Andreas Vollenweider | "Slow Flow & Dancer"

This time Andreas Vollenweider has grouped his music according to atmosphere and character: Slow Flow is a collection of pieces with a relaxed, flowing feel, while Dancer is full of movement and rhythm.

All 11 songs on Slow Flow and Dancer were created between 2010 and 2021 in collaboration with British producer Andy Wright (Eurythmics, Simply Red, Jeff Beck, Simple Minds, among many others). The two were supported in their creative process by Vollenweider's talented circle of friends, who laid the foundation for the songs:

Walter Keiser (drums), Andi Pupato (percussion), Daniel Kueffer (bass clarinet), Oliver Keller (guitars) and the young Swiss rapper and beat boxer Steff La Cheffe, a.k.a. Stefanie Peter.

The music of Dancer also reflects Vollenweider's connection with Africa. The South African vocal harmony band Africapella and singer Ayanda Nhlangothi embody this connection, which began back in the early 1980s. At that time, the black community of South Africa adopted Vollenweider’s music as their own folk music. During the bitter struggle for an end to the inhuman apartheid regime, Andreas' songs were sung by the masses in the streets to express the strong will for peaceful change.

The London Session Orchestra, consisting of musicians from the Royal Symphonic Orchestra under the direction of James McWilliam, filled out the sound. Renowned British producer and arranger Peter Vettese is responsible for most of the orchestration. The brass elements were recorded by the experienced studio musicians of the London Horns.

The recordings took place at Andreas' Lakeside Studios in Switzerland, as well as at SABC Studios in Johannesburg, South Africa, and finally at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. Andy Wright's long-time sound engineer Gavin Goldberg has set new sonic standards for Vollenweider's music with his work, and is able to delight even the most discerning audiophiles with a punchy yet transparent, dynamic soundscape. Mastering guru Tony Cousins at Metropolis Studios put the finishing touches on the sound.

For Andreas, the last album Quiet Places with its contemplative, peaceful music forms a unit with Slow Flow & Dancer.  The three types of music complement one another and offer sound experiences for different moods and needs:

• Quiet Places: soulful, intimate, introspective

• Slow Flow: relaxing, like a leisurely walk in the park

• Dancer: an invitation to move and physically experience the music

Slow Flow & Dancer has had to wait a long time to be released to the world, not least because of Covid19, which also interfered massively with the plans of Andreas and his fellow musicians. All the more reason for Andreas Vollenweider & Friends to finally be able to present this album to you.