For years I've been a staunch Ambient/Relaxation devotee, having listened to an eclectic and diverse array of artists ranging from B-Tribe, Aphex Twin, The Orb, and one my all-time favorites, Deep Forest (the early stuff). By the mid-1990s, I all but gave up on collecting Ambient/Relaxation simply because the umbrella that Ambient, Relaxation, and New Age fell under—Electronica and the many sub-genres that it has spawned- became stale and monotonous, and those artists I had experienced many an altered state with—sober or otherwise-- were either moving on or quitting the business altogether. Thankfully, every once in awhile, an artist bucks the trend or enhances it, and reminds me of how and why I fell in love with Ambient music in the first place.
I was introduced to German producer Ulrich Schnauss and his last full-length CD, the fantastically vibrant 2-CD "Far Away Trains Passing By," via a fellow road cycling friend of mine, who, after listening to Rock and Metal during many of his extended tempestuous winter workouts spent on an indoor trainer, got into Ulrich as a means to cool down and relax. Looking back, my friend could not have chosen and subsequently introduced me to a better artist than Ulrich Schnauss.
At times "Goodbye," Ulrich's third full-length CD is loud and somewhat boisterous; there are some pensive, toned-down, easy does it chorals interspersed and layered on top of a bevy of synths, which also features the heavenly vocals of Judith Beck on some tracks. The CD is excellent and teems with beautiful, lush, and ethereal compositions that are as every bit thought-provoking as introspective—something I really dig. Also, each track doesn't sound the same, sometimes a major negative with some vocal-less artists' albums who try to distinguish themselves from others in the genre. Instead, Mr. Schnauss' style consistently throws the listener several well-timed curveballs so as to keep things interesting, flowing, and non-repetitive.
Interestingly, this CD is sub-categorized as being not only Ambient Electronica but "Shoegazing," a genre of "alternative rock" and a cousin of Dream Pop and, more recently, BritPop, that emanated from the UK in the late 1980s, and culminated in the mid 1990s, peaking, according to Wikipedia, around 1990-91. This term means just what it says: musicians that performed motionless all the while standing on stage and appearing as though they were gazing at their shoes while playing their instruments. Frankly, I think the term is just silly. It's really just Ambient-Electronica but someone always has to assign an artist with some new- or oldfangled genre with the hopes of boosting sales. Thankfully, Ulrich's appeal, crossing over from Germany to the U.S. has been due, largely in part to strong word of mouth. Either way, "Goodbye" rocks, or should I say chills, quite sublimely.
And this guy doesn't just stick to his Ambient guns—some well-known and established "guns" have incorporated his work into theirs over the years: Nick Warren's Global Underground #24 from Reykjavik, Way Out West's full-length "Don't Look Now," and Sasha's "Involver," to name a select and distinguished few.
Trust me when I tell you that this stuff is so soothing yet melodic and highly addictive, especially after you've had a long work day and you just would rather spend roughly an hour out of your evening listening to anything other than the evening news' oftentimes' regurgitated reports on the war.
Even if you listen to a few snippets on either iTunes or BeatPort.com, you won't be disappointed with Ulrich Schnauss' other stellar full-length CDs: "A Strangely Isolated Place" and the excellent 2-CD "Far Away Trains Passing By."
Stand-out tracks—
Track 2 – "Shine": One of the best, reflective songs on the album accompanied by somewhat indistinguishable lyrics- but this, of course, didn't stop me from getting into what is such a beautifully-composed track.
Track 4 – "Einfeld": This noteworthy track's aural textures are incredibly calming and peaceful on your temporal lobes, lubricating the canals within your ear drums that's sure to lull you into one helluva restful state.
Track 5 – "In Between The Years": A very soundtrack-y, space odyssey voyage; positive with a dash of melancholy yet vast in it's retrospective vibe.
