Cluster

Asmus Tietchens on Cluster 71-81:>> Clusters role in the development of new German electronic music went unnoticed for a long while. Cacophonous noise in the 1970s and 1980s masked the subtlety of Cluster aesthetics, diminishing their force of impact. Only since the 1990s, and all the more so today, have Cluster been identified and celebrated as pioneers. The somewhat hackneyed "avant-garde" tag really amounts to nothing more than being ahead of ones time. And those who are ahead of their time often slip out of sight. Now, twenty, thirty years later, with so many new aural experiences on offer, listening habits have changed to such a great extent that we are better placed to assess Clusters importance, their influence on subsequent generations of musicians. It has thus become easier to appreciate and enjoy their music.The eight (official) Cluster albums presented here trace the groups arc of development over a period of around ten years. Not a particularly extensive oeuvre compared to many of their peers, but prolificacy was never a feature of Clusters constitution. They only released a new album when they felt that they had taken a significant step forwards on their musical trajectory-which goes some way to explaining how varied and different their LPs were. Cluster were no pedagogues, but their indirect influence on musicians and, more to the point, on listeners, resonates until today. Can a legacy be any more alive? <<