Curious Music has announced a new tribute to the late Dieter Moebius (Cluster, Harmonia, Cluster & Eno).
Moebius (1944 – 20 July 2015) is best known for his contributions to the development of ambient, kosmische and ‘Krautrock’ music.
Moebius Strips is a multichannel audio installation for museums, festivals, galleries, and other public spaces.
Created by American composer Tim Story, who collaborated with Moebius on several albums, Moebius Strips features thousands of sounds, noises, samples and loops from Moebius’s collection, which are combined in new and ever-evolving layers in the installation’s soundstage.
The installation also features artists who have been influenced by his work, as well as former collaborators, including contributions from Geoff Barrow (Portishead, Beak), Sarah Davachi, Jean-Benoît Dunckel (Air), Eve Maret, Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Phew, Hans-Joachim Roedelius (Cluster, Harmonia), Michael Rother (Harmonia, Kraftwerk, NEU!) and Yuri Suzuki.
The installation will launch in November 2021 at the Witching Hour Festival. Details are still to be announced.
A CD version of Moebius Strips is also available to pre-order, and a limited “museum-edition” audiophile vinyl release is planned for Spring 2022.
I’ll be buying this! I loved the collaboration between them! Glad to see their spirit still going!
January 1974 Cluster’s Zuckerzeit album is the reason Kraftwerk went fully Electronic in November 1974 Autobahn album and not before.
Because of Culster’s Zuckerzeit album Kraftwerk abandoned their first 3 albums
of mostly Acoustic Funk Jazz R&B heavy influence,
Silver Apples 1968 heavy influence, Terry Riley 1969 heavy influence
then went fully Electronic.
Zuckerzeit album is one of the main reasons Kraftwerk’s Electronica sounds the way it does.
Zuckerzeit album has most things Kraftwerk copied for their Electronic sound.**
Zuckerzeit album is one of the heaviest influence upon Kraftwerk from 1974 onwards.
SynthPop musicians from late 70s to early 80s sound more like Cluster’s Zuckerzeit album than Kraftwerk,
just the singing is not there from Cluster.
Even Yello Magic Orchestra 1978 sound as the Zuckerzeit track Fotschi Tong.
**Kraftwerk copied many Electronic musicians from 1950s 60s 70s 80s.
Kraftwerk copied James Brown Funk Rhythms and Bass on all their Electronic albums from Autobahn 1974 to Electric cafe 1986.
But that’s for another topic.
Suffice to say Kraftwerk didn’t innovate anything.
Kraftwerk copied and Copied others.
Just the singing was the new thing that Kraftwerk did.
It seems like you came here to trash Kraftwerk instead of to praise Moebius.
Zuckerzeit is a great album – but it also sounds like a rock band bought a synth, vs sounding like an electronic music group.
This is the way most synthy groups sounded in the 70s – people like Gary Numan – like a rock band bought a synth.
And that is a fine style and one that many of us love.
But then there were recordings like Autobahn, I Feel Love, Discreet Music, etc that suddenly did not sound like a rock or pop band that bought a synth anymore. They sounded like something entirely new and led to entirely new genres of music.
Zuckerzeit IS important, but it does not sound like a completely realized vision of a new types of music, but more like musicians pushing the boundaries of rock to see if they can find new territory. It might be more pioneering and experimental, but less the icon of a new style of music.
There is the theory of the mobius, a twist in the… fabric of space where time becomes a loop. When we reach that point whatever happened *will* happen again.
Sorry, ? that does seem like a very cool thing above though, thanks for sharing.
@Anal – OG
*It is to inform readers the clear the importance influence of Cluster.
The clear influence of Cluster’s Zuckerzeit upon Kraftwerk going fully Electronic on 1974 Autobahn.
I’m presenting evidence anyone with an open ear can hear.
Kraftwerks first album 1970 of mostly Acoustic Rhythm Jazz Funk with some synthesis : this was copied from Silver Apples 1968 album.
Kraftwerks second Album 1972 of Art Rock copied from a number of late 1960s Art Rock bands
Kraftwerk’s third album 1973 mostly copied from Terry Riley 1969 Rainbow in A Curved Air.
This sudden departure from Acoustic Jazz Funk Art Rock Kraftwerk into fully Electronic is because of Cluster’s Zuckerzeit.
Early Synth Pop musicians sound more as Clusters Zuckerzeit than Kraftwerk.
Even Yello Magic Orchestra sound as Fotschi Tong track on Zuckerzeit.
Readers can now be aware of the importance influence of Cluster.
*Additionally Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle were influenced by Cluster’s first album in 1971.
Through Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle we get DarkAmbient, Industrial Electronica, Hardcore Electronica.
This we can hear even more the importance influence of Cluster.
Sure, Kraftwerk was probably influenced by Cluster, but I’d hardly call it copying. It was the sound of the Krautrock scene; the sound of the time.
I’ve noticed you seem to really not like Kraftwerk being referred to as pioneers. Would you not at least concede that “Autobahn” arguably was first to combine the style of Krautrock with a more conventional a/b/a/b/c structure, instead of pieces being relatively static explorations?
@nebula
This article is about Cluster.
I would rather keep it to influence of Cluster upon Kraftwerk.
It is pretty obvious only after Cluster’s Zuckerzeit album, that Kraftwerk went fully Electronic.
####
Briefly as you raised the point these are the
Musicians and Styles Kraftwerk borrowed from to put it kindly.
James Brown Funk, R&B, Jazz, Art Rock, Silver Apples, Terry Riley, Steve Reich.
Tom Dissevelt and Kid Baltan Dick Raaijmakeers the heaviest influence upon Electronic Kraftwerk.
Cecil Leuter, Nino Nardini, Michael Czajkowski,
Morton Subotnik, Jean Jaques Perrey, Gershon Kingsley.
Tonto’s Expanding Headband, Wendy Carlos, Cluster.
Later borrowed from 10 CC, Jarre, Moroder, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Gary Numan, Laurie Anderson, Art of Noise.
We need to look at evidence to realise Kraftwerk only pioneered singing on Electronica.
Even the singing was borrowed from Beach Boys.
*Autobahn album
Autobahn title track concept is made up from :
1969 Michael Czajkowski People the Sky album, as is Trans Europe Express title track.
Autobahn Bass and Rhythm is James Brown 1970 Funky Drummer.
Karl Bartos is the only Kraftwerk musician honest enough to say James Brown was an influence.
The other elements that make up Autobahn title track :
Clockwork Orange theme tune 71 Wendy Carlos.
Jetsex 1971 Tonto’s Expanding Head Band car motorbike sounds.
NEU! Hallogalo 1972 song structure and feel (ex band members of early Kraftwerk).
Beach Boys 1962 singing.
Kometenmelodie1 track is inspired from
1971 Aurora by Tonto’s Expanding Heaband.
Mitternach track begins with electric organ that so many 1960s Folk and Rock musician put in their records.
The style has its roots in 1957 Jean Jaques Perrey Prelude Au Sommeil album.
Then Mitternacht track with Morgenspazieren track goes into
Morton Subotnick 1967 Silver Apples of the Moon.