Every now and then you come across a characteristically unique, yet remarkable artist, with whom you're not familiar. The German electronic ambient producer Ulrich Schnauss is such an artist. I first came across him almost exactly two years when he opened for M83 at the Bowery Ballroom. The taciturn German walked on stage, dodged miles of wires, and sat down at his laptop. Seconds later, a fresh, ethereal electronic sound reverberated throughout the small venue, sending - I can assure you - an intrigued, quite surprised audience into a soothing, somewhat somber aural hypnosis. Schnauss' ecstatic melodies and light, but meaningful, beats were impressive.
Besides notions of style, perhaps the reason I like Schnauss' music is because his influences are quite similiar to mine: My Bloody Valentine, the Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, etc.
In retrospect, after having purchased both of Schnauss' albums - 2001's Far Away Trains Passing By and 2003's A Strangely Isolated Place - and even though I was immediately infatuated by his music, the Bowery didn't do justice to his meticulous, passionate composition, which one can more thoroughly enjoy while listening through a home stereo, computer, or headphones. An article on www.bbc.co.uk likens Schnauss to Bach and Beethoven.
Though some view electronica as an artificial genre capable of nothing more than archaic synthesized beeps, I severely disagree. Though I don't have a favorite genre, I find that I connect most with melancholic music. And electronica - along with seemingly unrelated styles like '50s and '60s cool jazz and modern post-rock - is probably the genre most capable of expressing this type of emotion. Sure, there's something mystical, spacy, and innocent about electronica and, specifically, Schauss' music, but there's also a sense of emotional eminence and vulnerability. Unlike other styles that rely less on genuine emotion and more on pop hooks, well done electronica is capable of striking the right nerves. Plus, even if you don't make the same connections with Schnauss' music as I do, I can guarantee it will, at least, relieve some stress.
Schnauss just completed his third album. Hopefully, it will be released stateside this year.
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