Schiller is a music project named after the German poet, philosopher and playwright Friedrich Schiller. This high-brow reference already sets it apart from most contemporary music. The use of such diverse material as texts from the 19th century lyrical poet Heinrich Heine, classical musicians, famous actors performing spoken word and electronic pop explain why Schiller self-describes as a “music project” instead of an act or group.
The creator and guiding force behind the project is German artist Christopher von Deylen. Von Deylen founded Schiller in 1998 as a vehicle for his genre-bending work and collaborations. Schiller’s new album “Future” is the artist’s latest project, set for release on February 26th.
This is what the future sounds like
In “Future,” the listener can expect soaring vocals, atmospheric sound effects and epic melodies. In addition — as one has come to expect from Schiller — a variety of artists were invited to the studio to help record the album. Among the guest musicians are the Canadian singer songwriter Thomas Salter along and Christina Scabbia. There is even an unlikely surprise guest: Hollywood star Sharon Stone. Stone composed the text for the track “For You” and contacted Schiller via her agent to inquire about the possibility of collaborating on the recording.
Thematically and as its name would suggest, the album is an ode to the future:
“More love… and less hate.
For sure.
That’s – that’s it!
That’s the gist of life!”
In the video, the space suit beclad Kéta Jo McCues opens with a longer spoken word that concludes with “I’m very hopeful for the future.” It definitely sounds like she is.
A journey that began with a piano and led to a synthesizer
Previous to “Future,” Schiller released eight albums. Along with the influences of electronic music, experiments with other genres and artists are the constants that unite each work. Schiller’s debut album “Zeitgeist” features a combination of spoken word, strong beats and haunting melodies.
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In “Opus,” Schiller collaborated with classical stars such as the Russian operatic soprano Anna Netrebko and French pianist Hélène Grimaud. Famous composers like Satie and Tchaikovsky are set in a dreamy synthesized atmosphere.
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The boundless curiosity to dive into a wide range of sounds was evident in Cristopher von Deylen at an early age. As a small child, he was given a piano by his grandfather. Later, an open-minded piano teacher encouraged von Deylen’s interest in electronic music, leading to a familiarity with early synth greats like Tangerine Dream and Jean Michel Jarre. This foundation helped von Deylen grow into one of the most successful German musicians of the past few years. No fewer than four of his albums reached the number one spot on the charts.
A musician and an audio engineer
Christopher von Deylen is a musician with a fine sense for the technical possibilities of his craft. Each album, music video and live performance is executed in a pioneering style with sound and light effects. Schiller never covers old ground, its own or from any other music. Over the years, von Deylen’s ceaseless experimentation has made him an expert in the technical possibilities of music playback. A good example of his experimental effects is the Schiller album “Leben,” which debuted in 2003 in uncompressed surround sound on a super audio CD. Schiller even released a few concerts in elaborately produced live DVDs with Dolby formatted surround sound.
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“Future” also comes as a Limited Super Edition with a Live DVD that includes recordings from the Berlin Philharmonic.
We’re proud to announce Schiller’s upcoming presentation of “Future“ on February 25th in the Teufel Raumfeld Flagshipstore – a day before the album’s official release date.
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