15: Cluster - Cluster II

As a sweaty teenager, I used to spend my time between Replay and Revolver records in Bristol. Replay had a bigger stock and the chances of getting something good for cheap were pretty high. Revolver was way cooler and the very model of a classic british record store. Over time Revolver has been responsible for tipping me off to various records (most notably the Steven Jesse Bernstein LP) and a whole load of Bristol stuff that passed through the doors. At the height of kraut rock frenzy the topic of Kraut came up, and the owner duly offered me a copy of the Faust LP (more of that later) and also showed me the Harmonia and Cluster LPs. At the time these were like the Holy Grail and my childish mind was wondering how much they would be, and how high I was prepared to go to get them. They weren't for sale, however, but he offered to tape them all for me for a small donation. Thus a week later I drove home from Bristol with a tape of all the Cluster LPs and the Harmonia LP. At some point later I bought the Cluster II CD with it's gaudy cover listened to it once and filed it.

In contrast to Can who I like the idea of but the reality is too difficult to bear, Cluster are the real deal. Avant, Electronic and Fiercesome to the max with not a hint of compromise. Like a lot of great music, they hang outside of any attempts at categorisation - sounding of the future and the past at the same time. Out of all the groups in KRS, I think Cluster are the ones that I would defend to the last.

I've never heard the Kluster LP but each of the records are incredible. This one stands out as being the most arch and the most uncompromising. It's a fairly brutal listen - Plas is all sinister electro drones and humming. Then Im Suden with a trill of guitar and more heavy hum and crackle for 12 minutes. Fur Die Katz is then all wibbles and wobbles, swishes and drones. Like a lot of early electronic music it sounds like people with a whole bunch of equipment with not much clue how to shape sounds.

On the next side, Live in der Fabrik continues on the wibbly front, Georgel and Nabitte continuing the mixture of electronic and acoustic music. It's a difficult record to deal with overall because it is simply unrelenting and non-stop drone and fear. Outside of any kind of music I've heard before or since. For me, this is one of the best kraut LPs and despite being a tough listen, I can listen to it over and over and over.