Roedelius

Thanks to the reissuing minds of Bureau B, German Krautrock great Hans-Joachim Roedelius has seen more than a few re-releases in recent years, but for good reason. The Cluster member never made the same album twice, with each record during his decades-long career pushing the boundaries of what defines the Roedelius sound. The composer's Wasser Im Wind is no different. Originally released in 1982, and pegged as the Roedelius solo album most like a Cluster record, there are many elements at play: fluttering synth leads, baroque piano lines, Gregorian chants, proto-techno beats, Eastern melodies and even some wailing sax solos, courtesy of Czjzek. It's almost as if Roedelius went out of his way to see how many divergent sounds and styles he could fit onto one record. The surprising part is that it works, no matter how it sounds on paper. The opposing elements all somehow play off each other and, in the end, mesh beautifully, making Wasser Im Wind one of Roedelius's most adventurous moments.