iTunes

Opening the iTunes Store.If iTunes doesn't open, click the iTunes application icon in your Dock or on your Windows desktop.Progress Indicator
Opening the iBooks Store.If iBooks doesn't open, click the iBooks app in your Dock.Progress Indicator
iTunes

iTunes is the world's easiest way to organize and add to your digital media collection.

We are unable to find iTunes on your computer. To preview and buy music from Venice by Fennesz, download iTunes now.

Already have iTunes? Click I Have iTunes to open it now.

I Have iTunes Free Download
iTunes for Mac + PC

Venice

Fennesz

Open iTunes to preview, buy, and download music.

Album Review

Talk about "highly anticipated": fans of Fennesz had three years to marvel in his Endless Summer CD. Meanwhile, the album became a hit in left-field electronica, exerted a major influence on countless sound-alikes, and even allowed Fennesz to break — however slightly — into the mainstream. Is Venice better than Endless Summer? No, but the fact that it doesn't disappoint, despite the expectations generated by this bona fide follow-up, is by itself a commanding feat. The reason why Venice doesn't top its predecessor is because it follows a rather similar recipe and therefore lacks the effect of surprise. Otherwise, it is a very fine release, highly enjoyable yet genre-pushing, and unmistakably Fennesz from beginning to end. The melodies that haunted Endless Summer's washes of granulated noise are still present, although in a more subtle form. Except for one standout exception, you won't be whistling these tunes in the shower, as the melodic component is more evanescent, but the impression of listening to "songs" remains strong. In that respect, highlights include the delicate opener "Rivers of Sand" and "The Point of It All." The album features two extra contributors. One of them was predictable; after all, Fennesz had appeared in duet with David Sylvian on the latter's 2003 solo CD, Blemish. They do it again in "Transit," a beautiful song about departures that makes one think the pair should definitely work on a full-scale collaborative project (it could be Sylvian's best collaboration since the Sylvian/Fripp albums). The second guest is Viennese guitarist Burkhard Stangl, a maverick improviser and puzzling experimentalist. His appearance on two tracks, "Laguna" and "Circassian" (the latter another highlight) follows up on Fennesz's 2002 collaboration with his improv quartet, Polwechsel. These two pieces (on which Fennesz joins on guitar) have a light post-folk flavor. The album is marvelously sequenced, with short soundscapes articulating mood shifts. The only weak point is found in the closing track, "The Stone of Impermanence," significantly harsher in texture and sound than what came before, which makes for an uncomfortable finale — the piece would have worked better at midpoint, tempered by gentler neighbors. Still, Venice is another success and every bit as delightful as its predecessor. The presence of David Sylvian will make it easier for new fans to jump in. ~ François Couture, Rovi

Customer Reviews

Good, but song order is incorrect.

Venice is a wonderful album by Fennesz, one of the greatest electronic artists of our time (though not nearly as remarkable as his album Endless Summer, one of the most incredible recordings I have ever heard). Still, it's disappointing that the track order here is alphabetical, rather than in the order you would find if you were to purchase the album. Regardless, the key tracks here are "Circassian," "The Stone of Impermanence," and "Chateau Rouge," my personal favorite. Still, iTunes DESPERATELY needs to get a hold of Endless Summer. I haven't listened to any album of any genre as much as I have listened to that album.

LOVE itself.

This is the soundtrack to LOVE itself! The subtlety used by Fennesz to get his energy across is amazing. Exceptionally special songs include: Chateau Rouge, City of Light, and Rivers of Sand. Some of the songs sound very subdued, but if listened to at the optimal level (i.e. headphones) they become larger than life. He is a master of electronic music and has scored a great hit with this album. Cheers.

Superb

Who said abstraction had to be cold and cerebral? So much spirit in these guitar driven vignetes. Behind the extra intelligent laptop guy lies a pastoral composer. This guy is a scify troubador. Including voice here was wise and Sylvian is the most elegant of choices.

Biography

Born: December 25, 1962 in Vienna, Austria

Genre: Electronic

Years Active: '90s, '00s, '10s

Vienna-based guitarist Christian Fennesz is one of the city's many artists associated with the noted Editions Mego label, which releases mostly free-form ambient and experimental electronica. Similar in some respects to the work of Seefeel or Experimental Audio Research, Fennesz's six-string soundscapes are both darker than the former and more complex and intricate than the latter, combining dense, multi-layered sheets of treated guitar and synth with thin, odd-metered electronic percussion and engaging...
Full Bio