The last few releases with Ulrich’s name against them have been unlike anything we’ve experienced before, with Ulrich teaming up with ASC for the ’77 EP’ and an enlisting of Arovane and Tycho for remixes of ‘I Take Comfort In Your Ignorance’. His highly anticipated 2013 album ‘A Long Way To Fall‘ marked an evident progression in his sound, which some of his fans didn’t entirely enjoy. However, I for one am relishing in Ulrich’s recent electronic explorations.
His latest project sees The Engineers’ Mark Peters return for a second album and more of the duo’s enigmatic guitar and synth harmonies.Underrated Silence (2012) marked a patient stance in the way the duo were to work together, with much more emphasis on Mark’s guitars and a slower, more ‘shoegaze’ approach to their productions (take ‘The Messiah Is Falling‘ for example). However ‘Tomorrow Is Another Day’ seems to be Ulrich’s time to shine this time around, and plenty of the signature sounds we’ve been missing since the likes of ‘A Strangely Isolated Place’ and ‘Far Away Trains passing By’.
Their sound has matured and a much more natural balance established, allowing Ulrich to bring the best out of Mark Peters and vice versa. Instead of talking about Mark’s guitars taking the lead, or Ulrich’s synths shining stronger – it’s just a better sound overall – a perfect middle-ground. Yet, unmistakably one that reminds you of Ulrich’s early polished work.
The title track ‘Tomorrow Is Another Day’ and ‘Rosmarine’ drive with subtle inflictions and melodic guitar strums similar to ‘Nobody’s Home‘ on ‘Far Away Trains Passing By’, whilst the likes of ‘Das Volk hat Keine Seele’ (The People Have No Soul’) and ‘There’s Always Tomorrow’ is a stark reminder of Ulrich’s famous atmospheric productions such as ‘Molfsee‘ and ‘Monday Paracetamol‘.
To avoid spending this whole review comparing this album to Ulrich’s old works, it’s tracks like ‘One Finger And Someone Else’s Chords’, which help mark a definite progress in sound over the years, with sharper synths, grainy claps and more evident melodies, no longer hidden amongst layer upon layer of progressive synths. It’s the synth-master in his element. All helped of course by Mark’s leading guitar-work and in ‘Walking With My Eyes Closed’, a surprising Depeche Mode style vocal.
The second track to be aired from the album, ‘Inconvenient Truths’ below (exclusive preview), again shows subtle drum patterns to the likes of ‘Knuddlemaus’ alongside some of the best guitar-work on the album.
Ulrich’s progress along the years has been to the dislike of a few of his original fans, but I think everyone can find solace in this latest album. Echoes of his early work, some perfect moments of balance between the two artists and nods towards Ulrich’s more vivid electronic tracks we found on ‘A Long Way To Fall‘. Any which way you look at it, it’s a perfect harmony between an instrumentalist, and a pioneer of the synthetic sound – a ground where many have yet to succeed.
‘Tomorrow Is Another Day’ is out on Bureau B recordings October 25th. Buy direct here. There’s also more previews of the album here on Soundcloud.
Tracklisting:
1. Slow Southern Skies
2. Tomorrow Is Another Day
3. Das Volk Hat Keine Seele
4. Inconvenient Truths
5. One Finger And Someone Else’s Chords
6. Additional Ghosts
7. Walking With My Eyes Closed
8. Rosmarine
9. Bound By Lies
10. There’s Always Tomorrow