Customer Reviews

Sowiesoso

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hans-Joachim Roedelius comes from a family of teachers, preachers, musicians and doctors. Dieter Moebius's origins are more informal, as his long-standing association with the Harmonia Commune of Germany suggests.

Together, they form Cluster, and have produced an extensive discography of meditative electronic music. Sowiesoso, which means 'any way way' was released in 1976. This album was recorded during a particularly fruitful time in Berlin history, before each artist began their solo careers, starting in 1978 and 1983, respectively.

Cluster originally came out of an art music collective called the 'Zodiak Free Arts Lab', which was formed by Conrad Schnitzler ( one of the leaders of Berlin's avant-garde ). The adventurous, experimental spirit of the 1970's German electronic music scene flows throughout Sowiesoso.

Listen attentively, without distraction, to this lovely musical offering, and you may find that you are then transported to far away places, by Cluster's whimsical imagination and abundant musical talent.

Sometimes I run across a record that needs no other justification for it's existence than that it SOUNDS good. Sometimes I think people get too involved with the "importance" or "significance" of a musical work, so that they ignore the fact that the music is just plain good. This record is'nt groundbreaking, or visionary (not even for the musicians involved, it's just the logical conclusion of the ideas first presented in "Zuckerzeit") - but it is essential, because it is good.

The album's first track presents the formant for the subsequent pieces - simple synthesizer-based sound paintings that stay close to their origianl structure. One could even say that they are "static". But the way that Cluster blends different organ, piano, and synth lines together into an overall sonic background is simply masterful. Listen to the sense of depth in the title track, or in "Zum Wohl". In this particular track, for example, the band creates, through the subtle use of bird sounds, the effect of playing the song deep inside a forest. Then there is also the final track on the CD, which is unbelievalby slow, while not seeming to be.

It is interesting to note what was going on with other musicians at the time; for example, Eno, while not working on any particular project in '76, had just released his "Discreet Music" album. And Tangerine Dream was recording "Stratosfear" ( the second track of which sounds quite a lot like some of the stuff on "Sowiesoso").

I would recommend this album to anyone interested either in Eno or TD, as well as some of the other german groups (Kraftwerk, etc) or the early works of Steve Roach ("Structures from Silence"). Or of course, to anyone who likes a good piece of music.

If you are familiar with the work Hans Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius have done over the last thirty years, then you know that this album, recorded at Harmonia collaborator Michael Rother's home studio in Forst, is one of their finest moments. This subtle, quiet album exudes an organic pastoral quality rare in the field of electronic music. On some other Cluster albums, like Zuckerzeit, you can definitely tell which songs are by Moebius and which are by Roedelius, leading to fractured sounding record. Sowiesoso, on the other hand, sounds like a true collaboration. The songs are crafted from your typical instruments of the day... hohner clavinet, fender rhodes, acoustic piano, farfisa organ, moogs and arps, etc...sometimes bass and guitar are thrown in (but this is definitely a keyboard dominated affair). Swirling melodic lines, dreamy synth tones, chirping analog rhythm parts, and any number of creative things that these Germans could augment their recording with (bicycle bells and goonish moaning) are present in the mix. Although the sound quality is somewhat lackluster at times (even on the remaster), this album is definitely one of the best electronic records from the 1970's, if not of all time.

On this album, the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius hit something of a 'stride' that would carry them through their later works. While very early Cluster/Kluster was something of a proto-industrial noise product up through their "Cluster II" release, the mid-70s saw them at work with ex-NEU! composer/musician Michael Rother, both as producer on the mechanistic "Zuckerzeit" album and collaborator on the spectacular Harmonia releases. Rother's influence seems to have toned down the electro-noise influences quite a bit, as this release starts a trend toward a sweeping, often-programmatic proto-New Age type of sound. But this is not some crystal-hugger record; "Sowiesoso" still shows a bit of edge here and there amongst the more tranquil bits. Later releases such as "Grosses Wasser" would explore the directions on this album to further and deeper extents, but this is where Cluster's main body of work...and to a great extent, even what they're currently doing...begins.

Originally released in 1976,'Sowiesoso' is apparently German for 'Any Way Way'.Cluster,by this point was stripped down to a duo,Dieter Moebius-synthesizer&keyboards and Hans-Joachim Roedelius-producer,audio generator&effects.'Sowiesoso' is quite far fetched from most any other CD I've ever heard.I would best tag them as good electronic krautrock.The tunes that I thought stood out were "Dem Wanderer","Zum Wohl",the title cut "Sowiesoso" and the atmospheric "In Ewigkeit".Those last two I just mentioned runs over seven minutes.If you ask me,this sort of music is taylor-made for such lengthy tracks.Recommended,that is if you're a fan of this sort of work.

When you listen to this album, you'll immediatley be surprised at how thickly textured and involved this music is. And if you listen to it some more, you'll be surprised at how basic the structural components are.

Hans-Joachim Rodelius and Deiter Moebius have found the perfect formula for creating ambient/avant-garde/electronic masterpieces. The feeling of Joy and Hope impregnated into pieces like "Zum Wohl" or the title track leave me amazed, astounded and continually pressing the "Back-skip" button to hear the track again.

Play as you are getting out of bed on the morning of the first good spring day.

Sowiesoso is a great album! I have never heard an album with such soft textures and an atmosphere that's so calm and refreshing. This is the sort of album you can listen to during a rainy Sunday afternoon or late at night. Heck, I'd listen to it anywhere, anytime! Sowiesoso is very far away from the early days of noisy drones and sonic terror found on Cluster 71 and the two Kluster albums. One of my favourite tracks - In Ewigkeit - is a gorgeous repetetive little melody performed on piano, xylophone, various acoustic percussion (a gong, perhaps?) and different electronic instruments and effects. That track alone is worth the price of admission for this CD.

I believe the word for this album is "organic". The blend of electronic rhythms and quirky bubbly sounds combined with piano and a few bits of guitar here and there is pure bliss. Modern bands such as To Rococo Rot has based their entire career on the sounds of Sowiesoso. Dem Wanderer, for example, sounds a lot like some of the stuff Tortoise does, but not as wanky and self indulgent.

Have a quick look at the cover and you'll understand what the music inside will be like. Fans of Autobahn by Kraftwerk, Harmonia and modern electronica should give this a try. You won't regret it!

Cluster deal with organic, analogue sounds - ones that ooze and tremble akin to the noises that Brian Eno and Robert Fripp worked with together in England, sounds which are inherently pleasant and soothing. They structure these sounds, on this record, into pieces which mimic classical and chamber music, with a different set of voices. I find the structures unsatisfying, overly static, and old-fashioned.