Berlin 07
Encyclopedia
Berlin 07 is an album by German
experimental music
group Cluster
. It was recorded in 2007 at a Cluster concert in Berlin, their first there since 1969.
reformed. Dieter Moebius
and Michael Rother
toured extensively to allow Roedelius
to get on with his solo work. The fully reunited Harmonia played in Berlin in November, followed by a Cluster concert. This is that concert, presented by Important Records, the home label of Cluster collaborator Conrad Schnitzler
.
Sinfonia Contempora sound, that he developed on his two solo albums Sinfonia Contempora No. 1: Von Zeit zu Zeit and Sinfonia Contempora No. 2: La Nordica (Salz Des Nordens).
The album's style differs from the Sinfonia Contempora albums as it quite obviously contains elements of Moebius'
style as well.
It mixes avant-techno
with sound clips and mocking synth
growls.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
group Cluster
Cluster (band)
Cluster is a German experimental musical group who influenced the development of contemporary popular electronic and ambient music. They have recorded albums in a wide variety of styles ranging from experimental music to progressive rock, all of which had an avant-garde edge. Cluster has been...
. It was recorded in 2007 at a Cluster concert in Berlin, their first there since 1969.
Background
Cluster were initially formed in 1969, breaking up in 1981. A reunion followed in 1990 only for the band to break up again in 1997. They reformed again in 2007 with a concert in the Kosmische Club, Camden, UK. Following this, sister band HarmoniaHarmonia (band)
Harmonia is a Krautrock supergroup from Germany. They formed as a collaboration between Michael Rother of Neu! and Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Möbius of Cluster and later included the British musician Brian Eno.-Musical style:...
reformed. Dieter Moebius
Dieter Moebius
Dieter Moebius is a German/Swiss experimental/krautrock/ambient/electronic musician.Moebius studied art in Brussels and Berlin and met there Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler . They founded a band Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, they changed their name to Cluster...
and Michael Rother
Michael Rother
Michael Rother is a German experimental Krautrock musician and composer.- Early life and education :Born in 1950, Rother went to school in Munich, Wilmslow , Karachi, and Düsseldorf. He also lived in Pakistan in the early 1960s where he was exposed to Pakistani music that would influence his own...
toured extensively to allow Roedelius
Hans Joachim Roedelius
Hans-Joachim Roedelius is a German experimental, ambient and electronic musician. He is best known as a co-founder of the krautrock groups Cluster and Harmonia and for his work in the ambient jazz trio Aquarello.-Biography:...
to get on with his solo work. The fully reunited Harmonia played in Berlin in November, followed by a Cluster concert. This is that concert, presented by Important Records, the home label of Cluster collaborator Conrad Schnitzler
Conrad Schnitzler
Conrad Schnitzler was a prolific German experimental musician.Schnitzler was born in Düsseldorf. He was an early member of Tangerine Dream and a founder of the band Kluster. He left Kluster in 1971, first working with his group Eruption and then focusing on solo works...
.
Style
Berlin 07 is recorded much in the style of the duo's previous two albums, both of which drew from Roedelius'Hans Joachim Roedelius
Hans-Joachim Roedelius is a German experimental, ambient and electronic musician. He is best known as a co-founder of the krautrock groups Cluster and Harmonia and for his work in the ambient jazz trio Aquarello.-Biography:...
Sinfonia Contempora sound, that he developed on his two solo albums Sinfonia Contempora No. 1: Von Zeit zu Zeit and Sinfonia Contempora No. 2: La Nordica (Salz Des Nordens).
The album's style differs from the Sinfonia Contempora albums as it quite obviously contains elements of Moebius'
Dieter Moebius
Dieter Moebius is a German/Swiss experimental/krautrock/ambient/electronic musician.Moebius studied art in Brussels and Berlin and met there Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler . They founded a band Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, they changed their name to Cluster...
style as well.
It mixes avant-techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
with sound clips and mocking synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
growls.
Release and packaging
The album was originally released as a limited edition, which sold out quickly. Following this there came the unlimited edition. It is bereft of an interior booklet or any information bar a promotional sticker on the wrapping. It says the following:
CLUSTER Berlin 07. Berlin 07 is a monumental performance for Cluster as it marked the first time they had performed live in Berlin since their twelve hour concert in Gallerie Hammer in the Europa-CenterEuropa-CenterThe Europa-Center is a building complex on the Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, notable for its high-rise tower. During the 1960s it became one of the iconic sights of West Berlin, along with the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church...
1969. The performance was a massive success as a sold out crowd cheered loudly for Cluster's return to the stage. Fortunately, the concert was preserved for posterity and is now proudly presented to you by Important Records.
Track listing
- Part 1 - 29:47 (MoebiusDieter MoebiusDieter Moebius is a German/Swiss experimental/krautrock/ambient/electronic musician.Moebius studied art in Brussels and Berlin and met there Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler . They founded a band Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, they changed their name to Cluster...
/RoedeliusHans Joachim RoedeliusHans-Joachim Roedelius is a German experimental, ambient and electronic musician. He is best known as a co-founder of the krautrock groups Cluster and Harmonia and for his work in the ambient jazz trio Aquarello.-Biography:...
) - Part 2 - 36:45 (MoebiusDieter MoebiusDieter Moebius is a German/Swiss experimental/krautrock/ambient/electronic musician.Moebius studied art in Brussels and Berlin and met there Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler . They founded a band Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, they changed their name to Cluster...
/RoedeliusHans Joachim RoedeliusHans-Joachim Roedelius is a German experimental, ambient and electronic musician. He is best known as a co-founder of the krautrock groups Cluster and Harmonia and for his work in the ambient jazz trio Aquarello.-Biography:...
)