or so.
kills. come back to northampton sometime – peeped you play with eats tapes and george/johann at the elevens a bit ago. was dope
This is awesome! Thank you for yet another amazing Eno related find. I am your disciple. This blog rocks! Have spent way too much time on it already.