ZWEI OSTEREI

A very experimental music for two long improvisations made of new sounds with acoustic instruments (cellos.) amplifiers, echo-machines and microphones. The compositions are near to sound installations for contemporary art gallery. The progressive exploration appears in the way the conventional instruments are used (isolated from their original source due to amplifiers and tape manipulations). In this modern electric experimental work, the inter-media artist Conrad Schnitzler is accompanied by his two friends from Zodiak Club (Moebius & Roedelius). The first track is a dark pro-electronic composition with linear cello themes, aleatoric percussions and feedback, cracking organ sounds. Very repetitive and hypnotic. The version includes "religious" and "dramatic" narratives in German. The second track is purely instrumental with the same percussive, metallic and complex texture. A concrete, "chaotic" and noisy proto-electronic work! Surely too avant-garde for many prog-heads but it remains a little classic.

Out of the two authentic Kluster albums (because Eruption, though not obligatory so, is more complex under the circumstance of a collaboration and a total avant-garde strange unleash), Zwei-Osterei is a more splendid, characteristic and memorable creation. Yet the 'two-easter eggs" of Kluster are both albums, motivated under the same precision, year of music and combination of explosion and surprises. And both complement the pivotal trio of Schnitzler, Moebius and Roedelius (the first a grand soloist of electronic, kraut and German rock himself, the other two artists with a more hard excellency down the future Cluster albums or general electronic manipulations).

What makes Zwei-Osterei ticks and twist is in fact the ultimate and prolific minimal sound manual or the greatly evolved set of special effects, most progressively distinguished between the bad dreams and the hectic noises of krautrock, the independent and reactive sound forms, the electronic birth and mirth of significantly achieved expressions, the noise clutch and the acid ubiquitous involvement, and, more personally, the act of art and avant-garde. The better parts contain more angry and saturated moment, more depth and carnal experimentation, more strange focuses, more sensitive over-blows of something that, for sure, seems both exaggerate, has the incoherence of a grand sound festive and also, gently, aspires to be unique, tough, klutzed. Still having in mind that Klopfzeichen was slightly weaker, the ambient and melody-stretch over there is hardly tested in here as well. For aficionados, this Kluster material is both the extended art that sends doubtful qualities and similar traces into any other contemporary genius of the kraut, cosmic, electronic or electro-dementia field, but also relaxes of referentiality itself, having in mind a rahing individual manipulation.

Part One privileges again a powerful narration - religious, metaphysically and philosophically based - this time with a more gripping, side-dark and hollow reverberation, unlike the most mystic and confounding similar message that Christia Runge practiced in Klopfzeichen. The amazing thing is the sobriety, yet the foolish affection for hard words, in memorable echoes and brand-acid colors; the lines evoke riot, life, demise, war, methodical insatiety and indistinction. The instrumental involvement is a bit forgotten, likewise, but the interest in a narrative experimental piece is remarkably conducted.

Part two of the medical progressive album is fascinating and difficult, experimenting in all the mentioned marks and values (noise, kraut, electronic technicality, sound-licks) a piece of heavy rhtyhms and groaning breaths, tough artificial chemistry and over-worked electronic production (out of mentioned instruments and related experiments, that, themselves, are between facile and up-stirring). The indescribable essence only means that the acid piece is something for a listener's great and deeming adventure. Numerous generally influences, such as those of palpitating atonal beats, sequencing atypical reactions, high decibels of drone melt emphisis, numbness and cosmic avidity, technical and surrounding suspense or dark fluency, cracking or bursting emotions of loneliness, sense-demise or psychedelic atrophy. Outside this symbolical, powerfully induced or predisposed experimented values, Zwei-Osterei becomes a music of total avant-garde and senile fantastic artistry.

The album, upon being a re-release, includes a second piece from a Cluster & Fernbach concert, one not fundamentally fantastic, but not purely electronic either.

Heavily recommended.

'Zwei Osterei' or 'Two Easter egg' is very similar to 'Klopfzeichen for the simple reason that it was recorded on the same day.

I recently discovered the rather disturbing fact that in 1968 Kluster journeyed to Corsica where they set up a nudist camp in the mountains! At night they played music until dawn, with Roedelius stating that he found real spiritual music during a full moon. Hmmm... Three naked men battering oil drums in the middle of the night doesn't appeal to me at all. In fact it sounds downright gross. Germans seem very keen on removing their clothes. I've seen enough of that on beaches abroad whilst on holiday, thank you very much.

In 1969 the church, of all establishments, decided to finance these first albums by Kluster, on the condition that religious texts be added on one side. Thankfully my German isn't too good and I'm led to believe that the translation into English sounds incredibly corny.

Record label 'Schwann's tag line was "The workshop of new church music". Well, if I heard music like this in a church I'd be down there every Sunday morning paying my respect to God. This is damn creepy stuff... Their playing technique resembles that of Stockhausen. There are no beats. It's floating, unearthly and atonal with lots of sound generators and electronic filters used throughout. Fans of 'Zoviet France' and early 'Throbbing Gristle' will love this.

Turned up loud, 'Zwei Osterei' is superb for terrifying the neighbours in the middle of the night resembling sounds from the Pittsburgh steelworks replete with sparks flying everywhere.

KLUSTER released three albums in 1971 and this is the middle album. Moebius and Roedelius would then change the band's name to CLUSTER and for me the soundscapes would become much better, especially on CLUSTER's first two classic albums. Listening to those recordings is like taking a trip outside in a severe wind storm, they're great. This particular album is made up of two side long suites.

The first is really tough going for me because of the German spoken words that come and go throughout. Very annoying ! Apparently the band was sponsered by a church and so the spoken words are religious in nature. For me it ruins the whole album. I mean who wants to listen to some guy spread this message in a language you don't even understand. Anyway the second part is much better.Very spacey at times with random drums being banged along with lots of other sounds coming and going. A loud outburst comes in after 16 minutes.

No more than 3 stars and the best was yet to come from this duo in CLUSTER.