"Androids may not yet dream of electric sheep, but maybe computers do sing sad songs."

In 2013, Tzoukmanis released ‘Hope Is The Sister Of Despair’, issued here for the first time on vinyl with 4 previously unreleased tracks.
The album was made following the end of a relationship and the happy/sad feeling is everywhere in this music. Sequences twinkle and nag, soft pads pour balm on tired ears and when drums do appear they provide an intimate framework rather than a call to the dance floor. The album taps into a rich vein of sequencer romanticism, from Tangerine Dream-obsessed-‘Berlin School’ daydreamers to the whole nebula of music inspired by Warp’s Artificial Intelligence series. It also looks forward, prefiguring the return today, in troubled times, to the comforting inner space of ‘90s-worshipping ambient techno.

The German word ‘weltschmerz’, roughly translating as ‘world sadness’, fits this music well. The melancholy it inspires feels collective, almost heartening. Sorrow might be said to infuse the technology’s basic building blocks – Leibniz’s binary ‘one’ bereft of its ‘zero’, its presence twinned with absence. But there is hope, too, in the network of actions and decisions that have been fashioned here into melody and rhythm.

A1 - Blue Valentine
A2 - Raindrops
A3 - Disorder
B1 - Green Belt
B2 - Floating Free
B3 - Free Hugs
C1 - Twinkle
C2 - Relief
C3 - Eastern Mantra
D1 - 24 Hours
D2 - The End

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

In the realm of computer-generated music, all compositions are essentially binary, consisting of zeros and ones, representing data and information. Within this binary structure, every musical event exists amidst a backdrop of unchosen possibilities, creating a sense of absence and mourning for what could have been. The bittersweet emotional quality often found in certain electronic music may stem from a combination of its underlying aesthetic principles, a yearning for a lost vision of the future, and the subtle interplay between presence and absence inherent in the creative process itself.

Released for the first time on vinyl and including 2 unreleased tracks, Tales From The Silent City is a deep electronic journey with the unmistakable Niko Tzoukmanis's sound and sensitivity. The album features sequences that shimmer and persist, while gentle pads offer soothing relief to weary listeners.
Tales From The Silent City not only draws inspiration from a nostalgic era of sequencer-driven music but also anticipates the trend of seeking solace in '90s-influenced ambient techno during uncertain times.

A1 - Through The Night
A2 - Another Dawn
B1 - Neutron City
C1 - Way Home
C2 - Flashback
D1 - Sanskrit
D2 - Fallen Angel

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Superb spiritual jazz meets classical choir from 1982.
The William Penn Jazz Ensemble was formed by American composer and flutist Leslie Burrs. Throughout the 1970s, Leslie
performed with several major jazz and funk artists, including Grover Washington Jr., Kool & The Gang, and most notably,
with Del Jones for the now cult album Positive Vibes.
Carvings, recorded in 1982, holds a special place in Leslie's career. This album showcases Leslie's musical versatility and
features clear influences of both jazz and classical music. The Ensemble's uncommon association of African American and
white members at the time results in a unique fusion of cultural influences that is reflected in the music.
The musical journey is both profound and spiritual, taking listeners on an experience that is both deep and meaningful.

TRACKLIST:
A1. Meditation
A2. Carvings
A3. Naima
B1. Blessings And Glory To God
B2. Lazy Bird
B3. Dolphin Dance

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More