From Lucky Dragon's bio:  "Lucky dragons means any recorded or performed or installed or packaged or shared pieces made by Luke Fischbeck, Sarah Rara, and any sometimes collaborators. They try to do as many different kinds of things as they can, high and low, fast and slow. They would say they are "artists who use music" and if they make performance art it is to alter and append it, but they give respect to history and the people who live there."

Approaches to music like this can be more cerebral than pleasing, but Lucky Dragons filled the air with gorgeous sound.

But what is Farmlab?  We'll let them describe it:

The team behind the Not A Cornfield project in Downtown Los Angeles has become Farmlab, a short-term multi-disciplinary investigation of land use issues that are related to sustainability, livability, and health.

Whatever it may be, the water fountain, plants growing in cars, "concrete is fluid" sign, location below Spring Street, and interesting lighting were a treat for the eyes and the camera lens.

~~~

Due to six years studying at a university, I'm compelled to give a little background information.  It's a sickness, I know.  Cluster is an experimental musical group from Germany, creating music ranging from ambient to progressive rock, and was formed in 1969.  They've collaborated with Brian Eno and Holger Czukay, among many others.

And I didn't.  After all, I liked their music. It was a beautiful, intimate show, with Hans and Dieter facing each other, playing continually evolving textures from keyboards and CDs, occasionally chattering to each other softly as the gorgeous improvisations continued.  The audience at Spaceland was quiet and reverent, many sitting or lying on the floor.  A magical evening.

Could it be this good again, twelve years later?

~~~

Hans-Joachim Roedelius.

~~~

Dieter Moebius

I walked up to Hans after their performance.  How can you tell someone how magical their music was without sounding trite?  He was smiling, gracious.  I told him that I had taken photos of them.  He gave me his email, a signed business card with his email!  Later, I asked Dieter and Hans to sign a newer CD of live performances in Berlin.

Cluster were going up to Big Sur the next day to play at the Henry Miller Library with Wooden Shjips.  You have no idea how badly I wanted to skip work, blow off editing The Tibet Connection radio show, and bliss out among the redwoods while listening to these groups.  Why the hell am I so responsible?

I talked to Professor Cantaloupe from KXLU and Melon Expander, Joseph from Solid Eye, Chris from Nectarphonic, Laura from KCRW after the show.  They all were smiling, high from the performance. Also, I'm mentioning where they do to give 'em props for their own stuff, not to name-drop.