Grosses Wasser
Encyclopedia
Grosses Wasser is the seventh album by the electronic music
outfit Cluster
. It was co-produced by former Tangerine Dream
member Peter Baumann
. Grosses Wasser marked the return to Cluster working as a duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius
after two albums collaborating with Brian Eno
.
Grosses Wasser was recorded and released in 1979
on the Hamburg
, Germany
based Sky
label. It featured a wide variety of styles, including some of the most avant-garde material created by Moebius and Roedelius since the demise of Kluster
with Conrad Schnitzler
's departure in 1971, particularly during the middle section of the title track, which occupied all of side 2. Other tracks, including "Manchmal" and both the opening and closing sections of "Grosses Wasser" continued the gentle, melodic style of the previous three albums, while others echoed the rhythmic style of Zuckerzeit
, albeit with more of an edge. Steven and Alan Freeman, writing in their book The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, describe the title track, in part, as "...a lengthy suite growing out of silence with atmospheric Florian Fricke
-like sustained piano tones, via bizarre crackling electronics onto almost tribal-industrial rock percussives."
Grosses Wasser was first reissued on CD by Sky Records in 1992
. It was first released in the U.S. by the Gyroscope label on March 19, 1996. A 1,000 copy limited edition digitally remastered CD was released on the Japanese Captain Trip label on September 20, 2007.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
outfit 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 co-produced by former Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
member Peter Baumann
Peter Baumann
Peter Baumann formed the core line-up of the German electronic group Tangerine Dream with Edgar Froese and Christopher Franke in 1971. While touring with the band, Baumann composed his first solo album in 1976...
. Grosses Wasser marked the return to Cluster working as a duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and 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...
after two albums collaborating with Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
.
Grosses Wasser was recorded and released in 1979
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
on the Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
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...
based Sky
Sky Records
Sky Records was a Hamburg, Germany based independent record label specializing in Krautrock/Kosmische Musik and electronic music. Some of their releases could be classified as progressive rock or art rock, experimental music, industrial, ambient, or New Age...
label. It featured a wide variety of styles, including some of the most avant-garde material created by Moebius and Roedelius since the demise of Kluster
Kluster
Kluster is a German experimental musical group whose work often resembles later industrial music.The original Kluster was short-lived, existing only from 1969 until mid-1971 when Conrad Schnitzler left and the remaining two members renamed themselves Cluster...
with 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...
's departure in 1971, particularly during the middle section of the title track, which occupied all of side 2. Other tracks, including "Manchmal" and both the opening and closing sections of "Grosses Wasser" continued the gentle, melodic style of the previous three albums, while others echoed the rhythmic style of Zuckerzeit
Zuckerzeit
Zuckerzeit is the third full-length album by German electronic music outfit Cluster. It was co-produced by Michael Rother, their bandmate in Harmonia...
, albeit with more of an edge. Steven and Alan Freeman, writing in their book The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, describe the title track, in part, as "...a lengthy suite growing out of silence with atmospheric Florian Fricke
Florian Fricke
Florian Fricke was a German musician who started his professional career with electronic music using the Moog synthesizer within the Krautrock group Popol Vuh...
-like sustained piano tones, via bizarre crackling electronics onto almost tribal-industrial rock percussives."
Grosses Wasser was first reissued on CD by Sky Records in 1992
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
. It was first released in the U.S. by the Gyroscope label on March 19, 1996. A 1,000 copy limited edition digitally remastered CD was released on the Japanese Captain Trip label on September 20, 2007.
Track listing
- "Avanti" – 4:44
- "Prothese" – 2:04
- "Isodea" – 4:03
- "Breitengrad 20" – 4:04
- "Manchmal" – 2:05
- "Grosses Wasser" – 18:38
Personnel
- Hans-Joachim Roedelius – keyboards, percussion, vocals
- Dieter 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...
– keyboards, percussion, vocals - Peter BaumannPeter BaumannPeter Baumann formed the core line-up of the German electronic group Tangerine Dream with Edgar Froese and Christopher Franke in 1971. While touring with the band, Baumann composed his first solo album in 1976...
– producer - William RoperWilliam RoperWilliam Roper was an English biographer. The son of a Kentish gentleman, he married Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas More. He wrote a highly regarded biography of his father-in-law.-Life:...
– engineer