ulrich schnauss: a strangely isolated place::: city centre offices towerblock 013
this record came out some time last year [in june to be exact] and i have first read about it in some magazine or other [jockeyslut!]. the album was number 6 on their best-of-2003 list for best record.
to my excuse, two words: ulrich schnauss.
i mean, a name like that would usually be enough to make me stir clear of his record by about a mile or so.
but hey. i decided to give this one a shot.
and despite the odd name i have been completely blown away by the production skills of one mr. schnauss, who, we learned, lives and works in berlin.
tell you what, its been a looooong time since i last listened to an album over and over and over again… well, mr. schnauss made me do it!
and just like in the good old days, when we still used to do stuff like that [just check out all the scratches on my clash records], there are even parts of the record that i hate. sometimes its just too kitsch, soooo sweet. what with the gay voices and the overdrawn harmonies and stuff? but the music, the production somehow manages to always stay excellent. its always likeable, i wanna say warm, cozy… errr. get it?
in some way its what boards of canada [my old favorite band] should have done in order to take things further.
in another way its boc taken into THE horribly wrongest direction.
at times i wanna say, well i dont want to, but i have to: jean michael jarre. or: icky new age.
at times its just a pure joy to listen to and i melt and cant say a word.
and then there’s on my own.
this track has got to be my favorite song in a loooonnnnggggg time. whenever it comes on, i must stop whatever it is i am doing and start dancing [dancing like this guy after having taught myself how to here or here] or playing air guitar or throw my body around the room in wild abandon aka pogo or sing REALLY loud and off-key or something… its punk its electronica its rock its dancefloor it sums up 25 years of my musical tastes in one shot. its in one word BRILLIANT!
hut ab, herr schnauss.
previous albums of the month:
album of the month 01/04
album of the month 12/03
album of the month 11/03
album of the month 10/03