Ambient and electronica music blog and mixes — A STRANGELY ISOLATED PLACE

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A Strangely Isolated Place (Where it all began)

Twenty years ago today, June 9th, 2003, Ulrich Schnauss released A Strangely Isolated Place on the revered, City Centre Offices label.

This album, along with his similarly brilliant debut ‘Far Away Trains Passing By’ are now widely regarded as an unmatched blend of IDM, Electronica, and Shoegaze-esque etherealness, and generally regarded as a “landmark electronic music statement”. Both transportive and escapist without becoming overly cliché or veering too far back into the experimental realm, it was this unique mix of styles and melodies that made Ulrich’s music popular in a time of internet nerds listening on Pandora, Lastfm and early internet radio streaming stations. Ulrich’s music crossed genres effortlessly, tracks found their way into the electronica and indie scene, just as easily as Global Underground’s legendary mix series, propelling Ulrich’s exposure and helping add a new dimension to club-focused DJ mixes of the time. Nick Warren, Tom Middleton and Jon Hopkins were just some of the artists to include Ulrich’s music within noticeable mixes of the day.

I don’t think I’ve heard anyone describe Ulrich’s output to a tee (mine above is just as terrible), and maybe that’s where I drew so much inspiration from back in the day.

It was 2008. The album had already been out for five years. At a time when I was just trying to document the music I loved, I had (and still) struggled with words on paper. Yet for some reason decided to start a blog about music… The point wasn’t really to review or translate music into words, and I still find that exercise a little pointless. Music exists as music and commentary, is a way to add your own personal reflection. When it veers into conveying an anonymous or represented opinion, it becomes pretty pointless IMHO. Music is personal and subjective on every level. At the end of the day, it was the feeling that album transmitted, the places it took you, and the indescribable intangible qualities that made A Strangely Isolated Place stand out. Trying to describe it will hardly ever do it justice. Similarly, I didn’t feel like I had to describe music to want to share it, but it was the only way outside of sending links to friends.

It helped that around that time I spent around two hours a day on the train commuting to work. The album was perfect window-watching material. When a stranger’s armpits are in your face, standing room only, on the 7.32 am into Kings Cross for 35 minutes, plus delays, this music drew an impenetrable field between my headphones and the real world.

Little did I know at the time I would be here with the name today.

I remember, cautiously, asking Ulrich if it was alright to (basically) rip it off. I refused to start the isolatedmix series until he agreed to be the first. It only felt right, given I had already created an entire website with his album title. Whether he regrets his agreement (or his label at the time) I’m not sure. But it’s now become another way to share his album’s brilliance over time, whether people realize it or not. 

I think about changing the name often, more out of respect for the album and to leave it as its own entity in time. But I’m yet to find a better feeling or description that would capture the music I try to include on the label. Just this week, I signed an artist who was attracted to the label’s name and perceived meaning, as a reason to reach out to me.

So thank you Ulrich, for this album and those people surrounding it, in more ways than one.

PS - Get your music up on Bandcamp!!

 
 

isolatedmix 120 - Lord Of The Isles

 

Well, a whole nine months since our last isolatedmix, we return in style…

Scottish producer Lord Of The Isles has been high on rotation for me for about ten years now, with a string of electronic EPs across labels such as Mule Musiq, Permanent Vacation, Phonica and ESP Institue. Never guessing where he was going to push next, Neil has remained a bit of an enigma in style over the years and more recently, has captured hearts with an emotional, Poem-infused EP on Whities (more on that below) and in December just gone, a more ambient-leaning debut on Lapsus.

The result is an artist that appeals to the electronic music fan in more ways than one. An artist you grow attached to as you walk alongside an ego-less evolution, welcoming new approaches and experimentation, always eager to see what he takes on next.

While Neil is obviously adept a putting together a DJ mix [check], we’re even more fortunate that Neil has taken a much more dedicated route to his mix contribution, with a 100% unreleased mix of his own material.

~

Hi Neil, being a man of the outdoors it seems, where are you right now and what are you enjoying, outside of the music world?

Not in the wilds at the moment, unfortunately! But I will be soon. I’m taking some recording equipment up north in a few weeks to hopefully finish my next album. Outside of writing music, I’m enjoying keeping fit and reading. I’m reading Under The Skin by Michael Faber right now for the second time.

Your style is notoriously hard to pin down (which I love), but I'd love to know how you would describe it to anyone new to your music.

Deep and melodic maybe? I’ve always listened to all kinds of music and I've always had a very open mind in that regard. I suppose you are exposed to different things at different times throughout life.

What music did you grow up on to influence it? 

There was a lot of Motown going on in my family very early on, and hearing stuff like Cream and Kate Bush now always transports me back in time when I hear it, as does a lot of soul, hip hop, and indie from 80s and 90s. Way too many to mention!! Growing up in the nineties, Acid House, Detroit techno, and Chicago House all played major roles in influencing my style, as did dub, dub techno, and all things ambient. Sorry, sounds all so clichéd! But it’s true.

You've recorded a more ambient-leaning isolatedmix, and a few of your most recent albums definitely veered this way too. Is this a reflection of your current taste or mood right now, or something else?

It’s just the way it’s come together in the studio past few years, although, I am becoming aware that there’s now a lot of people now that think all I do is ambient music. I have another album coming later this year that was completed over a year ago which is also ambient, but that will be the last release like that for a while I think, as the music I’m working on at the moment is definitely not ambient! 

Your Whities EP with Ellen Renton’s vocals is definitely a personal favorite of mine. You also sampled Carl Sagan in your latest album. Can you tell me a bit about your approach to integrating guest vocals and samples?

With Ellen, I write music inspired by her poems. Other vocal samples are usually things I hear in films or documentaries that resonate with me. Growing up listening to artists like the Orb, BOC, and The Black Dog has given me an appreciation for disparate vocal samples. I love the cinematic quality it adds to the atmosphere. 

You have a monthly radio show on Openlab, How do you go about selecting music for the show, or what can people expect? 

I still buy and collect a lot of music, so it’s a great outlet for me to share music I love. You’ll hear mostly, electronica, deep house, techno, and breakbeat.

Your isolatedmix is 100% unreleased music, so no tracklist here. Can you tell us a bit about how you put it together?

It’s a bit of a hybrid set - half DJ half live, all unreleased music. It may well be the last ambient thing from me for a while. No plans to release any of it at the moment. 

Lastly, I read you're a candle fan (as am I) What's your latest scent?!

Lol! :) I have a trial tester from an amazing new Scottish aromatherapy brand called àile. They do amazing products and are thinking about doing a candle. It’s cedar wood, mandarin, and clove I think. It’s great!

~

Listen on Soundcloud or the ASIP Podcast.

Download MP3

(No tracklist as all unreleased material)
Artwork image by Faisal Waheed.

Lord Of The Isles Bandcamp | Discogs | Soundcloud

 

Gunnar Jónsson Collider / S.W.I.M. (ASIPV041)

 

Icelandic musician Gunnar Jónsson Collider debuts on A Strangely Isolated Place with an expansive trip through six fictional environments, brought further to life through an accompanying video by artist Arna Beth.

Inviting escapism through detailed, glacial textures, S.W.I.M. elevates a traditional beatless spectrum into a first-person narrative, moving across burning wastelands, miles-high sundown, a dizzying night sky, subterranean exploration, and more beautiful, natural phenomena. Subtle changes in tone and texture across each of the six environments provide a signal of the destination’s energy and the intended perception of the traveler. At times, elated and dwarfed by nature’s surrounding grandeur. Other times, bestowing a sense of apprehension and unknowing.

Best absorbed through the accompanying visual album by fellow Icelandic digital artist Arna Beth, S.W.I.M. is an immersive jump into a majestic sci-fi world, placing you front and center in both sound and visual. After appearing on numerous well-respected electronic labels in recent years such as Móatún, Moller and Vertex, S.W.I.M represents Gunnar’s most horizontal output to date.

Mastered by Franceso Fabris, and featuring artwork by Noah M / Keep Adding, based on Arna Beth's visuals, S.W.I.M., will be available on limited edition Blue Smoke 12” and digital.

View the release page for full links to listen and buy

Join us for a full album AV experience on Bandcamp, May 21st.

 
 
 

Announcement: Our new physical distributor - Spacecadets

 

**Important announcement for our vinyl buyers and shops stocking our records**

We’ve made an important decision to join a new distributor who will handle our stock (outside of our Bandcamp sales). Going forward, our physical releases will be distributed and sold directly by https://www.spacecadets.world/

Recently setup by Ario from Astral Industries, Space Cadets allows us the chance to work and build something with a trusted friend in a similar world, and some of our favourite labels are already onboard, such as Mysteries of The Deep and Affin.

TLDR; if you previously purchased our records in the UK, EU, ROW (or basically any non-US sales) Space Cadets will now have the majority of our stock to buy on their site direct and be handling sales into local shops. Anyone who purchases our records on Bandcamp, nothing has changed and we will still also sell direct on our Bandcamp store.

I wanted to thank Juno and Milo for the immense unwavering support they’ve shown since our very first release. We wouldn’t be where we are now without their support. And more recently, One Eye Witness for taking us on and supporting as part of their amazingly curated venture

Any stores looking to stock our upcoming records (including backstock) get in touch with us here or direct with Spacecadets.

Check out the Space Cadets site and get ready for our next release to be announced very soon with Space Cadets leading the charge!

 

ASIP @ Liminal Dreams, Tokyo

 

Recording of my DJ set for the Liminal Dreams 1st-anniversary series in Tokyo, March 11th, 2023 alongside @lynne-tokyo, @yolabmi (Live), @yutotakei, and @yutaroy at Spread, Shimokitazawa. Thank you to all who made this evening happen, those who came, listened attentively, shut their eyes and let the music fill the room on an amazing system that Saturday evening.

It really was a special, memorable moment for me.

The set includes lots of unreleased/forthcoming ASIP music, alongside releases from Quiet Places (plenty of their new stuff in here ;-), Max Würden and Merrin Karras, plus some of my fave moments from Field Lines Cartographer, Echospace, qebrµs, Sindh, Jo Johnson, Acronym, Endurance and Wndfrm.

Cover photo on the night by Toby Barnes.

Read more about the event here.