Simon Bahr

The Voice of Laptop is an album that features a synthesized voice accompanied by a hybrid ensemble. It combines algorithmic composition with songwriting and acoustic instruments with a singing computer: Over the course of ten songs, Laptop addresses various highs and lows of their virtual existence and finally escapes their physical shell by uploading themselves to the cloud. Along the way, Laptop processes and reworks musical data fragments of various genres and languidly surrenders to digital nostalgias and fantasies.

Tracklist

Updatedownloadbackuptime
Superuser
Deepfake
Debugging My Love
Laptop Running Hot
ILOVEYOU
Hibernate
Internal Speaker
I‘m > Σ(my parts)
1 Upload 2 Eternity

Credits

Béla Bluche – electric bass (1, 3, 5, 9), double bass (2, 4, 10)
Jing Chen – viola (2, 4, 8, 10)
Leon Dehne – alto saxophone (2, 5, 7), tenor saxophone (3, 8, 10)
Filip Erakovic – accordeon (6)
Heni Hyunjung Kim – bass clarinet (6)
Sebastian Langer – clarinet (2, 3, 7, 8, 10)
Laptop – synthesized voice (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
Paul Lüpfert – trombone (2, 3, 5, 8, 10)
Carlotta Ribbe – vibraphone (4)
Felix Riedel – trumpet (2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10)
Jonathan Schierhorn – drumset (1, 3, 5, 9)
Dimitry Stavrianidi – flute/piccolo (6)
Rebekka Stephan – cello (2, 4, 8, 10)
Frederik Taubenheim – electric guitar (1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10)
Robert Alan Wheatley – cello (6)
Aaron Wolharn – flute (2, 3, 7, 8, 10)
Tamon Yashima – electronic wind instrument (6)

Simon Bahr – composition/production/mixing
drip – artwork
Arthur Jogerst – recording engineering (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10)
Tim Pauli – mixing

The Voice of Laptop was released on Narval in August 2024.

Library Music No. 1: Penguins, etc. is the reimagination of pieces from an old library music record found in a 2nd hand store. It consists of functionally produced music for the use in films or on the radio. The habitat of such music has long shifted to the Internet, leaving the old vinyl records in an unclear intermediate state: Not really dead, as they still physically exist and specialized collectors are interested in them, but not really alive either, as they are no longer used for their actual purpose. Thus, the Library Music series, which begins with this piece, is an attempt to upcycle different kinds of old library music, with the aim of turning it into something new – not limited to the past, but in touch with it.

The Voice of Laptop

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composer

Library Music No. 1: Penguins, etc.

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Late Night

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