Qua

Cluster

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 26, 2009)
• Original Release Date: May 21, 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nepenthe Music and Publishing
• ASIN: B0028OA98E
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,297 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

After a 14-year stretch of releasing only live albums, the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Mobius more succinctly known as Cluster has emerged from Tim Story s Ohio studio with another Cluster classic, Qua. It s like having a cup of coffee and a donut in the middle of a Martian shoe factory, says Story of his first experience producing a Cluster session. Moebi and Achim always have the incredible knack of carving a bit of warmth and humanity out of the most unlikely elements. On Qua, there's a surprisingly melodic solo that Moe performed on our squeaky bathroom door, and a virtuoso performance playing the feedback from the unplugged end of a guitar cable. Meanwhile, Ach plays a bass line on our old orange Farfisa organ and naturally centers his riff around the one note that's broken. The squeaky-door solo is one of many mysterious sounds on the 17-track Qua that Cluster and Story have sewn together to make seamless, artful music out of what others hear as noise. Story muses: It s what makes Cluster absolutely unique taking the debris of life, and the sounds most other people would tune out , and turning them into supremely odd, but engagingly human poetry. A happy marriage of Dada and romance. That happy marriage (albeit with its on-again, off-again moments) has continued for nearly 40 years so it would be a natural to assume that the music resulting from Cluster s return to the studio would have been something of a nostalgia trip. But at an age when other musicians are making bank on old ideas, Cluster is making music that is in every way new.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Brilliance, July 2, 2009

By	Vinnie C. "Electronic musician" (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews

I came into this album after only hearing a mite bit of what Cluster had produced in the 70's. I was immediately captured by their sound, as it was seemingly the beginning of the ambient/experimental music that I have been obsessed with these days. Upon first listening to their 2009 release, I am certain that these guys are some of the most important musical minds of the last 50 years (at least for me). It amazes me that Cluster has released such a unique album after all (and I mean ALL) of the years of writing music. I always thought that after being at it for so long, a "kraut rock" group was supposed to move on to New Age music! Apparently not these guys.

At first glance, the music in Qua felt to be like a minimal "world" music, but as I listen more and more, it is indeed very other worldly. It is atmospheric, to be sure, but beyond simple background music (a term that I have never been a fan of). The subtle textures developed through an immense knowledge of analog synths combines with very restrained percussive elements, and the songs tend to pulsate, inflate, and deflate rather than move from point A to point B. There is nothing more that I can say to describe the sound, but it seems to be very true to what the duo has always done, and that is record very innovative, provocative music.

Again, having known very little about Cluster when writing this review, I can at least say that as a fan of experimental music, as well as ambient, these guys get it. They have a very adventurous approach to music, and it really works. I find that with some experimental music, the songs seem to have little to say or accomplish. Much of today's avant garde evokes little emotion in me (it sometimes bores me to tears), and I have been searching for something much more lucious and dream-like. What a welcome album this is for me. I hope others will pick it up and enjoy it. There is just nothing else quite like it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cluster Once More, September 17, 2009

By	Alfred H. Kahler "TD FAN" (NOLA,USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Very good effort by Moebius and Roedelius. Reminds me of the "Apropos Cluster" CD from 1990. Improvement over last couple of works. Recommended.