„It is arguably one of the most striking combinations of modern jazz and highly sophisticated neoclassical music: we are talking about About Aphrodite’s new album ‘Songs Without Words’, which immerses us deeply in a dreamlike, atmospheric yet poignant landscape and reveals six striking compositions.“

BerlinOnAir.de

“ ‚Songs Without Words‘ unfolds its effect not through grand gestures or dramatic climaxes, but through concentration and consistency. The music moves between chamber jazz, electronic sound design, and the musical traditions of the Middle East, without clearly assigning itself to any of these spheres. Its strength lies precisely in this openness. The pieces tell their stories quietly, yet with emphasis—showing a formation that no longer needs to search for its own voice.“

„Persian melodic language, Turkish rhythm, European jazz harmony, and electronic sound design meet here not as decorative ingredients, but as components of a developed, singular musical language.“

 „Where others demonstrate the instrument, Razani makes music with it.“

nrwjazz.net

“ About Aphrodite created a 6-track album that pulled me into its own world without saying a single word. Every piece has its unique character but together they flow like one complete journey.“

„This is a well crafted project with impressive musicianship and many thoughtful ideas packed into only 6 tracks. I honestly enjoyed spending time with it and I can easily see myself coming back whenever I want music that lets my mind wander somewhere else.“

cheerstothevikings.com

„A record that feels less like a collection of compositions and more like a shifting geography of sound, Songs Without Words positions About Aphrodite in a space where jazz intuition and electronic architecture blur into a single language.“

„What ties everything together is a shared sensitivity to space.“

„Songs Without Words stands as a release of high quality, one that we are pleased to host and review on our webzine. In its refusal to settle, it finds a quiet strength, offering a listening experience that feels both distant and deeply personal at once.“

parkettchannel.it

„On Songs Without Words, About Aphrodite invents a sensitive geography where the theremin, the piano, and Persian memory speak a language without borders.“

„The theremin—so often associated with strangeness or science fiction—becomes almost maternal here, like a voice offering a blessing without speaking a single word.“

„The album’s political strength lies precisely in its gentleness: music that has never waited for permission to travel.“

extravafrench.com

„Some albums make their ambitions clear immediately; others allow them to unfold gradually over six tracks until the listener realizes they are in a completely new place without ever being told they were on a journey. ‚Songs Without Words‘ clearly belongs to the second category. The duo of Gilda Razani and Hanzō Wanning, performing as ‚About Aphrodite,‘ has created an album that views genre less as a destination and more as terrain to traverse. They move between Persian folk music tradition, jazz phrasing, chamber arrangements, and synthesizer textures with an ease that only comes from artists who never viewed these categories as separate spaces in the first place.“

apricot-magazine.com

„The duo, Gilda Razani and Hanzō Wanning, put together an incredible album that mixes different musical traditions without any boundaries.“

„You can hear Persian folk melodies blending right into European jazz harmony and electronic textures, driven by an incredibly rare instrumental combination.“

beachhousemag.co

„Blending Persian folk tradition, jazz, chamber music, and synth textures, Gilda Razani and Hanzō Wanning craft a global soundtrack that moves seamlessly into cinematic soundscapes.“

„Songs Without Words is a beautiful full-length achievement from About Aphrodite — a global soundtrack that embraces both meticulous arrangements and spontaneous jams.“

„The album opener ‚Sartschubeh‘ opens up a magnificent soundscape. Spacey theremin, field recordings, and a touch of cool piano transport the listener into a captivating expanse where saxophone and piano shine in their beautiful interplay. Razani’s saxophone playing and Wanning’s piano quickly come into full force on this impressive opener, delighting both with its hauntingly spacious beginnings and its saxophone-driven build-ups.“

obscuresound.com

„The album embodies the hope that there exists a form of poetry beyond spoken language — a reverse Tower of Babel with the possibility of telling stories and conveying emotions across all linguistic barriers.“

„We firmly believe in the unifying power of music — telling stories through a common language that exists across all borders.“

theinterviewist.com

„And alongside it, we hear the sound of the theremin—exquisite electronic music that sounds like a fusion of Wurlitzer and Fender Rhodes pianos. The piano playing appears more grounded and earthy. Gilda Razani crafts clouds of sound when playing her woodwind instrument. There is no trace of heaviness. The motto is: Life is beautiful. Enjoy it! The piano passages are intense, featuring powerful rhythms. The theremin sounds like a singing voice over them. On the darbuka and frame drum, we experience Fethi Ak, while the pianist operates as if staging musical rapids. The exotic sound is thanks to the theremin, which blends harmoniously with the keys. Step by step, Wanning’s piano pairs with the ’soprano saxophone vocals’—thanks to Gilda Razani.“

„Gilda Razani and Hanzō Wanning create a poetic and captivating global soundtrack — hypnotic, light, and almost transparent.“

jazzhalo.be

„Songs Without Words moves like a lantern carried through several cities at once: warm in the hand, flickering with histories, and always catching some new edge of the room.“

„Part of the album’s power comes from the tension between design and discovery. These pieces often feel meticulously composed, with deliberately placed gestures and textures given space to flourish, yet they also carry the lightness of musicians listening closely to each other in real-time. A passage can seem suspended, almost weightless, before rhythm or melodic instinct leans it somewhere unexpected. This balance suits the emotional climate of the record. It moves through dreamy lightness, inner reflection, and quiet longing without pressing too hard on any single emotion. The restraint is key; rather than dramatizing emotions, About Aphrodite allows them to slowly accumulate.“

songplode.art

„On their new album, Gilda Razani and Hanzō Wanning take us on a thrilling, boundary-crossing journey, drawing from Persian folk music, jazz, chamber music, synth-pop, and electronic soundscapes.“

 „Each of the six expansive tracks contains a small universe within itself, skillfully defying listener expectations.“)

Melodiva

… convinces with great composition and sound, one of the most fascinating duos of recent years. It is hard to escape the hypnotic charm of the music, which is both structured and complex. Highly recommended! (18/20)

„What Hans and Gilda achieve in this album can only be called an immersive audio experience. Out of melancholy undertones springs music full of tonal fantasy and lyrical depth, and behind the duo’s conscious and animated musical freedom lies a wealth of in-depth knowledge and experience”

„An album as brilliant as the stars in the sky, Membran Music takes ‘Polaris‘ as its theme. The instrumental cosmos, with theremin, piano, soprano saxophone and live electronics moves from classical music to progressive jazz, but at the same time always retaining its dark colouring. It is unique in the same way as ABOUT APHRODITE!“ (13/15)