Ulrich Schnauss Releases First Studio Record in Three Years
Goodbye Marks His First New Material For Domino
Ulrich Schnauss' third album, Goodbye, is his first new release for Domino on July 10th. The album is the end of a chapter in his sound. "I see these three albums as moving closer to something I wanted to do right from the beginning but didn't quite manage," he says. "Merging songwriting and indie elements with electronic music. I've tried to take all the ideas to the maximum."
The ambient tracks are more spacious, the songs more memorable, the multi-layered, guitar-heavy tracks more ragingly psychedelic. Just listen to the obliterating rush of "Medusa," or the cloudbusting dream-pop of "Stars" (performed with long-time collaborator Judith Beck). At times, there are over 100 different audio tracks playing simultaneously: a tower of song. No wonder Goodbye has taken three solid years of in the studio.
After a few years of watered down, pseudonymous productions which he'd rather you didn't seek out, Ulrich released Far Away Trains Passing By. He was amazed they even wanted to release it; more amazed still when it became a cult success. Its more rock-influenced successor, A Strangely Isolated Place, received an even warmer response, from critics and other musicians alike. It led to Ulrich remixing some of his shoegazing heroes (Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell of Slowdive, and Mark Gardener of Ride), as well as Depeche Mode, Justin Robertson, Lunz (Hans-Joachim Roedelius), and Longview.
Tired of the Berlin scene, Ulrich moved back to his hometown of Kiel to make Goodbye. Most of his schoolfriends had moved away, so he didn't have to worry about distractions. His last two album titles spoke of isolation, but was that the pain of enforced loneliness or the comfort of voluntary solitude. Goodbye is equally ambivalent. "Emotionally, I find farewell situations interesting," he says. "Saying goodbye can be tragic or hopeful."
Preceding Goobdye comes the Quicksand Memory EP announcing the return of Ulrich Schnauss. The EP features an edit of the stunning "Medusa" from Goodbye, a collaboration with Rob McVey (Long-view) titled "Look At The Sky" and Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) re-workings of two of Ulrich's most celebrated songs from A Strangely Isolated Place, "Gone Forever" and "On My Own".
Tracklist:
1. never be the same
2. shine
3. stars
4. einfeld
5. in between the years
6. here today, gone tomorrow
7. a song about hope
8. medusa
9. goodbye
10. for good
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Ulrich Schnauss, "Goodbye"
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