Space Reveries by Thaneco & Sokratis Votskos

Space Reveries is a collaboration with acclaimed jazz composer, wind instrumentalist and music teacher Sokratis Votskos.
A few words about my friend Sokratis:
Sokratis Votskos is a jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, educator, and bandleader from Greece who is deeply invested in unearthing the folk sounds and heritage music of Greece and Eastern Europe and weaving them into modern jazz composition and improvisation though the use of melodies, polyrhythms, and his reedy, timeless tone. A highly regarded sideman and ensemble player, he has worked extensively with other European jazz musicians on radio, in cinema, and on television. In addition to his standard soprano and baritone saxophones, Votskos also plays the contrabass, clarinets, duduk, bagpipe (gaita), and piano. Along with Harris P., he makes up one of half of the duo Kolida Babo, named for the festival of folk rituals, music, and dance in northern Greece. Their music explores the ancient music of Armenia and the folk traditions of northern Greece’s Epirus and Thrace regions alongside abstract electronics and free jazz, releasing their LP with MIC Records and later a single with Jazzman Records named “Spirits of Mauronoros”. Other music projects include the Sokratis Votskos Quartet that has released many interesting albums in vinyl. Finally he is an archaeoacoustics researcher and enthusiast, having completed his Master studies on the field of ancient ritualistic caves of Greece research.
Space Reveries is essentialy what the title suggests: two musicians travelling and dreaming in space. Each track tells a different story but its the listener who is the writer of the script. The title of each track gives a kind of starting point for the imagination and dreaming to unravel. The final track "Questions and answers" leaves the listener not wanting to wake from this dream. Its basically a dialogue between the two composers that has moments of music immitation and counterpoint but at the same time retains a free improvised structure. Its a final cosmic dance, like two galaxies going through gravitational attraction.
Space Reveries has elements of ambient, Berlin school electronic music, cinematic music and jazz. I'm using mostly analog synths such as the Moog sub37, and the moog Matriarch. Also I'm using the Korg Modwave, the Hydrasynth, Omnisphere, Keyscape and my Kontakt library of samples. Sokratis is playing :
Meteori: Armenian duduk
Immersion: Armenian duduk
Time continua: Clarinet and flute
Halos: Soprano flute
Spyra: Soprano flute
Lumina: Baritone saxophone
Archaic: Armenian duduk
Questions and answers: Armenian duduk
Special thanks to digital artist Andreas Schwietzke for his wonderful artwork. You can find more of his amazing works here: https://www.facebook.com/andreas.schwietzke
https://www.instagram.com/andreas_schwietzke/

Keyboardist and producer of electronic space ambient and Berlin school music from Patras, Greece.

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