Zuckerzeit
Zuckerzeit | ||||
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Length | 36:13 | |||
Label | Brain | |||
Producer |
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Cluster chronology | ||||
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Zuckerzeit (German: Sugar Time) is the third studio album by German band Cluster, released in 1974 on Brain Records. It was co-produced by Michael Rother, their bandmate in side-project Harmonia. The music on Zuckerzeit marks a shift from Cluster's abrasive early work toward a more rhythmic, pop-oriented sound.[4] Pitchfork ranked the album at number 63 on its list of the top 100 albums of the 1970s,[5] while writer and musician Julian Cope included Zuckerzeit in his "Krautrock Top 50" list.[6]
Background
Zuckerzeit was recorded following Cluster's move from West Berlin to the countryside of Forst, and came after their collaboration with Neu! guitarist Michael Rother on the 1973 Harmonia album Musik von Harmonia.[7] The album's short instrumental tracks marked the group's shift toward a pop-oriented style which utilized cheap drum machines and synthesizers.[8] Each track is a solo composition, with the two members recording separately on different days;[2] The Quietus noted that "it is in reality two solo EPs masquerading as a joint release."[7]
Rother is credited as co-producer, but his primary role was to leave the group some of his equipment, including
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
Mojo | [11] |
Pitchfork | 9.0/10[4] |
John Bush of
Legacy
In a review of Cluster's 1971–1981 box set, AllMusic's Paul Simpson called the album a "masterpiece [that] combined trippy drum machine rhythms with woozy, pastoral melodies, resulting in a skewed, playful vision of futuristic pop. The recording remains a watershed moment in electronic music, and is easily one of the best albums of the '70s."
Pitchfork ranked the album at number 63 on its list of the top 100 albums of the 1970s.[5] Among its fans are Brian Eno[5] and Julian Cope, with Cope including Zuckerzeit in his "Krautrock Top 50" list.[6]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hollywood" | Hans-Joachim Roedelius | 4:48 |
2. | "Caramel" | Dieter Moebius | 2:58 |
3. | "Rote Riki" | Moebius | 6:18 |
4. | "Rosa" | Roedelius | 4:13 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
5. | "Caramba" | Moebius | 3:57 |
6. | "Fotschi Tong" | Roedelius | 4:21 |
7. | "James" | Moebius | 3:21 |
8. | "Marzipan" | Roedelius | 3:14 |
9. | "Rotor" | Moebius | 2:40 |
10. | "Heiße Lippen" | Roedelius | 2:23 |
Personnel
- Hans-Joachim Roedelius
- Dieter Moebius
- Michael Rother – production
Notes
- ^ a b c Cauvel, Peter (18 April 2017). "The 10 Best Krautrock Albums To Own On Vinyl". Vinyl Me, Please. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9781612194745. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ISBN 9781906002084. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
- ^ a b c d Beta, Andy (7 May 2016). "Cluster / Brian Eno / Dieter Moebius / Roedelius: Cluster: 1971–1981". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ a b c "The 100 Best Albums of the 1970s". Pitchfork. 23 June 2004. p. 4. Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ a b Cope, Julian. "A Krautrock Top 50". Krautrock.org.uk. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ a b Doran, John (6 June 2016). "The Vinyl Staircase: June In Record Buying Misery". The Quietus. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9780472053193. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ Dayal, Geeta (20 January 2012). "Dieter Moebius". frieze. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ a b Bush, John. "Zuckerzeit – Cluster". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
- ^ Male, Andrew (May 2016). "Two's company". Mojo. No. 270. p. 103.
- ^ Simpson, Paul. "1971–1981 – Cluster". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ Andrews, Euan. "Reviews: Cluster 1971-1981". The Quietus. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
Further reading
- Curry, Russ (May 1996). "A Curious History of Cluster". D>Elektro. Retrieved August 18, 2007.