Kluster - 2008 - Admira

Kluster
2008
Admira

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12

Conrad Schnitzler
Klaus Freudigmann
Wolfgang Seidel

Recorded 1971

Apparently a live album of the Kluster group from the same year that the K became a C, when Moebius and Roedelius decided to keep the group's name (albeit slightly changed), once Schnitzler left the band in May 71. Sooooo what to do with this posthumous release, claiming to be live from that very same year, but having Schnitzler, but not Moebius and Roedelius, unless the last two are included in the "And Friends"? According to Asbjornssen, Kluster's last concert was in May 71 in Gottingen,, but I don't explain the line-up that doesn't mention Dieter and Hans. All I can say it that sonically speaking, this is certainly a real "K"luster album, going as far, if not even further than even Faust dared to. 12 tracks (ranging from 1 to 8 minutes) without names, with only one or two that have a structure or some kind of repeating pattern that can be either seen as rhythm or thread, Admira is certainly a weird disc, but by no means stranger than the Kluster preceding it or the Cluster following it. Often nightmarish, sometimes hypnotic, never melodic, always surprising, these tracks lead you from total insanity to complete madness without you even realizing it in just over one hour, but somehow the album manages to stand on its own and completes its quest for its grail without even battling it out, since its implacable logic leaves no room for discussion. Definitely a must

Previously unreleased recordings from 1971. 2nd pressing, standard jewel case packaging. "Admira is sourced from original master recordings discovered by Kluster member and Tangerine Dream engineer Klaus Freudigmann. Along with Vulcano, also being released at the same time on Important, Admira is presented here for the first time in this deluxe package. These intense sessions were made with Schnitzler at the helm, as always, after the departure of Mobius and Roedelius from the group. Conrad Schnitzler founded Kluster in 1969 along with Roedelius, Mobius and often Klaus Freudigmann who had multiple roles within the group as a player, engineer and instrument inventor. Eventually Roedelius and Mobius left Kluster and continued on as Cluster while Schnitzler and Freudigmann continued as Kluster often exploring the communal aspects of music by bringing new people into the group."

This is another interesting slice of early Kluster experimentation.

In 1971 the original lineup of Kluster (Moebius, Roedelius, Schnitzler) split up with Moebius and Roedelius going off to form Cluster.

The music presented here was recorded by Conrad Schnitzler in '71, more or less alone from what I gather. Engineers Wolfgang Seidel and Klaus Freudigmann are also credited in the liner notes, but it's not clear how they were involved in the recording. What is known is that these tapes were unreleased until Freudigmann unearthed them in 2008.

The music within is typical of early Kluster: experimental sound collages made using various instruments and devices, twisting and manipulating them into ambient effects, feedback, etc.

This makes a great companion to other early Kluster and Cluster albums.

Given this is largely sounds, rather than most would consider "music", reviewing the quality has little to do with what is played, and more about what you allow yourself to HEAR. I like it, and that's all it needs to do. There are drones, with bits of Cello played in the background, some wild guitar freakouts that were relatively common at the time, and some odd organ sounds. It's all quite satisfying.

A sticker on the front of the CD tells us that this release was made possible because the original masters had been found, and it shows. The sound quality is really good, albeit rather lo-fi stuff. However there is one caveat - the sticker also states "in deluxe packaging". No. It's a standard jewelcase, with a single fold out (total four pages including the cover and back). The fold out lists the musicians (well, the main ones), and that's it. No article, no background text, hell not even information about when and where this was recorded. This must be a new kind of "Deluxe" that I was previously unaware of. LOL

Having said that, minimal lo-fi packaging for minimal lo-fi krautrock - what's not to like. Shame they didn't put as much effort into the booklet as they did with the sticker, but hey-ho. I like it.