It's actually not that clustered, it's mainly the braiding that creates an amazingly clustered look. To put it simple: There's too much going in in those pictures.

I think shortening the cables is a good start, but I doubt it will remove the clustered look. The colors are okay, but maybe you could try a different type of braiding? Though I'm not sure which one you could use. Maybe experiment a bit with some sleeving?