JAZZANOVA have given us an extremely nice Christmas gift this year. Or to be more precise, it’s from the EXTENDED-SPIRIT team, AXEL REINEMER and STEFAN LEISERING, who together with Secret Love hero SASCHA GOTTSCHALK aka THIEF have produced a lovely number. The track comes to the world in the unusual format of a one-sided 7" single. There's not much one can say about JAZZANOVA that hasn't already been said before. They have remixed the best in the world including CALEXICO, COMMON, LENNY KRAVITZ and MASTERS AT WORK to name but a few. They have built up the successful label Sonar Kollektiv and have countless DJ gigs around the world. All this speaks for itself and hardly needs further comment.
Berlin singer-songwriter and guitarist SASCHA GOTTSCHALK aka THIEF is something of a blank page in comparison. Those who know about the Berlin underground scene might still remember him in his roll as frontman of the noise-pop band SOFTWARE. So far THIEF has most noticeably released on the successful folk compilation series Secret Love - a concept which JAZZANOVA conceived together with RESOUL (Soultrade Record Store, Berlin). It's the perfect environment for THIEF's songs - indeed he has been represented on each of the three Secret Love releases to date and is definitely one of the highlights throughout the series.
In addition to this THIEF collaborated with CLARA HILL for her track Morning Star (on Restless Times (SK012CD/LP), ANDRE ZIMMA and AIRMATE.

And there is a THIEF album in the works: produced by JAZZANOVA it is due for release in spring 2007, naturally on Sonar Kollektiv.

The Sirens’ Call is based on a JAZZANOVA instrumental of the same name which can be heard in the Berlin show “Belle et Fou“. THIEF has added lyrics and written a melody. "I wanted to rewrite the Odysseus story for a modern big-city context. I was thinking more of Robert DeNiro's role in Taxi Driver - a totally paranoid man roaming around the town, a guy whose temptations correspond to the sirens of antiquity." recalls THIEF with regards to the collaboration.
The backing is made up of an unusual arrangement comprising of acoustic guitar, 12 piece string orchestra and harp. This is very much a turning point for JAZZANOVA who plan to work more with such orchestrations in the future. Also, not to be forgotten, there's the other-worldly choir sung by CLARA HILL which adds authenticity to THIEF's idea of the sirens. Who can resist such temptations...