In 1971 Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Conrad Plank shocked the schlager nation with an utterly experimental piece of music called “Cluster”. It was the debut of the group of the same name and an important milestone of the pre-Kraftwerk era.
Difficult to believe this three-track album of pulsating drones and irrational synth lines dates back more than 40 years. Certainly not a dance record, it just provides the insight into the vision and abilities of the masters of analog equipment.
The album was reissued in 1980 under the name “Cluster ’71” and recent years have seen a number of the group’s re-releases. Also solo projects of the Cluster members have resurfaced, many of them on the excellent Bureau B label. So before getting too hyped about contemporary drone & experimental artists, look into the history books to see where the innovation lies.