Time-traveling deutsch dispatches:
This Friday (May 19), Bureau B releases Cluster's Konzerte 1972/1977. From
the label's site:
Quote:
The two authorized recordings presented here vividly conjure up the atmosphere, perhaps even the magic, of a Cluster performance back in the day. One took place in 1977 during a science fiction festival in Metz (France). The other dates back to an earlier show in Hamburg's Fabrik venue. Cluster played three gigs in the city in 1971/1972, including the one partially included on Cluster II.
Cluster shows routinely lasted six hours or more, luring both the band and the audience into a state of intoxication, no doubt acutely enhanced by the intake of certain substances. The buzzwords of the moment were: psychedelic, magical, ritualistic, corresponding more or less to the Dionysian hedonism which pervades certain styles of contemporary music culture today. It is worth noting this context as useful background when listening to the live recordings presented here.
In the beginning, Cluster's music was rough, brutal and spontaneous, created with the most rudimentary tools. Unlike many of their colleagues in this pioneering age, Cluster did not use any synthesizers, sequencers or high-end amps. But this proved to be their strength, rather than a disadvantage. Roedelius and Moebius played in the truest sense of the word, untroubled by mechanical processes. They used their machines but were not dependent on them. Intuition was the dominant force, the risk of potential failure was readily understood to be as much a part of their vibrant art as success. Perfection had become a concept associated with convention. Indeed, anyone who was lucky enough to witness Cluster play in the 1970s will testify that things sometimes went badly wrong. But mostly they did not, and then the real magic was tangible. A utopian, previously undiscovered world of sound was created in the presence of the beholder.
The sound quality of these two documents is average. A successful performance was considered more important than a perfect recording thereof. We as listeners should accept that today. Our reward is a short journey into the nascent heart of Cluster's creative universe, just after the big bang.
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A month later it's the turn of Can's
The Singles. You may have already seen this if you checked out Mute's announcement of having signed Mr. Lee R. Before you say "Screw this, I have all of Can's albums, I don't need these 'single edits' and bullcrap", read the details. From the label's site:
Quote:
CAN, Mute and Spoon Records are pleased to announce Can – The Singles, a brand new collection of all of the band's single releases, out on 16 June 2017 on triple vinyl, download, CD and to stream.
This unique document is the first time the singles have been presented together and shows the breadth of their influential career, from well loved tracks like "Halleluwah", "Vitamin C" and "I Want More" to more obscure singles such as "Silent Night" and "Turtles Have Short Legs".
Listen to "Turtles Have Short Legs", the rare 1971 7" single release. This was the band's third single, never appeared on a studio album and was recorded around the time of the Tago Mago sessions with the line up of Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli, Jaki Liebezeit, Irmin Schmidt and Damo Suzuki – https://youtu.be/my8T7hB992k
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Tracklisting and whatnot at
http://mute.com/mute/announce-the-singles