Another new release from Bureau B and another (neo) classic in the making. There is a good deal of variety coming from this label, that is for certain. Having recently reviewed a contemporary dub album from Automat, I now find myself listening to three Steinway concert grands overlapping and sometimes even plucked or stroked. This version of Qluster is Roedelius, Onnen Bock and Armin Metz who joined in 2013 as a bass player from various forays in world music.
This music is essentially light in tone and could be placed alongside more ambient based piano pieces. I am thinking of the Nighthawks collaboration between John Foxx and Harold Budd. 'Traum vom Fliegen' is lovely and almost crisp with a touch of autumn about it. 'Uber den Dachern' has some of the pluckage mentioned previously. It is quite meditative and then some strummage that naturally sounds like strings helps the track build towards a finish.
'Il Campanile' is slow and deliberate like walking on ice. A melody persistently played with subtle variation. 'Brandung' is the longest track on the album. On it they seem to be playing with the strings again very delicately whilst at the same time plucking at my heart strings. 'Zwischen den Zeilen' is more sombre in tone and 'Spiegel im Spiegel' is perhaps the most classical sounding track with pianos rolling and tumbling. 'Spuren im Schnee' is less strident and encapsulates everything that is great about this album. 'Karussell' is more 'dance' orientated along the lines of Bolero and the album concludes with 'Abends ganz leis' which is a minimal affair.
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All in all this is a great album if you are on the lookout for something relaxing yet contemplative and all done in the best possible tasten.
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