Search - Kluster :: Klopfzeichen

Menacing drone

Mike Reed | 03/30/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"About 5 minutes into the 25-minute-long or so second track, there is a really intense meltdown that reminds me of Guru Guru at their very best (they were at their very best only once, however) and of the good, nonboring parts of Jimmy Page's Lucifer Rising soundtrack.Other than that, it's passable stuff, especially if you like hearing German frauleins speaking in their native language (which, of course, sounds like the barking of orders, no matter what they're really saying)."

Kluster - 'Klopfzeichen' (Cleopatra)

Mike Reed | USA | 05/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Originally released in 1970,but I'm not exactly sure if it was their first or second album.Various sources are somewhat unreliable.'Klopfzeichen' HAS to be one of THE first,if NOT THE first 'industrial' recording piece of music ever put out,anywhere.Allow me to explain:even though Kluster/Cluster is officially tagged as krautrock,the music here definitely shows as to where 'industrial' had initially come from,even if it's krautrock by name.It's STILL more or less industrial.If you would like to see where bands like Throbbing Gristle,Mouse On Mars and perhaps even Nine Inch Nails got at least some of their influence,check out this must-have title.This album was one of the first three that featured the original line-up of Dieter Moebius,Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler.Tracks are untitled,# 1)23:31,2)21:34 and cut three is a fifteen minute live snippet from a one-off 1980 reunion between Moebius and Roedelius.Should appeal to any and all fans of Faust,Neu!,Kraftwerk and possibly Silver Apples.Essential!"