Andreas Vollenweider: Slow Flow & Dancer

Instrumental music featuring the harps of Andreas Vollenweider, who plays his instruments traditionally, meaning in the classical style, and he plays in a jazzy way, and he plays in a new age style, and here for several tracks he rocks with an African beat. Remember, Vollenweider created the electro-acoustic harp in 1975, which changed everything.

This album is a combination of two concepts. The first theme is Slow Flow, featuring a sparkling orchestra/band with the harp, an orchestra with strings, electric guitars, traps and synths. Particularly nice are the water sounds at the very beginning, splashing musically as a tonal percussion instrument. Next track, the feeling is whirling about in a joyful way, dancing is easy with the strings and the harp, and the whole band sparkling together. The title song, "Slow Flow," is like breathing out while stepping back, with a funky guitar bark that adds a rock edge to an instrumental groove. The tracks continue with a great feeling of cosmic elevation, romantic and swaying, comforting and nostalgic, reaching a thematic conclusion, strings and harp with vocalist Steff La Cheffe, a.k.a. Stefanie Peter, the young Swiss rapper and beatboxer vocalist.

The second theme is Dancer. Now we are in an international world, and Steff La Cheffe owns this territory. There are African influences, South American influences, new connections from all over. "Woa Woa" has a bright and understated laughing equine whinny (trumpet?), the vocals are in the percussion as well as telling the tale, the groove is energetic and makes it easy to find refreshing ways to move your body and spirit. "Scarabaeus" has a very complex funky buzzy groove, some vocals with words, some vocals with the beat. "The Golden Bird" transports the sound back into the Western groove, with piano harp strings, then bouncing into "Uthando" returning to the international and African groove. "Up & Out" introduces an electronic pulse with the string orchestra, keeping the power of the groove solid. The international spice alternating with the more western-sounding instruments makes this a collection of musical delights.