Adaro
GERMAN MEDIEVAL ROCK Adaro existed from 1996 to 2006. The band was part of a musical genre which took inspiration from medieval times in songwriting, lyrics and instrumentation. Adaro used Middle High German lyrics (12th–14th century) by Walther von der Vogelweide, Gottfried von Neifen, Ulrich von Winterstetten but also lyrics from late medieval centuries for example by Oswald von Wolkenstein, Hans Sachs, Giovanni Boccaccio, Jakob Thurner, Reinmar von Hagenau, and they wrote their own unique music in addition. The music is a mixture of Rock and Folk. The instrumentation is a combination of common rock gear like electric guitar, drums, bass, with medieval instruments like hurdy-gurdy, crumhorn and bagpipes.
They made three full length studio albums, played about 250 concerts, wrote a little more than 50 songs, had four appearances on TV, and have at least one prominent fan (Ritchie Blackmore who did send a fax to the band to congratulate them for their fantastic music).
Discography:
- Stella Splendens (1997)
- Words Never Spoken (1999) 4 tracks
- Minnenspiel (2002)
- Schlaraffenland (2004)
- Words Never Spoken Extended Edition (2004) 18 tracks
Book:
"Das Geheimnis um Adaro" by Lara Mari Belisaba-Baron, 2001
Line-up (as on the photo from left to right =>)
- Christoph Pelgen - vocals, bagpipes, crumhorn, recorders, bombarde
- Dr. Biel - drums, percussion, loops
- Henrik Mumm - bass guitars, cello
- Jürgen Treyz - guitars
- Konstanze Kulinsky - vocals, electric-acoustic hurdy-gurdy
Anyone's Daughter
PROGRESSIVE ROCK / MELODIC ROCKAnyone's Daughter 1979 - 1984 Progressive Rock
The band was founded in the mid-seventies and released their first LP Adonis in 1979. Over the years, they were constantly playing concerts in the southwest of Germany. Their second LP Anyone's Daughter was released in 1980. This album featured the radio hit "Moria". In 1981 they released their 40 minute epic "Piktors Verwandlungen", based on a fairy tale by Hermann Hesse. This album turned out to be Anyone's Daughters biggest success. Consequently, the band changed to German lyrics on their follow-up LPs In Blau (1982) and Neue Sterne (1983). After more than 500 gigs and more than 120.000 sold albums over the years, the album Live (1984) saw the light of day. Then the constant line-up split as some of the members had to start their community service.
Line-Up:
- Matthias Ulmer: keyboards, vocals
- Harald Bareth: vocals, bass
- Uwe Karpa: guitars
- Kono Konopik: drums (until summer 1981)
- Peter Schmidt: drums (from summer 1981 to 1984)
Anyone's Daughter 2001 - 2012 Melodic / Progressive RockAfter a long break the band came back in 2001 with a different line-up and the CD Danger World which included modern elements without denying the roots of the musicians around keyboard player and main songwriter Matthias Ulmer. The band started touring again and released the further albums Wrong (2004) and the semi-acoustic Trio Tour (2006) with the reduced line-up of Matthias Ulmer, André Carswell and Uwe Karpa. Finally the double album Calw Live (2011) presented a complete concert from 2002 with Germanys famous poet and songwriter Heinz Rudolf Kunze.
Line-Up:
- Matthias Ulmer: keyboards, vocals
- André Carswell: vocals
- Raoul Walton: bass
- Peter Kumpf: drums
- Uwe Karpa: guitars
Eureka
PROGRESSIVE ROCK & CELTIC MUSIC
The Eureka project was founded by multi-instrumentalist Frank Bossert in 1997. Bossert had been singer, guitarist and bassist in a number of Hamburg based rock bands before moving to the North Sea town of Husum at the beginning of the 90s, where he built his own recording studio. His debut album, Eureka, saw the light of day in autumn 1997, featuring a musical mix of Celtic motifs, world music, folk, rock and symphonic sounds. 2002 marked the arrival of Eureka’s second CD named The Full Circle. On this album Frank brought his musical ambition to a first peak. The album combines virtuously performed celtic, folk and world sounds, with catchy melodies and some symphonic rock arrangements. As an example the two celtic hits "Highland Sun" and "Tempus Novum" can be named. They perfectly match with such different titles like the oriental sounding "Arabesque" and the symphonic epic track "The Full Circle" (9:05 min.). Bossert formed a band consisting of musician friends and brought the complex sound of his music to the stage for the first time. The project’s third album, The Compass Rose, was recorded with this wider line-up and released in 2005. Some personal problems within his family situation helped Frank Bossert to collect additional strength and to concentrate on his masterpiece: a concept album about the heroic Antarctica journey by Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1914-1916, called Shackleton’s Voyage.
On this album Eureka multi-instrumentalist Frank Bossert created a new musical world out of progressive rock, instrumental tracks and celtic music influences. He managed to get such gifted musicians like Billy Sherwood (Yes), Troy Donockley (Iona), Yogi Lang (RPWL) and Kalema to contribute on this album. After original photos by Australian camera pioneer Frank Hurley were licensed for the CD booklet, the album was released in 2009 and got worldwide attention in the press. The 2011 compilation Silverware recalls the past with some of the best tracks from 1997 to 2010 and offers one brandnew title and three re-recordings in addition.
Discography:
- Eureka (1997)
- The Full Circle (2002)
- The Compass Rose (2006)
- Shackleton's Voyage (2009)
- Silverware - The Best Of Eureka (2011)
The Eureka project was founded by multi-instrumentalist Frank Bossert in 1997. Bossert had been singer, guitarist and bassist in a number of Hamburg based rock bands before moving to the North Sea town of Husum at the beginning of the 90s, where he built his own recording studio. His debut album, Eureka, saw the light of day in autumn 1997, featuring a musical mix of Celtic motifs, world music, folk, rock and symphonic sounds. 2002 marked the arrival of Eureka’s second CD named The Full Circle. On this album Frank brought his musical ambition to a first peak. The album combines virtuously performed celtic, folk and world sounds, with catchy melodies and some symphonic rock arrangements. As an example the two celtic hits "Highland Sun" and "Tempus Novum" can be named. They perfectly match with such different titles like the oriental sounding "Arabesque" and the symphonic epic track "The Full Circle" (9:05 min.). Bossert formed a band consisting of musician friends and brought the complex sound of his music to the stage for the first time. The project’s third album, The Compass Rose, was recorded with this wider line-up and released in 2005. Some personal problems within his family situation helped Frank Bossert to collect additional strength and to concentrate on his masterpiece: a concept album about the heroic Antarctica journey by Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1914-1916, called Shackleton’s Voyage. On this album Eureka multi-instrumentalist Frank Bossert created a new musical world out of progressive rock, instrumental tracks and celtic music influences. He managed to get such gifted musicians like Billy Sherwood (Yes), Troy Donockley (Iona), Yogi Lang (RPWL) and Kalema to contribute on this album. After original photos by Australian camera pioneer Frank Hurley were licensed for the CD booklet, the album was released in 2009 and got worldwide attention in the press. The 2011 compilation Silverware recalls the past with some of the best tracks from 1997 to 2010 and offers one brandnew title and three re-recordings in addition.Discography:
- Eureka (1997)
- The Full Circle (2002)
- The Compass Rose (2006)
- Shackleton's Voyage (2009)
- Silverware - The Best Of Eureka (2011)
Fuchs
PROGRESSIVE ROCK
Hans-Juergen (Hansi) Fuchs, multi-instrumentalist from Stuttgart, has been involved in many different musical projects. He is also one of the musical masterminds behind his wife’s productions, the keyboardist Ines Fuchs, who recorded four highly acknowledged Progressive Rock albums under the name INES between 1994 - 2002. Guitarist, singer and keyboardist Hans-Juergen Fuchs is also a music producer. Around the beginning of the 1990s during the renewed evolvement of the prog-scene, he produced many albums of artists in his own Roxanne Studio, which later merged with the well-known Artes-Studio. With more than 30 productions for the meanwhile vanished label WMMS and other free productions, e.g. the German medieval rock band Adaro, this was a very productive era.
For more than 15 years Hansi Fuchs has also been the author, composer and director for a number of musicals designed for schools, which are primarily aimed for pupils of different ages. These musicals have been very successfully performed at schools all over Germany and German-speaking countries.
In the spring of 2012 Hansi FUCHS released his first solo album under the name of “Leaving Home”. It tells the story of a German family between 1920 and 1945, beginning with the happy years of a young love, followed by Hitler’s seizure of power ending in curse and expulsion. It is his father’s family’s story, pieced together from his grandmother’s anecdotes. Hansi has rearranged the puzzle and managed to develop a very personal concept album. He doesn’t want to hide his musical roots despite, or just because of, the story’s severe content and drama. “Leaving home” illustrates various influences of the 1970s, of course mainly from the Art Rock, which later in the 1990s was renamed to “Progressive Rock” and then shortened to “Prog Rock”. Hansi’s wife Ines adds a beautiful synthesizer solo to the album, thus closing the circle to their successful Prog-Rock days.
Hans-Juergen (Hansi) Fuchs, multi-instrumentalist from Stuttgart, has been involved in many different musical projects. He is also one of the musical masterminds behind his wife’s productions, the keyboardist Ines Fuchs, who recorded four highly acknowledged Progressive Rock albums under the name INES between 1994 - 2002. Guitarist, singer and keyboardist Hans-Juergen Fuchs is also a music producer. Around the beginning of the 1990s during the renewed evolvement of the prog-scene, he produced many albums of artists in his own Roxanne Studio, which later merged with the well-known Artes-Studio. With more than 30 productions for the meanwhile vanished label WMMS and other free productions, e.g. the German medieval rock band Adaro, this was a very productive era.For more than 15 years Hansi Fuchs has also been the author, composer and director for a number of musicals designed for schools, which are primarily aimed for pupils of different ages. These musicals have been very successfully performed at schools all over Germany and German-speaking countries. In the spring of 2012 Hansi FUCHS released his first solo album under the name of “Leaving Home”. It tells the story of a German family between 1920 and 1945, beginning with the happy years of a young love, followed by Hitler’s seizure of power ending in curse and expulsion. It is his father’s family’s story, pieced together from his grandmother’s anecdotes. Hansi has rearranged the puzzle and managed to develop a very personal concept album. He doesn’t want to hide his musical roots despite, or just because of, the story’s severe content and drama. “Leaving home” illustrates various influences of the 1970s, of course mainly from the Art Rock, which later in the 1990s was renamed to “Progressive Rock” and then shortened to “Prog Rock”. Hansi’s wife Ines adds a beautiful synthesizer solo to the album, thus closing the circle to their successful Prog-Rock days.
Ines
PROGRESSIVE ROCK 
In 1994 the debut album Hunting The Fox surprised the world of progressive rock with Ines' mature keyboard playing in the fine tradition of the best works by Martin Orford (IQ), Matthias Ulmer (Anyone's Daughter) or Tony Banks (Genesis). The first album also surprised with one well-known singer of the German progressive rock scene, Harald Bareth. He was the singer of Anyone’s Daughter in their most popular times (1979-1984) and had not sung on any other record since then. Other musicians on this record are for example Chico Grosso, Chris Bianchi d'Espinosa and Massimo "Max" Michieletto from the Italian prog band Asgard. Ines’ husband Hans-Jürgen ”Hansi” Fuchs sings on the album too, plays guitar and produced the albums, like the three subsequent later CDs.
The same line-up can be found on the second album Eastern Dawning (1996), which was a similar success as the debut. Additional help of the folk experienced musician from Adaro, with whom Ines’ husband Hans-Jürgen Fuchs shares the well known Artes recording studio, came to record the third album named The Flow. This album was released in 1999 and turns out to add some folk tunes to the progressive rock songs. The songs describe the flowing of a river until it reaches the sea. In 2002 keyboardist and songwriter Ines released her last album so far, which was called Slipping Into The Unkown. Since then Ines has concentrated more on painting, photographing and playing music in figure theaters.
Discography:
- Hunting The Fox (1994)
- Eastern Dawning (1996)
- The Flow (1999)
- Slipping Into The Unknown (2002)
In 1994 the debut album Hunting The Fox surprised the world of progressive rock with Ines' mature keyboard playing in the fine tradition of the best works by Martin Orford (IQ), Matthias Ulmer (Anyone's Daughter) or Tony Banks (Genesis). The first album also surprised with one well-known singer of the German progressive rock scene, Harald Bareth. He was the singer of Anyone’s Daughter in their most popular times (1979-1984) and had not sung on any other record since then. Other musicians on this record are for example Chico Grosso, Chris Bianchi d'Espinosa and Massimo "Max" Michieletto from the Italian prog band Asgard. Ines’ husband Hans-Jürgen ”Hansi” Fuchs sings on the album too, plays guitar and produced the albums, like the three subsequent later CDs.
The same line-up can be found on the second album Eastern Dawning (1996), which was a similar success as the debut. Additional help of the folk experienced musician from Adaro, with whom Ines’ husband Hans-Jürgen Fuchs shares the well known Artes recording studio, came to record the third album named The Flow. This album was released in 1999 and turns out to add some folk tunes to the progressive rock songs. The songs describe the flowing of a river until it reaches the sea. In 2002 keyboardist and songwriter Ines released her last album so far, which was called Slipping Into The Unkown. Since then Ines has concentrated more on painting, photographing and playing music in figure theaters.Discography:
- Hunting The Fox (1994)
- Eastern Dawning (1996)
- The Flow (1999)
- Slipping Into The Unknown (2002)
Ritual
PROGRESSIVE ROCK
Ritual from Sweden have been awarded with praise since the arrival of their debut album back in 1995. Fans and media likewise agree that this act from Sweden is one of the most unusual and innovative phenomena in the international rock music scene.
The four band members, Patrik Lundström (vocals, guitars), Jon Gamble (keyboards, harmonium, harmonic, vocals), Fredrik Lindqvist (bass, bouzouki, mandolin, flutes, etc.) and Johan Nordgren (drums, percussion) mix elements of rock, folk and world music, sprinkle in jazz elements so that their songs move near to avant-garde as well as folk rock, heavy rock or progressive rock.
The feeling that it must have been a decade since their last album is actually not true. Within 18 years they released four studio albums, one live album and played three tours within Europe. They toured 2003 with RPWL, 2004 with Anekdoten and 2008 with The Tangent and Beardfish. Furthermore they played big festivals in their home country, the Sweden Rock, in the US they played Rosfest, and in Mexico, the Baja Prog festival. Even when that makes in a calculation just one studio album every 4.5 years, the time between was busy as the schedule proves. And it is worth to wait such a long time on a new Ritual album. Every single one of their releases, including the often disdained Superb Birth of 1999, is a brilliant and unique gift to the fans of sophisticated music. Each album - from the selftitled debut to the 2003 Think Like A Mountain album and to the Tove Jansson’s inspired The Hemulic Voluntary Band album in 2007 - is so different from the one before, and each album is full of fascinating songs, which makes every record a beautiful gem.
Why is that so? Maybe the variation in Ritual's music can be explained by the variety of their singer Patrik Lundström who is the main composer and driving force behind the band. He not only has Ritual as vehicle for his own music, he also makes a living with professional singing and performing. He sings in a well-booked Swedish ABBA cover band as the ”Benny”, sings backing vocals on Agnetha Fältskogs last solo album, was Swedens official Grand Prix contribution in 1997 with Blond, had a lead part in a Buddy Holly musical, and so on and so forth… and Patrik is also the vocalist for Sweden’s all time progressive rock flagship Kaipa.
Probably that was a lot of inspirations and influences over the years. Let’s see with what Ritual will surprise us on their next album, scheduled for 2012, 2013, or latest 2014.
Discography:
- Ritual (1995)
- Superb Birth (1999)
- Think Like A Mountain (2003)
- Live (2006)
- The Hemulic Voluntary Band (2007)
Ritual from Sweden have been awarded with praise since the arrival of their debut album back in 1995. Fans and media likewise agree that this act from Sweden is one of the most unusual and innovative phenomena in the international rock music scene.
The four band members, Patrik Lundström (vocals, guitars), Jon Gamble (keyboards, harmonium, harmonic, vocals), Fredrik Lindqvist (bass, bouzouki, mandolin, flutes, etc.) and Johan Nordgren (drums, percussion) mix elements of rock, folk and world music, sprinkle in jazz elements so that their songs move near to avant-garde as well as folk rock, heavy rock or progressive rock. The feeling that it must have been a decade since their last album is actually not true. Within 18 years they released four studio albums, one live album and played three tours within Europe. They toured 2003 with RPWL, 2004 with Anekdoten and 2008 with The Tangent and Beardfish. Furthermore they played big festivals in their home country, the Sweden Rock, in the US they played Rosfest, and in Mexico, the Baja Prog festival. Even when that makes in a calculation just one studio album every 4.5 years, the time between was busy as the schedule proves. And it is worth to wait such a long time on a new Ritual album. Every single one of their releases, including the often disdained Superb Birth of 1999, is a brilliant and unique gift to the fans of sophisticated music. Each album - from the selftitled debut to the 2003 Think Like A Mountain album and to the Tove Jansson’s inspired The Hemulic Voluntary Band album in 2007 - is so different from the one before, and each album is full of fascinating songs, which makes every record a beautiful gem.
Why is that so? Maybe the variation in Ritual's music can be explained by the variety of their singer Patrik Lundström who is the main composer and driving force behind the band. He not only has Ritual as vehicle for his own music, he also makes a living with professional singing and performing. He sings in a well-booked Swedish ABBA cover band as the ”Benny”, sings backing vocals on Agnetha Fältskogs last solo album, was Swedens official Grand Prix contribution in 1997 with Blond, had a lead part in a Buddy Holly musical, and so on and so forth… and Patrik is also the vocalist for Sweden’s all time progressive rock flagship Kaipa. Probably that was a lot of inspirations and influences over the years. Let’s see with what Ritual will surprise us on their next album, scheduled for 2012, 2013, or latest 2014.
Discography:
- Ritual (1995)
- Superb Birth (1999)
- Think Like A Mountain (2003)
- Live (2006)
- The Hemulic Voluntary Band (2007)
RPWL
PROGRESSIVE ROCK
First founded as Pink Floyd tribute band, RPWL quickly decided to write their own music. Their first album, God Has Failed in 2000, secured them success and established RPWL as recording and live artist. With several constant line-up changes they released further albums: Trying To Kiss The Sun (2002), Stock (2003), and World Through My Eyes in 2005. RPWL played a long tour to promote this album and highlighted it with a concert for the famous TV broadcast show WDR Rockpalast. To finish this successful year 2005 they released a live album called Live - Start The Fire.
After a little break and again with a new line-up 2008 saw the RPWL Experience album, another one which was highly acclaimed and followed by a long tour through the whole of Europe, while also making a trip to the US too. In all this successful years with their own music, they never forgot their roots. Over the years RPWL recorded a few more Pink Floyd songs, such as "Welcome To The Machine", "Cymbaline", "Opel", "Fat Old Sun", which can be found on compilation albums or on their live album Start The Fire.
Discography:
- God Has Failed (2000)
- Trying To Kiss The Sun (2002)
- Stock (2003)
- World Through My Eyes (2005)
- Live – Start The Fire (2005)
- The RPWL Experience (2008)
- Beyond Man and Time (2012)
First founded as Pink Floyd tribute band, RPWL quickly decided to write their own music. Their first album, God Has Failed in 2000, secured them success and established RPWL as recording and live artist. With several constant line-up changes they released further albums: Trying To Kiss The Sun (2002), Stock (2003), and World Through My Eyes in 2005. RPWL played a long tour to promote this album and highlighted it with a concert for the famous TV broadcast show WDR Rockpalast. To finish this successful year 2005 they released a live album called Live - Start The Fire. After a little break and again with a new line-up 2008 saw the RPWL Experience album, another one which was highly acclaimed and followed by a long tour through the whole of Europe, while also making a trip to the US too. In all this successful years with their own music, they never forgot their roots. Over the years RPWL recorded a few more Pink Floyd songs, such as "Welcome To The Machine", "Cymbaline", "Opel", "Fat Old Sun", which can be found on compilation albums or on their live album Start The Fire.Discography:
- God Has Failed (2000)
- Trying To Kiss The Sun (2002)
- Stock (2003)
- World Through My Eyes (2005)
- Live – Start The Fire (2005)
- The RPWL Experience (2008)
- Beyond Man and Time (2012)
Rudy's Journey
MELODIC ROCK
Rudy's Journey is the solo project of guitarist Rudi Buttas. In Germany, you don't need to introduce Buttas to the music fans, since he is - for more than 30 years now - a member of Germany's most successful band with German song lyrics: PUR.
For his solo project Rudy's Journey, he recalls his roots which are in the fields of melodic rock and art rock. For the album, the project was joined by Michael Sadler from Saga.
Rudy's Journey is the solo project of guitarist Rudi Buttas. In Germany, you don't need to introduce Buttas to the music fans, since he is - for more than 30 years now - a member of Germany's most successful band with German song lyrics: PUR.
For his solo project Rudy's Journey, he recalls his roots which are in the fields of melodic rock and art rock. For the album, the project was joined by Michael Sadler from Saga.Tom Newman
ATMOSPHERIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Tom Newman is well-known for his production work. Beside other artists he produced a few albums for Mike Oldfield, including young Oldfield's groundbreaking debut album Tubular Bells from 1973.
As a musician Tom was member of the 1968 psychedelic band July and he released about a dozen albums under his own name. Some of them are musically not far from that atmospheric instrumental music which was cultivated in the 70's by Mike Oldfield.
Tom Newman is well-known for his production work. Beside other artists he produced a few albums for Mike Oldfield, including young Oldfield's groundbreaking debut album Tubular Bells from 1973.
As a musician Tom was member of the 1968 psychedelic band July and he released about a dozen albums under his own name. Some of them are musically not far from that atmospheric instrumental music which was cultivated in the 70's by Mike Oldfield.Violet District
PROGRESSIVE ROCK
Violet District from Freising, near Munich, existed from about 1991 to 1997. In that time they played live around their hometown, but also in other parts of Germany and in France. The band released only one album, Terminal Breath, in 1992.
This CD was quickly circulated within the worldwide prog scene of that time and got best reviews everywhere. No wonder, the nucleus of Violet District were the talents of Karl-Heinz Wallner, Chris Postl and Yogi Lang who later became famous as members of RPWL.
Violet District from Freising, near Munich, existed from about 1991 to 1997. In that time they played live around their hometown, but also in other parts of Germany and in France. The band released only one album, Terminal Breath, in 1992.
This CD was quickly circulated within the worldwide prog scene of that time and got best reviews everywhere. No wonder, the nucleus of Violet District were the talents of Karl-Heinz Wallner, Chris Postl and Yogi Lang who later became famous as members of RPWL.