¿ Cluster, founded in 1971 by Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius, both key figures
in German experimental electronic and ambient music
¿ ¿Großes Wasser¿ from the year 1979 was their fifth album as a duo
¿ produced by Peter Baumann (Tangerine Dream)
¿ the release is the first in a series of 23 reissues covering essential electronic
/ambient/krautrock albums from the Hamburg label SKY Records
¿ liner notes by Asmus Tietchens, himself a pioneer of the electronic avant-garde, offering an
intimate insight into the scene
¿ released on CD and vinyl
Cluster can be counted among the most important international protagonists of the electronic
avant-garde. Some credit them with having invented ambient music, others as pioneers of
synthesizer pop, whilst to some they are firmly embedded in the krautrock universe. There is
some truth in all of these notions. Although Cluster and ¿rock music¿ are seldom mentioned in
the same breath, their early works in particular are marked by a lack of structure and
futuristic, cold soundscapes typical of the krautrock variation known as ¿Kosmische¿
¿Großes Wasser¿ was Cluster¿s fifth album as a duo. At the outset of their musical odyssey,
they had already recorded three LPs with Konrad Schnitzler under the name of Kluster. Later,
they collaborated with Brian Eno and with Michael Rother/Harmonia.
The cover art is the first indication of minimalist tendencies on ¿Großes Wasser¿, reflecting the
concentration, transparency and maturity of the content, almost like chamber music. Whilst
nothing is left to chance, each of the six Cluster pieces effervesces with a certain
Sign In
