Favourite Johannes Schmoelling tracks

[rigel]

I'm not sure if this has been covered in the past. Anyway, just for fun really, here are my top ten (in no particular order) individual pieces from Schmoelling's solo career:

1. Matjora is Still Alive
2. The Woodpecker
3. Native Eye, Native Ear
4. Monochrome
5. Gondola Song
6. Navigator's Chatter
7. Zeit
8. Spacenight Runner
9. Abacus
10. The Zoo of Tranquillity (title track)

Very hard to narrow it down to ten, as I've many more favourites!

I would be interested to read which tracks others like best from his back catalogue of albums..

[Schmoelling in wonderland]

Hi Rigel,

My favorite tracks are :
- Zeit
- The Zoo and Jonas (the 1998 version)
- Lamentation Of An Ancient Tree
- Giant In The Fog
- Gondola Song
- Perpetual Motion
- Echo Village (The remix of the Black Soldier theme from The Keep)
- Abacus / Blueprint / A Thousand Times (reprise)

[rigel]

Thanks, interesting list to compare mine to. There were several you mentioned that could easily have made my own top ten: Perpetual Motion and Echo Village in particular are superb. I also like The Zoo and Jonas, but prefer the original Theta version to the re-recording. I must listen to Lamentation of an Ancient Tree again.

[Schmoelling in wonderland]

There is so much great JS tracks that it's difficult to choose for a Best of...
I always like the exprimental composition of JS. Like Echo Village. In fact, i prefer a bit more the Black Soldier track from The Keep but Echo Village is a superb remix. When i listen to The Keep soundtrack, i am always blown away by this track. It's so cold, dark, sinister.... Sometimes i wish that Edgar use JS to do some remixes. He is more subtle.

[phaedra1974]

My Johannes Schmoelling TOP 10:

1. Zeit
2. White out
3. Joyful solitude
4. The zoo of tranquillity
5. Hymnus
6. Matjora is still alive
7. Budapest
8. Contemplating clouds
9. Italian scratches
10. It better end soon

[rigel]

Again, good choices. Contemplating Clouds and Joyful Solitude were serious contenders for my top ten. I love the poignant Firestarter-esque sounds of the latter, but then (forgive me) but I must admit IMO the first half of the track is far better than the closing sequence.

Giants Out of Fog from INSTANT CITY is also right up there with his best!

I agree, Echo Village is a magnificent piece. To my ears it sounds very close to the original music that accompanied the opening scenes of the movie, when the troops enter the secluded mountain village. It's a shame the original soundtrack is still awaiting a release.

[NAVEL OF LIGHT]

1. The Wedding Cake (theta version)
2. Spacenight Runner
3. Wuivend Riet (part 1 & 2)
4. Echo Village
5. Matjora Is Still Alive
6. A Long Way Home
7. The Anteater
8. The Zoo Of Trannquility
9. Zeit
10.A Great Continent

[rigel]

Gosh, nobody else has a top ten? Only kidding. Actually, people possibly have better things to do with their time and anyway, as I said, this was just for fun.

For the record, others mentioned that I too rate highly are "The Wedding Cake" (Theta version) and "Wuivend Riet" (title track), though with the latter this is on the strength of the quirky opening section, which I prefer to the rest of the piece.

[Jon]

I only have the White Out and Zoo Of Tranquility albums. Don't remember them good enough to choose tracks.

[rigel]

Fair enough. However, seeing as you have the other two from his trilogy of classic early solo recordings, I can greatly recommend to you Schmoelling's debut solo album Wuivend Riet.

[Schmoelling in wonderland]

Gosh, nobody else has a top ten? Only kidding. Actually, people possibly have better things to do with their time and anyway, as I said, this was just for fun.

Maybe it's too hard and takes too much time to make a real top 10. There is too much good songs !

[Pergamon_PB]

I've only got Songs no words and Wuivend Riet but must say Wuivend Riet is an excellent album!!!

[la sagesse du destin]

At this time, my top is:
1: Matjora is still alive
2 : Perpetual Motion
3: Zeit
4 : Passing by
5: It better end soon
6 : Stigma
7: The Avatar
8 :Lamentation of an a ancien Tree
9: L'atelier
10 : The lawnower.

Charles

[billythefish]

I will need to give this time - too many to go through!
However, my absolute number one is 'Ice Walk', and probably a close second would be 'Wuivend Reit' (not sure which part at the moment).

[rigel]

Many people like "Ice Walk" and it was indeed the subject of an interesing remix. I like it too, but funnily enough it is not one of my favourites on the original White Out album from 1990. For me the strongest pieces on there are "Navigator's Chatter", "Native Eye, Native Ear" and "The Big Nail".

Interesting to see certain tracks listed in top tens that I don't rate as highly, and vice versa, I'm sure. Individual tastes ... and naturally if you ask for my top ten again in a year or so's time it may well have changed (and not necessarily down to any new, outstanding music from JS!).