HARMONIA 76: TRACKS & TRACES

"Tracks & Traces" is the concrete result of a mythical reunion between Eno and cluster members in the Weserbergland area of Germany back in 1976. After two beautiful "avant garde" pre-ambient "motoric" electronic albums, Moebius & Roedelius side project Harmonia has launched the bases of ambient music in this collection of synth "dreamy" soundscapes. Eno gave some help to the band with lyrics and additional synth parts. This album can give you an idea of what is coming next during Eno / Cluster fruitful collaboration. A few tracks sounds as post-rock and are a reminiscence of a few Eno's compositions "Vamos Campaneros". "Sometimes in Autumn" and "weird dream" represent the most "ambient" moment of the album with "visceral" linear electronic soundscapes...Songs as "By the riverside" and "Almost" reminds me the simplistic, effective introspect melodies used in Cluster's "Sowiesoso". "When Shade was born" is a melodic, floating piece with nice piano parts. A beautiful album, a representative "crossover" between Eno's tortured, ambient universe and Cluster's meditative / electronic period.