**SONGS WITHOUT WORDS**

June 15, 2026
TEXT: Stefan Pieper

The duo About Aphrodite sets surprisingly fresh accents with its current album, due for release at the end of June on the label Protomaterial Records. The title *Songs Without Words* outlines a clear concept that runs throughout the entire recording. The pieces follow distinct compositional trajectories and develop narrative arcs without relying on language or vocals. In fact, these are songs in the truest sense: musical narratives whose dramaturgy emerges from melody, timbre, and movement.

Gilda Razani’s soprano saxophone shapes the character of many compositions. Her tone remains fluid and clearly defined, shifting between virtuosic passages and restrained, chamber music-like moments. At times, this creates sonic landscapes reminiscent of those border regions between jazz and chamber music known from groups such as Oregon. Hanzō Wanning’s piano playing provides a warm counterbalance: arpeggios and melodic figures structure the pieces without pushing themselves into the foreground.

On several tracks, the duo is joined by percussionist Fethi Ak. His darbuka, shaped by Turkish-Kurdish traditions, functions less as a driving rhythmic instrument and more as a sonic extension that structures the musical space with subtle differentiation. Often, it seems to surround the music rather than propel it.

**SOUNDSCAPES WITH GROUNDING**

Particularly striking is the use of lyrical synthesizer textures, which gently expand About Aphrodite’s familiar sonic universe. Electronic textures slip beneath the acoustic instruments, opening new perspectives without overshadowing the organic character of the music. Across much of the album lies that peculiar suspension between melancholy and serenity, resisting any simple categorization. The spaciousness characteristic of About Aphrodite remains present, yet feels more deeply integrated into the compositional flow than on earlier releases.

Gilda Razani’s theremin plays a special role here. This touchless electronic instrument does not appear as a technical curiosity or spectacular effect. Rather, Razani integrates its floating lines into a remarkably natural relationship with saxophone, piano, and electronics. Often, the theremin is barely distinguishable as an independent voice—and that is precisely where its impact lies. It expands the sonic space with a presence that is difficult to locate, giving the pieces additional depth. Where others demonstrate the instrument, Razani makes music with it.

Several compositions draw on motifs and narratives from the Persian cultural sphere. “Sartschubeh” refers to a ritual for blessing newborns, while “Loretta’s Sinfonia” follows a dramaturgy moving from a calm beginning toward dance-like intensification. “Newrusi Cats” references the Persian New Year festival Nouruz, while “Taraneh” is dedicated to a young Iranian woman. These cultural references are not presented programmatically, but they form a recognizable resonance space within the music.

**MUSICAL ROOTS MEET WITH GREAT SERENITY**

The pieces often develop from repeating motifs and finely interwoven textures. This creates music that remains centered within itself without becoming static. Improvisational lines occasionally draw on ornamentations shaped by Eastern traditions, yet without slipping into folklore or world music clichés. A sign of maturity is, not least, the serenity with which About Aphrodite brings together different musical roots. Persian melodic language, Turkish rhythm, European jazz harmony, and electronic sound design meet here not as decorative ingredients, but as components of a developed musical language.

*Songs Without Words* achieves its impact 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 being clearly assignable to any one of these spheres. Its strength lies precisely in this openness. The pieces tell their stories quietly, yet with conviction—and reveal a formation that no longer needs to search for its own voice.

https://nrwjazz.net/rezensionen/about-aphrodite-songs-without-words

… 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)