Album Notes

"Filmpalast" was started by Cologne based producer and songwriter Dirk Schilling. His new album "Birth Of The Perfectly Known Stranger" is his 3rd full length CD after having released on labels such as: Hope Recordings, Trapez, Perfecto, Warner, Salz, Kontor and his own label, Projektor.

After making his first steps as a guitarist in bands such as "King Candy", "Bandaloop" and "Motorsheep" and beeing in "Hoelderlin" lately he began to perform and produce as "Filmpalast". In an attempt to find out what was beyond his world of songs and guitars, he played around in his living room with a synthesizer and a sampler...and getting astonishing positive feedback from all over the dancing underground world.

Besides that, he was building a reputation as a photographer using the alter ego "Filmpalast". After producing music ranging across the whole spectrum of the electronic genre he felt like wanting to go "home" and recorded "Birth Of The Perfectly Known Stranger" in two days in the most intimate atmosphere there was for him...his living room. No editing, no overdubs, just the songs, his acoustic guitar and voice...
Here are some first reactions:

"Fascinating lyrics!!!"

"I love the raw simplicity of his songs..."

"Hypnotic and beautiful."

"Who knew that one man and his guitar could take a listener to so many places within one album. What may well be a personal journey through the singer’s autobiographical romances and reflections, "Birth Of The Perfectly Known Stranger" nonetheless brings the listener into their own world; from the first track, Schilling lets you dive back into your own firsts, be it the first reckless fall into love or the idealistic notion that you can save the world. Although extremely personal, solely composed and performed by one person, the album is far from one-dimensional. Schilling’s voice remains present yet unassuming, inviting you to delve into his melody and into your re-collective reveries. Schilling takes us to places at times heavy, but always brings us back to warm conclusions. "Birth Of The Perfectly Known Stranger" is humble and direct in its intentions; as he sings in Little Sensation "This music made to grab your shoulders / and walks you across the gramophone". So on that note, put it on, drift away and let yourself be wrapped up in a big, warm hug."

"A heartrending voice grown from the roots of Eno, Cohen and Sylvian."

"Little Sensation” has a melody that wraps you up in your first love story, pulls you to your first interlude, surrounds you, where the music is made to grab your shoulders, slowly…pulls you back or even brings you just there, where you give yourself over to that first feeling..."