QLUSTER - Forced Exposure

$17.00 IN STOCK

Elemente -- album number seven from the third incarnation of the legendary krautronic project Kluster/Cluster springs a surprise with a minor sensation: sequencer lines. Using an array of exclusively analogue instruments, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Onnen Bock, and Armin Metz have recorded eight tracks which, at one and the same time, are intrinsically hypnotic and sublimely beautiful. In principle, Elemente was created in much the same fashion as earlier Qluster albums: the three musicians met up in Schönberg, a remote hamlet in northern Mecklenburg. The eight pieces were distilled from the original recordings of their lengthy improvised sessions, with additional elements added to only three of the tracks in the production process: a synthesizer melody for "Zeno", a prepared piano for "Xymelan" and a computer beat for "Tatum". First special feature on the new album: the "tools of the trade". In their choice of equipment, Qluster reach back to their own history as Cluster, more than forty years ago, when legendary albums like 1974's Zuckerzeit (LR 333LP), 1976's Sowiesoso (BB 039CD/LP), and 1981's Curiosum (BB 038CD/LP) were made. Elemente has been crafted exclusively with analog instruments: a range of analog synthesizers, rhythm machines, a Farfisa organ, a Fender Rhodes piano, and various effects devices plus -- second special feature and making its debut in the band's narrative -- a 1970s sequencer playing an endless loop of manually recorded melodies, fed through effects and equalizers to achieve that typically hypnotic sequencer character. Listen out for them on "Perpetuum", "Xymelan", "Tatum" and "Lindow". By way of contrast, "Weite" and "Infinitum" unfold in vast echo chambers, free of metrics. Between these two very different musical forms lie "Zeno" and "Symbia". The former pulsates with long deep breaths beneath delicate sequences of notes emanating from the ARP 2600, the latter, "Symbia", layers a songlike Rhodes piano melody over an echoing, rhythmic Farfisa organ chord. After four electronic productions and two piano albums, Qluster now invite you to visit eight new and beguilingly beautiful worlds of sound on Elemente.

$26.00 IN STOCK

LP version. Includes CD. Elemente -- album number seven from the third incarnation of the legendary krautronic project Kluster/Cluster springs a surprise with a minor sensation: sequencer lines. Using an array of exclusively analogue instruments, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Onnen Bock, and Armin Metz have recorded eight tracks which, at one and the same time, are intrinsically hypnotic and sublimely beautiful. In principle, Elemente was created in much the same fashion as earlier Qluster albums: the three musicians met up in Schönberg, a remote hamlet in northern Mecklenburg. The eight pieces were distilled from the original recordings of their lengthy improvised sessions, with additional elements added to only three of the tracks in the production process: a synthesizer melody for "Zeno", a prepared piano for "Xymelan" and a computer beat for "Tatum". First special feature on the new album: the "tools of the trade". In their choice of equipment, Qluster reach back to their own history as Cluster, more than forty years ago, when legendary albums like 1974's Zuckerzeit (LR 333LP), 1976's Sowiesoso (BB 039CD/LP), and 1981's Curiosum (BB 038CD/LP) were made. Elemente has been crafted exclusively with analog instruments: a range of analog synthesizers, rhythm machines, a Farfisa organ, a Fender Rhodes piano, and various effects devices plus -- second special feature and making its debut in the band's narrative -- a 1970s sequencer playing an endless loop of manually recorded melodies, fed through effects and equalizers to achieve that typically hypnotic sequencer character. Listen out for them on "Perpetuum", "Xymelan", "Tatum" and "Lindow". By way of contrast, "Weite" and "Infinitum" unfold in vast echo chambers, free of metrics. Between these two very different musical forms lie "Zeno" and "Symbia". The former pulsates with long deep breaths beneath delicate sequences of notes emanating from the ARP 2600, the latter, "Symbia", layers a songlike Rhodes piano melody over an echoing, rhythmic Farfisa organ chord. After four electronic productions and two piano albums, Qluster now invite you to visit eight new and beguilingly beautiful worlds of sound on Elemente.

$26.00 IN STOCK

LP version. Includes CD. The third incarnation of the legendary krautrock project Kluster/Cluster expands its audience with the contemplative, mature, and intelligent electronic music of Echtzeit. Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Onnen Bock, and Armin Metz are Qluster, founded under the name of Kluster in 1969 by Roedelius, Dieter Moebius, and Conrad Schnitzler. Kluster were responsible for two milestones of electronic music. Schnitzler quit the band two years later, leaving Roedelius and Moebius to carry on as Cluster. When the duo disbanded in 2010, Roedelius continued to fly the K/Cluster flag, this time as Qluster, joined by keyboardist and electronic musician Onnen Bock. The duo again became a trio in 2013, when multi-instrumentalist Armin Metz joined Qluster's ranks. Echtzeit is Qluster's sixth album. After the pure piano work on Tasten (BB 206CD/LP, 2015), the group returns to their electronic equipment with renewed vigor on Echtzeit. Yet Roedelius's favorite instrument, the piano, also receives its due. Large parts of the album were recorded in a church. The principle behind the creative process for Kluster/Cluster/Qluster has always been much the same: musical structures arise from the moment. The pieces on their albums are passages taken from long improvisations that feature a special atmosphere and engaging patterns or figures. Playful experimentation with new instruments and effects or settings is often what leads to the creative spark. Despite their high affinity for experimentation, the term "experimental music" would be misplaced here. Dissonance, noises, or glitch sounds are largely absent. Echtzeit is consistently more harmonious and accessible than the group's previous electronic albums, moving further in the direction previously indicated on 2013's Lauschen (BB 123CD/LP).

$17.00 IN STOCK

The third incarnation of the legendary krautrock project Kluster/Cluster expands its audience with the contemplative, mature, and intelligent electronic music of Echtzeit. Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Onnen Bock, and Armin Metz are Qluster, founded under the name of Kluster in 1969 by Roedelius, Dieter Moebius, and Conrad Schnitzler. Kluster were responsible for two milestones of electronic music. Schnitzler quit the band two years later, leaving Roedelius and Moebius to carry on as Cluster. When the duo disbanded in 2010, Roedelius continued to fly the K/Cluster flag, this time as Qluster, joined by keyboardist and electronic musician Onnen Bock. The duo again became a trio in 2013, when multi-instrumentalist Armin Metz joined Qluster's ranks. Echtzeit is Qluster's sixth album. After the pure piano work on Tasten (BB 206CD/LP, 2015), the group returns to their electronic equipment with renewed vigor on Echtzeit. Yet Roedelius's favorite instrument, the piano, also receives its due. Large parts of the album were recorded in a church. The principle behind the creative process for Kluster/Cluster/Qluster has always been much the same: musical structures arise from the moment. The pieces on their albums are passages taken from long improvisations that feature a special atmosphere and engaging patterns or figures. Playful experimentation with new instruments and effects or settings is often what leads to the creative spark. Despite their high affinity for experimentation, the term "experimental music" would be misplaced here. Dissonance, noises, or glitch sounds are largely absent. Echtzeit is consistently more harmonious and accessible than the group's previous electronic albums, moving further in the direction previously indicated on 2013's Lauschen (BB 123CD/LP).

$17.00 IN STOCK

The artists: Hans-Joachim Roedelius (piano), Onnen Bock (piano), Armin Metz (piano). The music: minimalist, spherical sounds by three grand pianos. Introverted, minimalist "classical" music has reached full bloom as devotees of the neo-classical movement flock to see the likes of Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds, and Chilly Gonzales. One pioneer of the resurgence in minimal piano music is Hans-Joachim Roedelius, best known as a member of the avant-garde electronic combo Cluster. He released an album of solo piano (Wie das Wispern des Windes...Like the Whispering of the Wind) in 1986 (BB 066CD/LP), and has since issued numerous albums on which the piano plays a dominant role, either as a solo instrument or as a component in electronic collaborations, as with Stefan Schneider (To Rococo Rot), for example. Qluster was undoubtedly the most important collaborative project he was involved in. This spelling signified the group's third incarnation, having been founded under the name of Kluster in 1969 by Roedelius, Dieter Moebius, and Conrad Schnitzler. Schnitzler quit Kluster in 1972, leaving Roedelius and Moebius to carry on as Cluster. When the duo disbanded in 2010, Roedelius continued to fly the K/Cluster flag, this time as Qluster, joined by the keyboarder and electronic musician Onnen Bock. The duo again became a trio in 2013, when Armin Metz, an adventurous virtuoso on the bass, joined Qluster's ranks. Tasten can conceivably be described as the successor to the 2012 album Antworten (BB 077CD/LP), on which grand pianos played a similarly significant role. While Antworten featured singing bowls, Tasten is exclusively a piano work, one which sees the instrument used at times in unconventional, percussive ways, its strings plucked or stroked. Qluster explore the musical depths of three Steinway concert grands to their fullest potential. Spherical sounds of three overlapping instruments, complete with gentle tones and little melodies, sporadically culminating in impulsive sonic storms. A wonderful piece of neo-classical music by three masters of their art.

$25.50 IN STOCK

LP version. Includes CD. The artists: Hans-Joachim Roedelius (piano), Onnen Bock (piano), Armin Metz (piano). The music: minimalist, spherical sounds by three grand pianos. Introverted, minimalist "classical" music has reached full bloom as devotees of the neo-classical movement flock to see the likes of Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds, and Chilly Gonzales. One pioneer of the resurgence in minimal piano music is Hans-Joachim Roedelius, best known as a member of the avant-garde electronic combo Cluster. He released an album of solo piano (Wie das Wispern des Windes...Like the Whispering of the Wind) in 1986 (BB 066CD/LP), and has since issued numerous albums on which the piano plays a dominant role, either as a solo instrument or as a component in electronic collaborations, as with Stefan Schneider (To Rococo Rot), for example. Qluster was undoubtedly the most important collaborative project he was involved in. This spelling signified the group's third incarnation, having been founded under the name of Kluster in 1969 by Roedelius, Dieter Moebius, and Conrad Schnitzler. Schnitzler quit Kluster in 1972, leaving Roedelius and Moebius to carry on as Cluster. When the duo disbanded in 2010, Roedelius continued to fly the K/Cluster flag, this time as Qluster, joined by the keyboarder and electronic musician Onnen Bock. The duo again became a trio in 2013, when Armin Metz, an adventurous virtuoso on the bass, joined Qluster's ranks. Tasten can conceivably be described as the successor to the 2012 album Antworten (BB 077CD/LP), on which grand pianos played a similarly significant role. While Antworten featured singing bowls, Tasten is exclusively a piano work, one which sees the instrument used at times in unconventional, percussive ways, its strings plucked or stroked. Qluster explore the musical depths of three Steinway concert grands to their fullest potential. Spherical sounds of three overlapping instruments, complete with gentle tones and little melodies, sporadically culminating in impulsive sonic storms. A wonderful piece of neo-classical music by three masters of their art.

$17.00 IN STOCK

"Kluster (1969) metamorphosed into Cluster (1971) and Cluster became Qluster (2011). In a period spanning over 40 years, Hans-Joachim Roedelius was a driving force behind this unique transformation. Now, as Qluster, he has recorded together with Onnen Bock in the latest incarnation. Three albums already released document the current status of their musical journey to pastures new. Lauschen is not a studio album, but a live recording of a performance for which Roedelius and Bock invited world musician Armin Metz to join them on stage. Although Qluster sound completely different from Kluster or Cluster, one thing remains unchanged: the art of improvisation. Where or when better could the listener experience this than at a concert? Lauschen is a particularly impressive document, with the three musicians raising their art close to perfection. Using predominantly analog electronic keyboards, they play together -- in the truest sense of the word -- with intense levels of concentration and yet with incredible ease. They allow themselves time to develop and elaborate on their ideas as they play. Virtuosity does not mean playing well at speed, but playing well slowly. And: they LISTEN ('lauschen'), they listen to each other, for the greatest virtue in collective improvisation is not the soloistic ego trip, but far more a willingness to participate in shaping the complete living organism of collaborative music in every moment. Lauschen is a prime example of this form of interaction. Nothing has been edited, no incidence of computers or other electronic devices; instead, solid handicraft and a veritable flood of musical ideas make for a fascinating experience in electronic improvisation (almost an hour long, but it could happily have been double the length). The excellent sound quality of this live recording puts the icing on the cake. Lauschen is divided into nine 'pieces,' each bearing the name of an ancient muse. Perhaps this is intended to underscore the high artistic ambition of Roedelius, Bock and Metz. Without any doubt, Lauschen is an uninterrupted continuum of flawless transparency, rich in inventive power. The calm it exudes is a product of solidity, not of blissful apathy. And its power is not fuelled by juvenile posturing, but draws on experience and the lessons of life." --Asmus Tietchens

$26.00 IN STOCK

180 gram LP version with a CD of the album.

$17.00 IN STOCK

"Antworten (meaning: answer) is the third installment in a trilogy of Qluster music, following on from the Fragen (BB 076CD/LP) (meaning: question) and Rufen (BB 075CD/LP) (meaning: call) studio albums. The fact that the music on Antworten was created before Rufen and Fragen were recorded is less of a paradox than it might at first appear. For the expansive piano fantasies of their 2007 recordings had already provided a clear answer to the two musicians' question as to whether, and to what degree, they wished to collaborate in the future. Seldom has a musical duo been so united in heart and soul as Roedelius and Bock that January of evening in 2007. Their improvised nocturnes on two Steinways in the Berliner Philharmonie were delectable. Completely unplugged and utterly relaxed, Roedelius and Bock tossed musical ideas back and forth without pause, occasionally adding in the delicate tone of a distant singing bowl. Something rare, something wonderful happened in the course of this midnight session. Two perfectly inspired virtuosos coalescing into one person --Qluster-- speaking in one language to tell us of something which we no longer need to dream, as we can hear on Antworten. The notes flow incessantly, yet they also convey peace and quiet, a balancing act of which only the most mature personalities are capable. Roedelius and Bock pulled off the trick, this sleight of hand, with the greatest of ease. The antworten/answers are, in equal measure, lucid and lost in reverie. Lucid, because Qluster reveal the source of their art: inspiration and solid craftsmanship. Lost in reverie, because the music is far removed from daily monotony, from common cliche. Balsam for the ears, without any esoteric frippery or contrived secrecy. Nevertheless, the antworten/answers remain auratic. It can be explained with a single word: art. Antworten is an early Qluster statement, and thankfully Roedelius and Bock chose to continue and intensify their work together. The previously issued Fragen and Rufen albums offer convincing proof thereof. And Qluster senses a responsibility to long-term artistic development whose transitory power continues to look ahead, into the future." --Asmus Tietchens

$26.00 IN STOCK

180 gram LP version with free download code. "Antworten (meaning: answer) is the third installment in a trilogy of Qluster music, following on from the Fragen (BB 076CD/LP) (meaning: question) and Rufen (BB 075CD/LP) (meaning: call) studio albums. The fact that the music on Antworten was created before Rufen and Fragen were recorded is less of a paradox than it might at first appear. For the expansive piano fantasies of their 2007 recordings had already provided a clear answer to the two musicians' question as to whether, and to what degree, they wished to collaborate in the future. Seldom has a musical duo been so united in heart and soul as Roedelius and Bock that January of evening in 2007. Their improvised nocturnes on two Steinways in the Berliner Philharmonie were delectable. Completely unplugged and utterly relaxed, Roedelius and Bock tossed musical ideas back and forth without pause, occasionally adding in the delicate tone of a distant singing bowl. Something rare, something wonderful happened in the course of this midnight session. Two perfectly inspired virtuosos coalescing into one person --Qluster-- speaking in one language to tell us of something which we no longer need to dream, as we can hear on Antworten. The notes flow incessantly, yet they also convey peace and quiet, a balancing act of which only the most mature personalities are capable. Roedelius and Bock pulled off the trick, this sleight of hand, with the greatest of ease. The antworten/answers are, in equal measure, lucid and lost in reverie. Lucid, because Qluster reveal the source of their art: inspiration and solid craftsmanship. Lost in reverie, because the music is far removed from daily monotony, from common cliche. Balsam for the ears, without any esoteric frippery or contrived secrecy. Nevertheless, the antworten/answers remain auratic. It can be explained with a single word: art. Antworten is an early Qluster statement, and thankfully Roedelius and Bock chose to continue and intensify their work together. The previously issued Fragen and Rufen albums offer convincing proof thereof. And Qluster senses a responsibility to long-term artistic development whose transitory power continues to look ahead, into the future." --Asmus Tietchens

$17.00 IN STOCK

"Rufen is the second installment in a trilogy of Qluster music, following on from the Fragen (BB 076CD/LP) studio album. In four impressive live recordings, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Onnen Bock unfold aural panoramas which can only be described, in the truest sense of the word, as fantastic. Had Claude Debussy not already composed 'Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun,' then Qluster would have been ideally placed to do so, their transparency and polymorphism so reminiscent of his high Impressionism. Shunning computers and discarding digital sound, Roedelius and Bock appear to have detached themselves from their own age, exclusively playing analog keyboards, such as the good old Korg MS 20 synthesizer. Nevertheless, they do not revert to earlier periods in search of their stylistic approach. Conventional rhythmic and harmonic patterns are wholly absent. Qluster's foreign sounds and lucidity bring their music closer to contemporary electronic chamber music; although, as paradoxical as it may sound, a form of chamber music which Qluster first had to invent. If this album's predecessor Fragen ventured into strange, unworldly musical territory, then Rufen pushes the boundaries still further. Qluster take the listener along a path which seems to disappear on an imaginary horizon. Roedelius and Bock neither drift off course, nor do they lose sight of their destination. As such, they prove to be reliable scouts who earn the trust of the wanderer at their side. Perhaps there is no goal in Qluster's music, unless it lies in cloud cuckoo land. The direction, however, is clear: head towards the sun, further and further, to a place where everything looks -- and sounds -- a little different. New land, terra incognita. Listening to Qluster feels as new an experience as the music they play. Rufen is not new just for the sake of it. That would not be enough. Rufen is new because two mature musical personalities have succeeded (effortlessly) in creating music which cannot be plotted on a timeline. Music which defies comparison in terms of form and sound. A chance occurrence -- very rare, to say the least." --Asmus Tietchens

$26.00 IN STOCK

LP version on 180 gram vinyl with free download code.

$17.00 IN STOCK

Kluster -- Cluster -- and now Qluster. Fragen documents the extraordinary shedding of skin of one of the most important German electronic groups. Hans-Joachim Roedelius was there from the beginning (1969), with Onnen Bock taking the place of Dieter Moebius. Little need be said about Roedelius, whose collaborations with Konrad Schnitzler, Cluster and Harmonia earned him a worldwide reputation as a pioneer of electronic music. Onnen Bock (born in 1974), a qualified musician and sound installationist, played a part in the Zeitkratzer ensemble, worked together with the likes of Christina Kubisch and was a sound engineer for the Berlin Philharmonic. Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Onnen Bock are Qluster. The two artists have been meeting up to explore new musical directions together since 2007. Fragen is the first part of an exceptional trilogy, a grandiose new beginning, backed up by 40 years of tradition. Two fundamental decisions, borne of an acutely refined sense of musical self-conception, have shaped Qluster: the use of analog keyboards only and a focus on improvisation through vibrant playing technique. Qluster have jettisoned all forms of ballast pertaining to music and sound. Roedelius and Bock develop their musical aesthetic through seven impressionistic pictures, an aesthetic which borders on ascetic rigor. And yet each piece is motivated by something deeply human, a playful element setting the tone. Qluster's modus operandi guides the listener towards peaceful, pale blue rooms where airy veils of suspended matter sparkle, as if floating gently to and fro on the breeze. Beyond the veils one senses further rooms, in colors which have lost their names and become sound. To be perfectly clear: Qluster's music is not psychedelic, neither in the traditional, nor in a wider sense. This is no meditative soundtrack for a "journey to the inner self." In its own way, however, it does represent a trip to the realms of utopia, where particularly careful listening is required in order to appreciate the music in all its richness and splendor.

$26.00 IN STOCK

LP version. Kluster -- Cluster -- and now Qluster. Fragen documents the extraordinary shedding of skin of one of the most important German electronic groups. Hans-Joachim Roedelius was there from the beginning (1969), with Onnen Bock taking the place of Dieter Moebius. Little need be said about Roedelius, whose collaborations with Konrad Schnitzler, Cluster and Harmonia earned him a worldwide reputation as a pioneer of electronic music. Onnen Bock (born in 1974), a qualified musician and sound installationist, played a part in the Zeitkratzer ensemble, worked together with the likes of Christina Kubisch and was a sound engineer for the Berlin Philharmonic. Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Onnen Bock are Qluster. The two artists have been meeting up to explore new musical directions together since 2007. Fragen is the first part of an exceptional trilogy, a grandiose new beginning, backed up by 40 years of tradition. Two fundamental decisions, borne of an acutely refined sense of musical self-conception, have shaped Qluster: the use of analog keyboards only and a focus on improvisation through vibrant playing technique. Qluster have jettisoned all forms of ballast pertaining to music and sound. Roedelius and Bock develop their musical aesthetic through seven impressionistic pictures, an aesthetic which borders on ascetic rigor. And yet each piece is motivated by something deeply human, a playful element setting the tone. Qluster's modus operandi guides the listener towards peaceful, pale blue rooms where airy veils of suspended matter sparkle, as if floating gently to and fro on the breeze. Beyond the veils one senses further rooms, in colors which have lost their names and become sound. To be perfectly clear: Qluster's music is not psychedelic, neither in the traditional, nor in a wider sense. This is no meditative soundtrack for a "journey to the inner self." In its own way, however, it does represent a trip to the realms of utopia, where particularly careful listening is required in order to appreciate the music in all its richness and splendor. On 180 gram high quality vinyl, including a free download coupon.