Cluster & Eno
| Cluster & Eno | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1977 | |||
| Recorded | June 1977 | |||
| Studio | Conny's Studio, Cologne, Germany | |||
| Genre | Ambient | |||
| Length | 36:10 | |||
| Label | Sky | |||
| Producer |
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| Cluster chronology | ||||
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| Brian Eno chronology | ||||
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Cluster & Eno is a collaborative album by German electronic music group Cluster and English ambient musician Brian Eno. The style of this album is a collection of gentle melodies: a mixture of Eno's ambient sensibilities and Cluster's avant-garde style.
In June 1977, the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius joined with Brian Eno for recording sessions at Conny Plank's studio. The first release from those sessions on Sky Records was Cluster & Eno. Guest musicians on the album included Can bassist Holger Czukay and Asmus Tietchens on synthesizer. The association with Eno, already well known for involvement with pop acts like Roxy Music, brought Cluster a much wider audience than previous albums and international attention.
Sky Records issued the album on CD in 1989, shuffling the running order. The American Gyroscope label reissued Cluster & Eno on CD in 1996. The album was also reissued in the United States by the San Francisco–based Water label in 2005.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Mojo | [2] |
| Pitchfork | 8.7/10[3] |
| Spin | 9/10[4] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 6/10[5] |
Bryan Reesman, in his editorial review for Amazon, writes, in part:
Meshing Cluster's affinity for loops and repetition and Eno's penchant for processing sounds, the trio proves that ambient music does not merely consist of drawn-out drones and insipid keyboard tapestries. Certainly many of these nine tracks play off of sustained sounds and atmospheres, but their shorter running times make them more digestible, as does their variety of moods and textures. Highlights include the angelic atmosphere of "Für Luise," the classically inspired piano interlude "Mit Samaen," and the Indian-influenced "One," a trippy progenitor of ethnoambient music, ripe with sitar drones, guitar noises, and exotic percussion that features contributions from Okko Becker and Asmus Tietchens.[6]
Track listing
All songs composed by Brian Eno, Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius.
- "Ho Renomo" – 5:07
- "Schöne Hände" – 3:03
- "Steinsame" – 4:06
- "Wehrmut" – 5:01
- "Mit Simaen" – 1:30
- "Selange" – 3:30
- "Die Bunge" – 3:45
- "One" – 6:06
- "Für Luise" – 3:20
Some editions have the track names "Wehrmut" and "Für Luise" swapped.[7]
Personnel
Additional musicians
- Holger Czukay – bass on "Ho Renomo"
- Okko Bekker – guitar on "One"
- Asmus Tietchens – synthesizer on "One"
Technical personnel
- Conny Plank – engineer
- J. Krämer – assistant engineer
- Cluster – cover
References
- ^ Waynick, Michael. "Cluster & Eno – Cluster / Brian Eno". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
- ^ Male, Andrew (May 2016). "Two's company". Mojo. No. 270. p. 103.
- ^ Beta, Andy (7 May 2016). "Cluster / Brian Eno / Dieter Moebius / Roedelius: Cluster: 1971–1981". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ Hultkrans, Andrew (November 2009). "Reissues". Spin. Vol. 25, no. 11. p. 82. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ Powers 1995, p. 129.
- ^ Reesman, Bryan. "Cluster & Eno". Amazon. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
- ^ "Release group "Cluster & Eno" by Cluster & Eno - MusicBrainz".
Works cited
- Powers, Ann (1995). "Brian Eno". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
External links
- Curry, Russ (May 1996). "A curious history of Cluster". D>Elektro. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
