Heldautomat release new single ‘Anders Sein’
German synthpop duo Heldautomat released “Anders Sein” on August 14, 2026 via Town & Towers Records, reworking the 1994 Second Decay track.
German electronic duo Heldautomat released the single “Anders Sein” on August 14, 2026 via Town & Towers Records. The track is a new interpretation of “Anders Sein,” originally released by Second Decay in 1994 on the album “Taste.” The release includes a classic 12-inch mix as a digital B-side.
Heldautomat is Christian Purwien (vocals and lyrics) and Thomas Kowa (synthesizers and songs). Purwien co-founded Second Decay with Andreas Sippel in 1987, and “Anders Sein” appeared on Second Decay’s 1994 album “Taste” alongside “I Hate Berlin” and “Hinter Glas.” The new Heldautomat version is built around analogue synthesizers, piano and minimalist drum-machine rhythms, keeping the melody of the original while giving the arrangement more space. “Anders Sein” follows Heldautomat’s debut single, “Am ersten Tag,” released in May 2026. The duo’s debut album, “Zwischen den Lichtern,” is scheduled for autumn 2026 and will include eleven tracks sung in German and English. “Anders Sein” is available to stream and purchase via all platforms and on Bandcamp.
About Heldautomat
Heldautomat is a German electronic duo formed by Christian Purwien and Thomas Kowa. Purwien began his recording career in 1987 as co-founder and vocalist of Second Decay, a project originally named Blue Velvet, alongside Andreas Sippel. Working exclusively with analogue synthesizers, Second Decay released the tape “Monochromes” in 1988, the 12-inch “Killing Desire” in 1989, the CD “La Décadence Électronique” in 1992, the maxi-CD “Hinter Glas” in 1993 and the album “Taste” in 1994, the release that introduced “Anders Sein.” Second Decay’s second album, “The Hunt,” originally released in 1996, was reissued by Emmobiz Records as a green double LP with bonus tracks in November 2025, and a second vinyl edition of “Taste” followed via Emmo.Biz Records in 2026.
Thomas Kowa is a music producer, synthesizer player and thriller author whose Erik Lindberg crime series is available in audiobook form; he has previously worked with No Comment and Nine Seconds. Purwien and Kowa first collaborated as Purwien & Kowa, releasing five albums together, including “Zwei,” the three-part “Drei” series and “Vier.” In February 2026, Purwien & Kowa performed at the 18th Elektrisch Festival in Zwickau. Heldautomat, launched in 2026 with the single “Am ersten Tag,” is described by the duo as a darker and more uncompromising direction than their earlier collaborative work, built around analogue synthesizers, piano and minimalist drum-machine rhythms. “Anders Sein” is the project’s second single, revisiting a track from Purwien’s own back catalogue ahead of the debut Heldautomat album “Zwischen den Lichtern,” due in autumn 2026.
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