RARITIES

Artist: Tranceport
P: 1993
This was their first release on the Surreal to Real label, which stands for high class EM.
The tracks are rhythmic and melodic with some new sounds.


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Artist: TUU
P: 1999
LTD 1000
Definitely a departure from the dense tribal atmospheres of previous Tuu recordings, The Frozen Lands is equally entrancing, just an alternate means of arriving at a different location. I would certainly liked to have heard more, but grant a 9.1 for these beautifully shapeless artifacts from another sonic region. In his first solo release, Martin Franklin steers Tuu's sound away from the humid tribal excursions of, say, Terma. Instead, this 21-minute mini-disc delivers a panoramic slice of otherworldy vistas straight from The Frozen Lands. Gone are the ethnic instruments and earthy rhythms; this is a place of rolling clouds of sound, an unkown area bathed in washes of lightness and darkness.

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Artist: Ulrich Schnauss + Jonas Munk
P: 2013
The collaborative work of Ulrich Schnauss and Jonas Munk recorded between Denmark over a series of months. This stunning 12 track foray into the world of the emotive and uplifting has already started gathering interest and reactions worldwide.


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Artist: Ulrich Schnauss
P: 2013
After a six-year absence from the New Releases shelf at your local record store, German shoegaze/electronica maestro Ulrich Schnauss is back with a new album called A Long Way to Fall. Due for a mysteeeeerious early 2013 release, Schnauss’ latest will come out via Domino in the US and through his own Scripted Realities label in the rest of the world. On his fourth album, the My Bloody Valentine-lovin’ bleep-blip-blopper is all about the synthesizer. According to Schnauss: “While I had spent a couple of years mainly listening to songwriting based music (a lot of ‘indie’/band-type stuff), I was now rediscovering my love for electronic music based on more open structures. This provided the main inspiration of trying to record an album that would celebrate the synthesizer as the very capable musical instrument that it is, but without the need to disguise it behind a wall of echo and reverb.”

That’s right, Ulrich! Say it loud! We’re synthesizer lovers and proud! But the album isn’t just about synths and shoegaze and blip bloop blops. No! It’s also about art. And not just musical art. For Schnauss’ latest, the London-based photographers/visual artists Nat Urazmetova and Anastasija Nikitina have crafted visual works to go along with the tracks “A Ritual in Time and Death” and “I Take Comfort in Your Ignorance.” The latter track is also coming out as a single, with remixes by Tycho and ASC. As Missy Elliot once said, “Come, get your art on.”

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Artist: Ultrabass
P: 1995
Hypnotic energy music, with hypnotic sound-sequencing.

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Artist: Ultrabass
P: 1993
Hypnotic jammin music, with some eastern influences and relaxed rhythms.

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Artist: Unique
P: 1994
Very versatile tracks all with very good electronic sounds. The debut.

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Artist: Uwe Bauch
P: 1995
There's something strange yet thought provoking about the cover graphics on this 1995 CD. 'The Room' introduces the album with organic effects, the sound of a heartbeat, and wispy synth refrains. 'Ready to Fall' takes over seamlessly with optimistic synth sweeps which are joined by a simple sequence a few minutes later. Unusually the sequence sounds unquantized as if played freehand. Subtle and effective. 'Run to Exit' layers repetitive riffs and snatches of flutey synth on top of a percussive sequence which emulates the rhythm of a train alà Kraftwerk's 'Trans Europe Express'. The title track features a constant DEEP drone pierced by electronic pings and assorted effects. Sequence territory is more fully explored on 'Lost World Part 1' (there isn't a part 2). Initially the approach is fairly conventional with deep bass sections fading in and out. Latterly though a more freehand approach is adopted to present a variety of patterns, unusually in almost total isolation. 'Jump in the Ozean' is a minimalist affair featuring swept synth sounds emulating abstract whale song and other such aquatic noises, while 'Asteroid B612' ends superbly in spacey Van Zyl territory. This is an album which will appeal to those who like brooding works of substance; "music to listen to in an isolation chamber" type of thing. Yet it isn't so challenging that it would frighten off those who like more immediacy in their music. I found the organic and improvised feel of the music very appealing. (GG)

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Artist: Uwe Reckzeh
P: 2007
Watching the earth from orbit, a very special and unique view arises, which most of us only can dream of. Uwe Reckzeh´s fifth album adopts this theme and the imagination starts. “Altitude 30000” is a vivid EM-album with partly melancholic harmonies and mysterious atmospheres and effects, which arise steadily. Especially the 12-minutes track “Landfall” is a masterpiece of newtime romantic music. If someone had imagined in 1981, how EM might sound in the 21st century, Uwe Reckzeh’s “Altitude 30000” would have been the answer. A rumbling bass line shakes the floor, the track now reaching every strata of the sonic spectrum. The closest comparison I can come up with is 'Le Parc' period TD. A stupendous track. Multiple sequences weave around each other for 'Category 5' as we now enter something akin to 'White Eagle' territory. 'Landfall' initially quietens things down again as soothing whooshes and subtle touches drift through the ether. Then, all of a sudden, a wonderful sequence enters. I thought things were really going to take off but instead we settle into a steady mid tempo chugging pattern. The first sequence departs; another enters, only for the first to make a reappearance as they pulse around each other. Sequences still abound on 'List III - Katia', indeed it features some of the finest over the whole album. It's all quite complex but also mesmerizing. I found it best just to lie back with my eyes closed and let it all flood through my head. Even though the notes descend at quite a rate there is also a subtlety here, especially in the melody department that gives it a stamp of quality. An excellent way to finish yet another winner from Uwe.

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