For the album VOX, Andreas has played many instruments he has never or hardly ever used on previous albums; piano, Spanish guitar and - of course - his own voice.
The bases for the music is built by "good old friends" Walter Keiser, Daniel Kueffer and Andi Pupato, a very experienced team, seasoned through many live concerts.
Andreas, bei den Aufnahmen zu Pilgrim auf dem Gu-Cheng (chinesische Harfe)
Recording "Silver Moment"
On the adventurous journey to ones own voice...
5{ b>sings on "Innocent". Zoe is Andreas' niece and this is her first time ever singing in a recording studio. We all knew that she was very talented, but still were very surprised, how easy and relaxed she laid down these tracks! After having heard Zoe's voice, everybody is trying now to motivate her to continue singing...
Walter Keiser, the drumming heart beat like on all the previous albums. Whenever he joins the creative process in a song at the recording studio, the music starts to move and dance. It is a pleasure, to ride his grooves.
Daniel Kueffer joined AVAF more then two years ago. Over the years (through this music) he became - like Andreas - a true multi-instrumentalist. But his first instrument families are the saxophones and clarinets.
Andi Pupato arrives with a whole truck full of percussion instruments, a mobile music store in front of our house. Andi and Walter are a perfect match and if you let them loose, you'd better watch!
Sujay Bobade is from Bombay, India and is a true master on the Indian bansuri bamboo flute. He plays in the second part of "Wake up and Dance".
Erdal Kizilcay, originally from Turkey, is an exceptional multi instrumentalist with an unbelievable spectrum; he has equally mastered instruments such as bass, guitars, Oud, keyboards, viola trumpet as well as vocals. For more then thirteen years, english rock icon David Bowie has benefited from Erdal's talents.
One Million People March in London, February 2003, against the War on Iraq. We have recorded the spectacular sound and have integrated it into the song.
Hedreich Nichols is originally from the United States, but lives since many years in the mountains of Switzerland. Her wonderful and soulful voice can be heard on several songs throughout the album.
Pops Mohamed lives in South Africa, but is a well traveled multi instrumentalist, who has taken it upon himself to keep traditional African sounds alive. He wrote the lyrics of the second movement of "Wake up and Dance", which is performed in the Zulu language. On the picture he plays a African mouth bow.
Khululiwe Sithole and Khanyo Maphumulo live in South Africa. With their warm and earthy voices they are introducing the "message" of the song "Wake up and Dance"; you may not see them on TV, or get to hear from them from the press, but thereare millions of people dedicating their lives and work to make the world a better place. every day, every minute. Don't believe it if they tell you, nobody is doing any thing...
Susan Hendiks is from South Africa as well. With her strong and firm voice she talks in Zulu about the importance to keep the experiences of the past closely connected to the hopes of the future. This is the soil of what helped South Africa in this difficult and dangerous times of its non-violent change.
Xiao Jing Wang is Chinese. She has been part of the Vollenweider circle since many years and has played her beautiful Erhu (Chinese violin) in many of Andreas' projects, from World to Rock to Symphonic. Like many of the other exotic sounds, she joins the many musicians in the second part of "Wake up and Dance".
Sebastian Vollenweider is the middle son of the Vollenweider Family. Towards the end of the song "Wake up and Dance", he adds a hypnotic quality with his didgeridoo-playing.
Noëmi Vollenweider & the Beewis School Choir; Noëmi is Andreas' youngest daughter (13). She gathered her entire school class to contribute "full steam" with their voices in the second movement of "Wake up and Dance"
Martin Tillmann took his electric cello and moved, a long time ago, from Switzerland to Los Angeles. It didn't take long for the Hollywood community to recognize his potential and soon he and his unusual cello sounds became a must for the cream of film composers. Whenever a movie gets really scary and the suspense is unbearable, it is Martin at work. He also works as a composer himself as well. For us he brought his acoustic cello to the studio and played the most sensual and emotional melody cascades.
