This album follows on from the minimal piano album 'Tasten' that Qluster released last year. Qluster were formed by Roedelius when Cluster split for a third time in 2010.
Originally a duo they are now a trio with Onnen Bock and Armin Metz. Whilst this album adds electronics into the mix compared to 'Tasten', it is still very much ambient material and of an exceptionally high standard to boot. Everyone I have played it to has asked what it is, so it is obviously working in the foreground as well as the background.
'Stein auf Stein' kicks the whole thing off in a haunting fashion and 'Beste Freunde' continues on in that vein, with the baby grand coming more to the fore. Ten minutes in and I am lost in another world. 'Verweile doch' has me thinking about Cluster's 'Zuckerzeit' in terms of sound and 'playful' attitude. 'Von Weiter Ferne Ganz Nah' is an eight minute piece that washes and reverberates and changes incrementally. The middle of the album has a couple of short pieces and then we are into the most sublime run out. 'Das Seltsame....' again has piano firmly to the fore with effects sharply honed in the back and mid. 'Auf der Lichtung' is an ambient belter, if there is such a thing. It's kind of at the dark end of things and really burrows into your psyche. 'Weg am Hang' gives itself time to spread out and I consequently luxuriate in it's soundscape. 'In deinen Handen' rounds things off in quite beautiful fashion. It is both childlike and poetic.
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I find it quite difficult to review this album. Partly because I am not an expert on this kind of music but mostly because it is so stunning that words fail me. I can only recommend that you buy this album and work backwards through Q Qluster. Who knows what you might discover after that?
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