Ulrich Schnauss
Encyclopedia
Biography
Ulrich Schnauss was born in the northern GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
seaport of Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
in 1977. He became interested in a range of music: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
, Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
, Chapterhouse
Chapterhouse
For the religious buildings, see Chapter houseChapterhouse are a British shoegazing band originally of the early 1990s, from Reading, Berkshire, England. Formed in 1987 by Andrew Sherriff and Stephen Patman, the band began performing alongside Spacemen 3...
, and early bleep & breakbeat
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
tracks. There was not much opportunity to see his musical influences in Kiel, so he moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1996.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
electronica label CCO (City Centre Offices), to which Schnauss sent CD's on a regular basis. Ulrich developed these submissions to CCO into his first album under his own name, Far Away Trains Passing By
Far Away Trains Passing By
Far Away Trains Passing By is an album by Ulrich Schnauss, released in 2001 on City Centre Offices. A version with a second bonus CD was re-released in 2005 on Domino Records.-Disc one:#"Knuddelmaus" – 7:01#"Between Us and Them" – 7:29...
, released in Europe in 2001, and in the United States in 2005.
A Strangely Isolated Place
A Strangely Isolated Place is an album by Ulrich Schnauss, released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Gone Forever" – 8:12#"On My Own" – 6:41#"A Letter From Home" – 6:57#"Monday – Paracetamol" – 7:57#"Clear Day" – 7:42...
, showed the influence of My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields
Kevin Shields
Kevin Patrick Shields is an American-born, Irish vocalist, guitarist, and producer of alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine....
and Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
' Robin Guthrie
Robin Guthrie
Robin Guthrie is a musician best known as co-founder of the Cocteau Twins. During his career Guthrie has played guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums and other musical instruments, in addition to programming, sampling and sound processing...
. Schnauss has said of this album, "When you've worked with computers and keyboards for a number of years, they become not so fascinating of themselves anymore. I gained confidence after people began to discover Far Away Trains Passing By, and it hasn't really stopped since then. This time I decided not to compromise on what I wanted to do, with what I thought people might want me to do."
Since the release of both albums Ulrich has been asked to work with and remix with artists, including Port-Royal
Port-Royal
Port-Royal-des-Champs was an abbey of Cistercian nuns in Magny-les-Hameaux, in the Vallée de Chevreuse southwest of Paris that launched a number of culturally important institutions.-History:...
, Mojave 3
Mojave 3
Mojave 3 are a British band, consisting of Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell, Simon Rowe, Alan Forrester, and Ian McCutcheon. Goswell, Halstead and McCutcheon previously played in Thames Valley shoegazing band Slowdive....
, Airiel
Airiel
Airiel is an American shoegaze band from Chicago, Illinois, characterized by their melodic take on the shoegaze style.-Biography:Airiel was formed as Airiel Project One in 1997, in Bloomington, Indiana, by Jeremy Wrenn and former bandmate Shawn Delaney. This followed the break-up of Wrenn's...
, A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream is a rock band from Denver, Colorado whose sound has been described as being “a moody blend of psych ... and post-rock," as sounding "like a band out of time," and possessing a sound quality unique enough that it "outruns" the shoegaze moniker which bands of this kind are often...
, Asobi Seksu
Asobi Seksu
Asobi Seksu is an American dream pop band based in New York City. Their music draws influence from the shoegazing genre as well, and similarly uses a textured and effects-heavy vocal and guitar sound...
, Televise
Televise
Televise were an electronic shoegazing band formed by former Slowdive and Lowgold drummer Simon Scott in 2004.They released their debut single "Smile" in December 2004 followed by an EP, the 3-track Outside Out, in April 2005 to a warm reception from music press...
, Long-view
Long-view
Longview are a British indie rock band from London.Its members are chief songwriter Rob McVey, guitarist Doug Morch, bassist Aidan Banks and drummer Francesco Mendolia. Original drummer Matt Dabbs left the band for family reasons during 2007...
, Johannes Schmoelling, The Zephyrs, Lunz (Rodelius), and others.
He also plays keyboards for UK indie band Long-view
Long-view
Longview are a British indie rock band from London.Its members are chief songwriter Rob McVey, guitarist Doug Morch, bassist Aidan Banks and drummer Francesco Mendolia. Original drummer Matt Dabbs left the band for family reasons during 2007...
, whose singer Rob McVey was featured on Ulrich's latest album Goodbye. In an interview he said: " I have always loved music that has both elements: melancholy and sadness as a description of the current situation you are in, but at the same time a hopeful, utopian element that reminds you of the possibility of a different life."
His third album, Goodbye
Goodbye (Ulrich Schnauss album)
Goodbye is an album by German musician and producer Ulrich Schnauss.-Track listing:#"Never Be the Same" – 5:31#"Shine" – 5:50#*Featuring Rob McVey#"Stars" – 6:21#*Featuring Judith Beck#"Einfeld" – 5:16#"In Between the Years" – 3:53...
, was completed in early 2007. It was released in Europe by Independiente Records on June 25, 2007. The United States release followed on July 10 under Domino Records. Regarding this album, he said: "The overall idea was pretty much the same. I just wanted to merge the indie songwriting elements and electronic instrumentation. After the previous album I still had a feeling like there was more room to take these ideas to an extreme level when it comes to layering and laying down as many tracks as possible."
On June 12, 2007, Ulrich released an EP named "Quicksand Memory." It contains two remixes by Robin Guthrie of previous releases, a mix by Rob McVey of a previously unreleased track, and an edit of a track appearing on his latest album.
Current status
In the spring of 2008, Ulrich remixed two tracks by the Manchester based shoegaze band Daniel Land and The Modern Painters. On October 27, 2008, the two tracks, 'Within The Boundaries' and 'Benjamin's Room', were released as a double A-side 7" single by the independent record label Sonic Cathedral - the labels 11th release.In July 2008, the Stars EP was released to support his June/July US tour. A co-produced/co-written track with A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream is a rock band from Denver, Colorado whose sound has been described as being “a moody blend of psych ... and post-rock," as sounding "like a band out of time," and possessing a sound quality unique enough that it "outruns" the shoegaze moniker which bands of this kind are often...
titled "neverChanger" was released on an EP of the same name. Ulrich traveled out for a short tour with the band in Texas and Colorado to promote this effort, and performed this track with A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream is a rock band from Denver, Colorado whose sound has been described as being “a moody blend of psych ... and post-rock," as sounding "like a band out of time," and possessing a sound quality unique enough that it "outruns" the shoegaze moniker which bands of this kind are often...
during his performances.
In the fall of 2008, Ulrich collaborated on three new tracks with A Shoreline Dream entitled "hypermode", "departure" and a live version of "neverChanger" which all appear on the A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream is a rock band from Denver, Colorado whose sound has been described as being “a moody blend of psych ... and post-rock," as sounding "like a band out of time," and possessing a sound quality unique enough that it "outruns" the shoegaze moniker which bands of this kind are often...
album Recollections of Memory – officially released on February 10, 2009.
In October 2009, Schnauss' record labels, Independiente
Independiente Records
Independiente is a record label formed in 1997 after Andy MacDonald sold Go! Discs Records to PolyGram in 1996 for a reported £30 million. In the UK, the label is distributed Vital PIAS....
and Domino, sued
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, alleging that the band had committed copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
by using portions of Schnauss' compositions in the track "Riad 'n the Bedouins" on the album Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...
.
In 2010, Schnauss was involved in the mixing of Exit Calm's self titled debut album.
Rachel Staggs and Carlos Jackson of All in the Golden Afternoon began work in the studio with Schnauss in June 2010. The song entitled "The Long Goodbye" is a result of this collaboration, and marks its debut on a compilation for Rocket Girl Records.
Ryan Policky of A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream is a rock band from Denver, Colorado whose sound has been described as being “a moody blend of psych ... and post-rock," as sounding "like a band out of time," and possessing a sound quality unique enough that it "outruns" the shoegaze moniker which bands of this kind are often...
visited Ulrich Schnauss in July 2010 to work on a new collaboration entitled "London". With the exception of live drums performed by Sean Merrell (also of A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream
A Shoreline Dream is a rock band from Denver, Colorado whose sound has been described as being “a moody blend of psych ... and post-rock," as sounding "like a band out of time," and possessing a sound quality unique enough that it "outruns" the shoegaze moniker which bands of this kind are often...
) the song was fully produced, engineered and mixed by Schnauss/Policky, and marks its debut on a compilation for Rocket Girl Records.
Schnauss also provided keyboards and backing vocals on Engineers
Engineers (band)
Engineers are a British shoegazing/dream pop band. The band was formed in London in 2003 by singer/guitarist Simon Phipps, bassist/guitarist/keyboardist Mark Peters, bassist/guitarist Dan MacBean, and drummer Andrew Sweeney...
' third album, In Praise Of More.
In other media
- "Monday Paracetamol" from A Strangely Isolated Place was used as one of the BGMs for the 2007 version of popular global EA Sports video game franchise Tiger Woods PGA tour.
- Later in 2007, the "On My Own" track from A Strangely Isolated Place was used by Pontiac in its "Cars" TV commercial.
- GMC's Super Bowl commercial in 2008 ("Mountain Top") featured "Blumenwiese Neben Autobahn" from Far Away Trains Passing By.
- "A Million Miles Away" was featured in the PALPALPAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
territory version of the PlayStation 2 video game Gran Turismo 4Gran Turismo 4is a racing simulator for the Sony PlayStation 2 which was developed by Polyphony Digital. It was released on December 28, 2004 in Japan and Hong Kong , February 22, 2005 in North America , and March 9, 2005 in Europe , and has since been re-issued under Sony's 'Greatest Hits' line...
. - "...Passing By" from the album Far Away Trains Passing ByFar Away Trains Passing ByFar Away Trains Passing By is an album by Ulrich Schnauss, released in 2001 on City Centre Offices. A version with a second bonus CD was re-released in 2005 on Domino Records.-Disc one:#"Knuddelmaus" – 7:01#"Between Us and Them" – 7:29...
featured in the 2005 movie ElizabethtownElizabethtown (film)Elizabethtown is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. Alec Baldwin has a small role as a CEO of an athletic shoe company and Susan Sarandon appears as a grieving widow...
and its accompanying soundtrackElizabethtown (soundtrack)The soundtrack for the film Elizabethtown was released September 13, 2005 by RCA Records. A follow up Vol. 2 was also released on February 7, 2006. The original score was released on October 14, 2005...
Pseudonyms and groups
- Ulrich Schnauss
- Ethereal 77
- View to the Future
- Hexaquart
- Police in Cars with Headphones
- Hair (with Alex Krueger)
- Long-view (Keyboardist)
- EngineersEngineers (band)Engineers are a British shoegazing/dream pop band. The band was formed in London in 2003 by singer/guitarist Simon Phipps, bassist/guitarist/keyboardist Mark Peters, bassist/guitarist Dan MacBean, and drummer Andrew Sweeney...
(Keyboardist)
Releases
| Release title | Released as | Release type | Label | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broken | View to the Future | 12" single | White Label | 1995 |
| Wegwerfgesellschaft | Police in Cars With Headphones | CD album | FSP | |
| Journey to the Other World | View to the Future | 12" single | VTTF | 1996 |
| Purity | Alphakid Recordings | 1997 | ||
| Music Is Music | Airdrops | |||
| We Rule the 80s | Hair (With Alex Krueger) | 12" EP | Müller | |
| The 7th Seal | View to the Future | CD album | Alphakid Recordings | |
| Unicorn | 12" single | Case Invaders | 1998 | |
| Hair 2 | Hair (With Alex Krueger) | 12" EP | USM | |
| Spring Rmx | Ethereal 77 | 12" single | Base Daddy | 1999 |
| Landscapes | CD album | |||
| Ignorance | Junkie Sartre Vs Hexaquart | 12" EP | Force Tracks | 2000 |
| Exploitation | Hexaquart | Lifetime | 2001 | |
| Far Away Trains Passing By Far Away Trains Passing By Far Away Trains Passing By is an album by Ulrich Schnauss, released in 2001 on City Centre Offices. A version with a second bonus CD was re-released in 2005 on Domino Records.-Disc one:#"Knuddelmaus" – 7:01#"Between Us and Them" – 7:29... |
Ulrich Schnauss | CD / LP | City Centre Offices | |
| Zero Gravity | Ethereal 77 | 12" single | Looking Good | 2002 |
| A Strangely Isolated Place A Strangely Isolated Place A Strangely Isolated Place is an album by Ulrich Schnauss, released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Gone Forever" – 8:12#"On My Own" – 6:41#"A Letter From Home" – 6:57#"Monday – Paracetamol" – 7:57#"Clear Day" – 7:42... |
Ulrich Schnauss | CD / 2xLP | City Centre Offices (Europe) / Domino (US) | 2003 |
| Quicksand Memory EP | CD/EP | Independiente (Europe) / Domino (US) | 2007 | |
| Goodbye Goodbye (Ulrich Schnauss album) Goodbye is an album by German musician and producer Ulrich Schnauss.-Track listing:#"Never Be the Same" – 5:31#"Shine" – 5:50#*Featuring Rob McVey#"Stars" – 6:21#*Featuring Judith Beck#"Einfeld" – 5:16#"In Between the Years" – 3:53... |
CD/LP | |||
| Stars | CD/EP | 2008 | ||
| neverChanger | A Shoreline Dream | CD/EP | Latenight Weeknight | 2008 |
| Recollections of Memory | CD album | 2009 | ||
| Ulrich Schnauss and Jonas Munk | Ulrich Schnauss and Jonas Munk | CD album | Pedigree Cuts | 2011 |
Remixes
- as Ulrich Schnauss
- Halo (Ulrich Schnauss Remix) - Lang Remixed (Preco)
- MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
- Out To Sea (YYZ Records) - Port-RoyalPort-RoyalPort-Royal-des-Champs was an abbey of Cistercian nuns in Magny-les-Hameaux, in the Vallée de Chevreuse southwest of Paris that launched a number of culturally important institutions.-History:...
- Stimmung (Resonant Recordings) - The High VioletsThe High Violets-History:The High Violets were formed in late 1998 after the breakup of Portland band The Bella Low by former members Clint Sargent, Luke Strahota and Violet Bianca Grace. This lineup was short-lived however as Grace left after a few gigs. Sargent and Strahota then joined forces with Allen Davis...
- "Chinese Letter" (Reverb Records) - Howling BellsHowling BellsHowling Bells are an indie rock band that formed in Sydney in 2004. The band obtained moderate popularity in the United Kingdom following the release of its 2006 self-titled debut album...
- Setting Sun (Bella Union) - Johannes Schmoelling - Icewalk (Viktoriapark - Collaboration With Robert Wässer)
- Hrk - Love World (Joint Records)
- Obscure Celebrities - Fahreinheit (Gooom Disques)
- I'm Not a GunI'm Not a GunI'm Not a Gun is an electronica/ instrumental pop project of John Tejada and Takeshi Nishimoto.-Discography:*Everything At Once, released via City Centre Offices *Our Lives on Wednesdays, released via City Centre Offices...
- Make Sense & Loose (City Centre Offices) - AirielAirielAiriel is an American shoegaze band from Chicago, Illinois, characterized by their melodic take on the shoegaze style.-Biography:Airiel was formed as Airiel Project One in 1997, in Bloomington, Indiana, by Jeremy Wrenn and former bandmate Shawn Delaney. This followed the break-up of Wrenn's...
- Sugar Crystals (Highwheel) - Justin Robertson - Love Movement (Bugged Out)
- Mojave 3Mojave 3Mojave 3 are a British band, consisting of Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell, Simon Rowe, Alan Forrester, and Ian McCutcheon. Goswell, Halstead and McCutcheon previously played in Thames Valley shoegazing band Slowdive....
- Bluebird of Happiness (4ad) - Long-viewLong-viewLongview are a British indie rock band from London.Its members are chief songwriter Rob McVey, guitarist Doug Morch, bassist Aidan Banks and drummer Francesco Mendolia. Original drummer Matt Dabbs left the band for family reasons during 2007...
- Can't Explain (14th Floor Rec) - Long-view - Will You Wait Here (14th Floor Rec)
- Pete Lawrence - Musical Box (Big Chill)
- SiaSia FurlerSia Kate Isobelle Furler or simply Sia, is an Australian pop, downtempo, and jazz singer and songwriter. In 2000, her single, "Taken for Granted" was a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom. Her 2008 album, Some People Have Real Problems peaked in the top 30 on the Billboard 200...
- Breathe Me (Go Beat) - Depeche ModeDepeche ModeDepeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
- Little 15 (Reprise/Mute) - The ZephyrsThe ZephyrsThe Zephyrs is an Edinburgh, Scotland-based indie band. They have released five albums and two EPs containing their shoegazing folk-rock style.-Band history:...
- Stand Round Hold Hands (Club Ac30) - Rachel GoswellRachel GoswellRachel Goswell is a singer-songwriter who was a vocalist with shoegazing pioneers Slowdive. Goswell, along with Neil Halstead, Ian McCutcheon and former Chapterhouse member Simon Rowe became Mojave 3 when Slowdive transitioned to a more country/folk rock style...
- Coastline (4AD) - Mark GardenerMark GardenerMark Stephen Gardener is an English rock musician, and former singer and guitarist with the shoegazing band, Ride.-Ride:...
- The Story of The Eye (Sonic Cathedral) - Asobi SeksuAsobi SeksuAsobi Seksu is an American dream pop band based in New York City. Their music draws influence from the shoegazing genre as well, and similarly uses a textured and effects-heavy vocal and guitar sound...
- Strawberries (One Little Indian) - A Sunny Day in GlasgowA Sunny Day in GlasgowA Sunny Day in Glasgow are a band from Philadelphia, formed in 2006, undergoing many lineup changes since then, though always led by Ben Daniels.-Background:...
- Ghost in the Graveyard (Ruined Potential Records)
- as View to the Future
- Korsakow & Nudge (Usm)
- as Hexaquart
- Daniel Lodig - Connect (Müller)
- Beroshima - Electronic Discussion (Müller)
Compilation appearances (exclusive tracks only)
- Police in Cars With Headphones - "Bitte Lächeln - Wenn Sie Wollen," on Artgenda 96
- View to the Future - "Addicted to Your Smile," on Barcode
- Tinkabell - "Rosarotes Meer," on Chillin' Voices 2 (Shift Music - Collaboration With K. Hein)
- Ethereal 77 - "Forever," on Schöne Neue Welt (Space Teddy)
- Ethereal 77 - "Oblivion" & "Open Skiez," on Unpleasant Poems (Ground Liftaz)
- Ulrich Schnauss - "Nothing Happens in June," on Mashed Mellow Grooves 5
- Ulrich Schnauss - "You Were the Only One Around," on The Sound of the Cosmos (Hooj Choons)
- Ulrich Schnauss - "Crazy For You" & "Wherever You Are," on Blue Skied An' Clear (Morr Music)
- Ulrich Schnauss - "As If You've Never Been Away," on The Trip (Universal)
- Ulrich Schnauss - "On My Own (Sasha Involver remix)," on Involver (Global Underground)
- Ulrich Schnauss - "Nobody's Home" on Nick Warren:Reykjavik (Global Underground)
- Ulrich Schnauss - “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” (live version) on Vapor Trails: The Echoes Living Room Concerts Volume 14 (Echodisc)
External links
Official sitesUnofficial/fan sites