The 20th anniversary re-issue of Fennesz's best-selling Venice, originally released in 2004, is now available as a deluxe version remastered by Denis Blackham, with new and extra tracks not on the previous CD or vinyl versions. Included in the DVD-format edition is a booklet with texts by Fennesz himself, Denis Blackham, and Jon Wozencroft, with unseen photographs from the original 2004 sessions. The booklet also reproduces David Sylvian's original handwritten lyrics for "Transit." This "stunning" collaboration with David Sylvian continues where their fantastic duo track on Sylvian's album Blemish left off. Situated directly in the middle of a mostly subdued listening experience, "Transit" literally bursts out of the speakers accentuating the album's more pop-like characteristics as well as its more restrained moments. Denis Blackham: "Fast forward to 2024 and here I am again with the same original master mixes I used in 2003 to make a new and expanded version of the album -- Venice 20. A little over twenty years later, technology in audio production, recording and mastering has improved substantially, so I was excited to return to this album and give my 2024 treatment." Christian Fennesz: "Over months, I collected material for the album: short recordings of acoustic and electric guitars, experiments with newly introduced soft synths and samplers, and field recordings, sometimes done on the go and directly in Venice, where I stayed for several weeks. The sound and acoustics of the city fascinated me. From my room, you could clearly hear conversations at night with the window open, but it was uncertain whether they came from the neighboring house or several blocks away, as if the sound waves in Venice followed their own rules. It was during this time that the idea for Venice as an album title came to me, as a suggestive description of a dignified decline, decay, death, and rebirth. David Sylvian's lyrics and vocal performance for "Transit" perfectly encapsulated this idea for me. The piece remains a highlight of a wonderful, ongoing collaboration."
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