The story behind Andreas Vollenwider’s upcoming album Air is interesting. Andreas’ plan was not to make music, to take some well-deserved time away from it all. He says:

I actually was going to make room for my passion for storytelling and I was already in the midst of an intense writing process, when suddenly I felt an unbridled desire to play music rising. So I ended up writing during the day and at night I went to my studio, to completely lose myself in the playing, for hours, very much the same way as in the very beginning, no strategy, no concrete purpose, no plan.

Andreas invited some friends for a spontaneous gathering in his studio, and in less than two weeks the new album was recorded.

The idea behind it was to create music tailor-made for people of our times who:

• feel the need to take a deep breath again
• are longing to slow down
• need a break, a moment to themselves
• are looking for a protective distance from the overwhelming flood of impressions, expectations and pressures from all sides …
• need a little time to reflect, to ponder

Mr. Vollenweider says:

Listening to music is a perfect ‘excuse’ to take a little time-out from our lives’ crazy merry-go-round of speed, pressure and expectations. Listening to music is a ‘permitted time-out’, so to speak, for which nobody would criticize us … music – used this way – is like a secret door to the very personal inner space, the home of our emotions, dreams and hopes.

On Vollenweider.com is a trailer about the album, like a music video, and even a 37 minutes long interview with the Swiss harpist.

The album will be like a breath of fresh air, that’s for sure.