"Ubi panis ibi patria." - "Where there is bread (plenty of food), there is my country."
"Ubi bene ibi patria" - "Homeland is place where is good for me.."
I'm sorry, you just can't escape harsh reality and breaking news, headlines: we are all witnessing the human tragedies, one of the greatest in the history. Millions of people are forced to go and leaving their homes, their patrias, and going to uncertain future. Actually if there is future where they go, they go to the Western World unfortunately like living stock. One thing; I have survived and passed through Bosnian Civil War as a kid, feel fortunate enough. I don't share their destiny and their walk of shame, and sleepless nights, fears. I don't share their uncertainty for tomorrow morning - for now. For now we all should be thankful and thinking about it. And I hope we will find solution. If you are in situation to help: help if you can. Or maybe you don't share my point of view.
Young Roedelius came to Berlin as a student and become part of something what will become movement of global cultural influence.In grim time of human human history, that political conflict Cold War was a mother of all other smaller, real wars of that time. And Cold War was one thing, that we are all glad it didn't become physical real, actual war. It could bring us to points of extinction.
Roedelius, as you know, first become part of few young people gathered around Human Being project and part of Zodiak Free Arts Lab collective who experimented with music, technology - they were looking for a new way of expressions. Actually it was space, some kind of gathering place for all young Berliners. Also their specific situation: they were kids of that era, of fear, conspiracy, and possible nuclear war. And specially for the Germans: the shame and shadow of 2nd World War.
And secondly, he and his long-life musical partner Dieter Moebius become part of crucial German electronic group Kluster, and later Cluster (after departure of Conrad Schnitzler - you can expect review of his new album soon on this blog). Both incarnation of the band's albums was produced by legendary Conny Plank, producer of many pivotal krautrock records, and also bands like Ultra Vox, Eurythmics, DAF, Killing Joke, Brian Eno, Devo and others.
As a Kluster they recorded two records full of industrial and hypnotic beats. Songs had biblical references and it's funny cause those records which contains only two tracks and 50 minutes of industrial noise - each record, was financed by christian catholic organization. After departure of Schnitzler, Cluster signed to Phillips, and released two pretty electronic and experimental albums: Cluster and Cluster 2.
Around that time they had meet Michael Rother guitarist from NEU!, and the formed something like krautrock supergroup: Harmonia, released two albums, the masterpieces: Music from Harmonia and Deluxe.
Again, as Cluster they release Sowieso, and two albums with Brian Eno, After The Heat and Cluster and Eno. Then they release Grosses Wasser - last great record record from the duo before they went separated ways. But never stopped releasing extraordinary music. And also this text is about something else.
Year is 2015 and Hans-Joachim Roedelius has joined forces with Leon Muraglia. They have released Ubi Bene, and that's why are we here. And as I have seen the name of the album, it made me go political on this one. Album is full of (let's call it) classical krautrock sounds and tracks like Red in Circular Loop, My Heart and Mind Were Disposed..., A Reflection in Deep Sea. Especially last one had that piano child-ish like song which sounds like later, more melodic Cluster phase. Or we have dark and bleak, industrial, experiment-ish (reminds me on my fav Cluster 2) tracks like A Machine Dreams (only 21 seconds long!!!), There is a Huge Duck Standing Right behind You/The haunted Space, Surface That Appear To Change. There is beautiful, ambient, and melodic tracks perfect for home or if you are in-full-clothes-enjoying-those-winter-small-amounts-of-Sun-in-your-garden soundtrack like: She Had Always Loved Vienna, Gently Falling Snow, A Nostalgia For Lollipops. And even droney track Cloud Iridiscence (I played that one at the after party, yes). Of course there is even track that sounds like it is borrowed from Autechre or Boards of Canada - (which could be only a pretty good comparison), it mean they're in good company and could easily fit in standard DJ techno set.
Ubi Bene is mellow and it is quite contemporary, full sounds that reminiscence on a good side of life. It is optimistic and made me get up and go to buy a bottle of fine red wine. To share it with my girl.Yes there are bad things in life, and awful things happening in the world right now as I type. People's greed will always make other people suffer, as you can read in the beginning of the text. But for now I will spend two hours with wine, person I love and Ubi Bene on repeat. Actually me getting up and flipping the discs every little while.
Something more, I guess Leon Muraglia is here, in this album 50%, just like Roedelius. I hope we can expect more from him in the days/years to come, and I see this is first release of Passus Records so I'll keep my eye on him and them also. Next time, if there could be another Roedelius/Muraglia project I would buy it cause I saw Muraglia, just like I bought this one with just reading Roedelius. This joke is on Roedelius.
For all of you who love to flow around, check this mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/Kosmische/
If you want to know more about his life, by his own words, say Thank You to peeps at Resident Advisor:
damir.plicanic@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment