Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Catharsis, 17 Jul 2004
There's something about this disc. Everyone I know that's heard it, from hoodied greeboes to a 48-year-old hard-nosed reactionary porter (no joke) all can't sing its praises enough. Yeah I know, 9/10 reviews of albums on Amazon say, This is is the best album ever!!!! But trust me this one's worth it. Listening to ASIP is something else.
The opening track 'Gone Forever' unfolds with some shimmering, climbing chords that are like an aural equivalent of MDMA rushes, and that's pretty much how it stays for the next 61 minutes. Probably the best way to describe the music is 'fluidic'. The tempo does rise and dip occasionally, but mostly you're coasting on a mix of glowing, tuneful synths, mellow hip-hop beats, funky basslines and the occasional near-operatic vocals from Mr Schnauss' girlfriend Judith. Now if you're thinking, This all sounds a bit too new-age and Grim-Up-North-London for me, don't. This is not only a hundred times more honest than 'Authentic Chants Of The Navanno Tribe' or something like that, but also at least a hundred times better. It's genuinely tough to pick a favourite piece because they're all so great, although the closing title track really does something for me; it's an incredibly cinematic, epic opus that conjures up some wicked imagery. I've sat up for many a night listening to this trying to suss out how Ulrich gets his ideas and builds these tracks and I can only assume that he's something akin to a gifted genius. Hopefully this record will get a wider audience when Domino pick it up, although it would do just fine on word of mouth alone; I honestly can't think of one unfulfilled listener. With luck I've convinced you now to treat yourself (and undoubtedly your mates/family) to this unsung masterpiece from Berlin. Give it a spin and feel the tension and worries dissolve in A Strangely Isolated Place. (Cheesy... but true!). Top marks.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ulrich who??, 3 Feb 2005
Theres somthing about Ulrich Schauss music that makes me keep going back to it again and again. Im a big fan of chillout music, stemming from listening to Vangelis and Enigma when I was younger.
Ive always hoped that there would be another artist that could produce music of a similar quality in this genre, Ulrichs approach is very different and very unique. The first track I heard from him was `Nobodys Home` on Nick Warrens Global Underground :24, and it jumped out staight away.
Strangley Isolated Place is Ulrichs second album, and its just as good as `Far Away Trains Passing By`.
Its difficult to pick a favourite track, but I think `Monday - Paracetamol` is superb.
Silky, uplifting and sublime, plug the headphones in, turn off the lights and be prepared to be taken on a journey....
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breathtakingly good!, 27 Dec 2006
If you like and remember The Cocteau Twins' more atmospheric outings, Brian Eno's sublime "Apollo" (and Roger Eno's "Voices") and albums by Dead Can Dance and This Mortal Coil, you'll have a small inkling of the musical treasures on this CD...
The music here is highly addictive, the deceptively simple soundscapes rolling around one's head for hours afterwards. Please believe me, the sound samples presented above don't even begin to do the music justice! You've just got to buy this disc, kick back and let it wash over (and into) you.
The production could have been better though. Lots of compression (and subsequent distortion) in parts of the mix spoil headphone listening, although the sublime music won through in the end...
I really recommend this CD. It's far more than *just* chillout music, since it really does get into you. I'm really glad I bought it; so much so I've ordered the previous album......
P.S. April '07 - Some months have passed since I first bought these discs and I wanted to add that they don't stray very far from my CD player... They take repeated listening very well indeed!
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