Cluster - Zuckerzeit (Album Review)

Cluster - Zuckerzeit

(1974)

My copy: 2007 reissue by Lilith.

Duo project of Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Cluster found themselves at the heart of Berlin’s krautrock movement in the 70s. Though they are often less appreciated than bigger names like Kraftwerk or Neu! (they’ve collaborated with both), Cluster were masterminds of carving out sonically ambitious corridors of electronic repetition. Zuckerzeit (translates to “sugar age”) marked a shift in mindset for the duo, given that they had moved to the country and built up their own studio. The album itself is essentially two solo records combined, as the artists each worked on their own collection of tracks. 

The trilling bass of “Hollywood” eases us in, and while the drum loops are soft and warm, the rhythm is uneven so as to keep things just outside the norm. Still, Roedelius’s tracks are much smoother, with richer layering. Moebius’s “Caramel” is bubbly and eccentric, and remarkably modern sounding for 1974. The mixing occasionally turns sharp and loud as prickly keys sail from left to right. Moebius continues on “Rote Riki,” an imaginative series of softly chattering synths that flicker like communications between fairy tale creatures. Then the somber repetition of “Rosa” takes control with a triumphant yet restrained progression. The music is crafted with the utmost care - it is neither too obviously sweet nor sour and overly dissonant. 

The cicada-like flourishes of “Caramba” top off a regal, eastern composition before “Fotschi Thong” dials the mood back into scenic meditations. The production of everything is neatly muted and warm, though the loops are made denser or quieter through clever EQ tricks. “James” is by far Moebius’s most eclectic take on the record, with growling, wobbled bass and guitar that limps about in the album’s sharpest syncopation, sitting somewhere between goofy and utterly eerie. “Marzipan’s” glittering keys then directly contrast the previous track, with gentle underwater synth moaning. The duo each takes a turn at faster paced tracks to close the record, with the stunted “Rotor” dancing around in an almost manic elation for Moebius while

“Heiße Lippen” introduces tender layers of warm pads on Roedelius’s behalf.                 Some have speculated that Cluster’s choice to reposition to the rolling hills of Forst influenced their more sedated tones on Zuckerzeit; regardless of what caused the shift, the album is a smart, and neatly presented duality of sounds that were years ahead of their time. Sometimes they are too comfortably situated in the same repetitions, but the album is not particularly lengthy nor does it boast any overly-indulgent song lengths. Perhaps its most interesting element is Zuckerzeit’s powerful duality, as Moebius and Roedelius have each committed a piece of themselves to their portion of the record, resulting in a bold and unique work that’s deserving of recognition.