Schiller is probably well-known to most Europeans, and probably the rest of the world. Over here in the US, he is virtually unknown, so far as I can tell. I think that’s a shame. His new album Euphoria released on January 16th and I rather like it.
Four or five years ago, a co-worker and I discovered we have some musical taste in common, specifically Mike Oldfield. Through Schiller’s 2005 collaboration with Oldfield, he’d discovered Schiller’s music and especially his 2014 live album Symphonia. I became obsessed with that album—I listen to it multiple times per month still—and explored his discography.
Schiller hails from Germany and is primarily composed of artist Christopher von Deylen. He plays a classy, cozy sort of electronic music with plenty of experimentation, variety in tone, and guest vocalists from many genres. Some collaborations relevant to the progressive music community would be Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, Nightwish, and more. He’s incredibly consistent, too, releasing an album every couple years since 1999.
Euphoria sees Schiller lean hard into the trance side of electronic music. This record is razor-sharp with strange song structures and haunting vocal performances. It has its fair share of slightly cheesy voiceovers and 2000’s callbacks, but I kinda love that about it. It’s over an hour long with sixteen tracks, and it is both thrilling, suspenseful, and introspective in turn.
I’m not going to discuss every track, but I want to point out some favorites. I’ll say that I prefer the second half, though the first half has been growing on me. In the first half, I like the theatrical shadows of “Euphorie”, the catchy and fiery “Memories of Beyond” featuring vocalist Karakum, the haunting guitars of the 7.5-minute “Höhenrausch”, and the spunky “Willkommen Im Glück”. I tend to like Schiller’s instrumental tracks more, but there are some great vocals on this album, too.
In the second half, we open with the title track, and it’s one of my favorites overall. “Euphoria” is spinetingling and hefty, sharp and colorful. Next we get parts one and two of “Phoenix”, a laid-back and atmospheric duo that is absolutely gorgeous. Another favorite is the short yet powerful “On a Journey” with its concise melody and trance beat.
Karakum comes back on “Horizon”, probably my favorite. I love the reeling, backwards rhythms, the short yet terrific vocal portion, and the hazy atmosphere. The album closes with parts one and two of “Der Siebte Himmel”, both being hovering, harmonized pieces with great vocals and a sense of finality.
Every track on Euphoria is good to great, though I found myself needing a few listens to understand the structure of the songs and album. It gets better with each listen and makes me sad that Schiller is not as well-known in the US as, say, Moby or Paul Oakenfold. He is just as good as either of them and possibly offers deeper experimentation that progressive fans will appreciate.
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The PROG Mind 