His Master’s voice: The complete works of our master and mensch continue further to enroll and spread their own history, legacy and testimony. That makes me frankly happy, and I guess many others too. Let’s enter directly each of these four new issues now. First : »Cluster 71« (Philips 1971/bureau b 2010) – In the same year that has seen Alan Vega working as a NYC art Gallerist (Suicide would only release their eponymous debut album in 1977 ) and only about two years since Stockhausen entered his new »Momentform«, this album was coming to life, earth, air and our own new possible audio-architectural-life-scapes. As always with Roedelius it is very narrowing to try to describe his works and musics literally, once again I would suggest to take a wide distance (four, five or more centuries scope ), and a completely virgin mind – »Selbstportrait« (Sky 1979/bureau b 2010) & »Selbstportrait Vol. II« (Sky 1980/bureau b 2010) would arrive around the moment where old rock, folk and pop was about to invent a new format: F.M. Rock. And once more Roedelius would keep his own flexibilty, flirting and teasing his actual days and times (trends too, why not? ), while never bending away from his own ways. These two albums stand pretty well next to Oldfield’s »Tubular Bells«, some Klaus Schülze, or Hans-Joachim’s new pal: Brian Eno. A little later came: »Geschenk des Augenblicks« (1984 Editions EG 34/bureau b 2011), a more heavy and dramatic opus, an intimate soundtrack with more piano, acoustics and abstract affects. The modesty of intimacy and blood flow in your veins, the shyness of more difficult moments, the joy of the next as an incandescent flame inside. If Roedelius creates, generates and sustains such thoughts and emotions in us, it’s, amongst many other reasons, truly because he never ceased with his desire to share the same world as ours. Each of these reissues proves it. Please, let it be.
deutsche Version in print-skug #86 (translated by Friederike Kulcsar )
