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Discography
Biography
Album Pages
Dreams
Born in Silence
Beyond Passion
Khemennu, Land of the Moon
Roses in the Sky
Union
Love in Grace
The Twins
GuestbookBorn in Silence
Beyond Passion
Khemennu, Land of the Moon
Roses in the Sky
Union
Love in Grace
The Twins
“I had my first gig when I was sixteen. Our band was called "Notruf" which translates as emergency call. That was in 1972. I played the drums. My dad was happy when I traded my drum kit for a classical nylon string guitar. I could travel with a guitar and that, I did. I had the good fortune to meet blues player Memphis Slim when I was seventeen and also shook hands with Chuck Berry when he came to a party at the farmhouse where I rented a room. All these by chance meetings make me feel good and connected. I got the real kick for making music when I was in India and heard the meditation music of George Deuter.
Back in Germany I recorded my first new age/meditation/space music on the synthesizer, classical guitar and bouzouki. I sold all my music gear to go to the United States and believe it or not, the evening I sold everything except my guitar, I get a call from the studio that had gotten my demo and they wanted to record me. Just my luck. It was 1982 and my dream to record had to wait. Three years later I finally had new recording equipment and a synthesizer.
I settled in Mill Valley, Marin County in California. In the ten years from 1988 to 1998 I had recorded six studio albums and one live album and I had toured and performed throughout the United States and Canada in 1994 and 1995. After the CD release of Union in 1999, I went through a silent phase in which I created but did not publish the recordings. Ten years later my efforts are rewarded with a double CD release of "The Twins" and "Love in Grace".”
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Released April 1988
classical guitar, flute, synthesizer, sampler, drum machine, mandola cello and electric guitar.
Musicians
| Sky | classical guitar, flute, synthesizer, sampler and drum machine |
| Govi | mandola cello and electric guitar. |
1. Tibet 2. Sunshine on Ios 3. Old Ages 4. Completion 5. Gentle Sorrow 6. The Shores of the High Priestess
Dreams was my debut. In 1985 I left the spiritual community I was part of and arrived in San Francisco with $150.00 in my pocket and I had only one dream, to make music. I changed my name to Sky and started to acquire keyboards and studio gear, spending every dollar I earned. I lived in this little place, just my bed and keyboards and started to record. Tibet was very close to my heart, I had been in Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama resides. So the first song I made in memory of my first journey to India in 1978. It was always about meditation music and some kind of spiritual connection through music. 'The shores of the High Priestess' was born out of my many years of meditation practice and it became a song that made this album a classic. (See review page). Dreams was completed on May 24, 1987, the day the Golden Gate bridge had its 50th birthday. I drove out to Tiburon by the Bay and stopped the car to watch the fireworks and a lady pulls up in her car and hands me a champagne glass and she fills it up and we sang 'happy birthday'. I felt so blessed. It was great!!! My friend painted the album cover for me and in April 1988 Dreams was released. Dreams is very well suited for meditation and inspiration.
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Released June 1989
classical guitar, flute, synthesizer, sampler, drum machine, cello, piano, clavichord and voice.
Musicians
| Sky | synthesizer, classical guitar, flute, drum machine, sampler, clavichord and piano |
| David Zoeckler | cello |
| Lisa Frueh | piano accompaniment |
| Evelyn Pontonio | voice |
1. Born in Silence 2. Gemini Dance 3. For Lovers 4. The Storyteller 5. Welcome 6. Movement 1 7. The Night Sky 8. Movement 2 9. Sun and Rain
Born in Silence was my second album. I had moved into a new place and enjoyed the addition of a new keyboard. I was in need for a cello player, and I was introduced to David Zoeckler, who had performed with the Boulder Symphony. I was fortunate to have found David and we had a good time recording. I won't forget the time when we chose to record David in the walk in closet. We liked the sound in there and set up the mikes. We were really lucky, it was just big enough. Sitting down to record, David managed to bow without hitting the wall. One of the songs that David is playing the cello on is 'For Lovers.' This song was actually written in Germany in 1981. I shared a flat in Münster, a major student town and was in love and wrote 'For Lovers' for my girlfriend. Space which includes 'Movement 1,' 'The Night Sky' and 'Movement 2' was my first try at a multiple song structure. I kept them as separate tracks though and I guess that was a good idea since 'The Night Sky' got a lot of airplay. On 'Sun and Rain' I had help with the accompaniment on the piano from Lisa Frueh. Evelyn Pontonio sings on this song as well. Born in Silence was released in 1989 and it became a favorite with massage practitioners. The Department for Health called to use the music for their non smoking program. I had many compliments for the healing and relaxing qualities of Born in Silence. Lots of parents love the way the music calms their children. TIME LIFE included 'Sun and Rain' as a classic New Age piece on a compilation CD called 'Free Spirits'. That was in 1996 seven years after Born in Silence was released. Recommended for healing and massage work.
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Released August 1990
grand piano, violin, cello, voice, drums, tibetan bowls, crystal bowls, classical guitar, synthesizer and electric guitar.
Musicians
| Sky | synthesizer, classical guitar, flute, grand piano, tibetan bowls and crystal bowls |
| David Zoeckler | cello and clarinet |
| David Ballakrishnan | violin |
| Mark Karan | electric guitar and classical guitar |
| Herbert Waltl | piano |
| Evelyn Pontonio | voice |
| Marco Zonka | tablas and drums |
| Terry Lee | drums |
1. Overture 2. New Life 3. The Magician 4. Reflection 5. Dawn of Man 6. Moment in Time 7. God of Thunder 8. Beyond Passion 9. 1624 A.D. 10. Cornelius 11. The Ballerina
Beyond Passion came together fluidly. David Zoeckler was playing the cello again like he did on "Born in Silence." This time I decided to record in a professional studio and with the help of a co-producer. I had heard about Warren Dennis who was also working with Constance Demby, who created "Novus Magnificat" a milestone album in the space music genre. Constance and I were living in the same town by then and were to become friends down the road. I made some soundtrack recordings for 'Moment in Time.' My friend Om, who was working on his CD "Earth Awakening" and me went to record school children. We could sit in during class and record. The children on 'Moment in Time' were playing catch during recess and you can hear the bells from the church nearby. A moment in time. Warren knew a lot of musicians and I made contact with David Ballakrishnan, who plays the violin with the "Turtle Island Quartet" and is now a composer in residence at the Nashville Orchestra. Herbert Waltl played the piano on 'God of Thunder.' He is winner of two Grammys for producing Ray Charles, "Genius Loves Company." As musician he recorded over fifty classical piano works mostly of Beethoven. Evelyn Pontonio added vocals. Terry Lee plays drums. Marco Zonka plays tablas and drums. We were born on the same day and in the same year. Marco studied with Ali Akhar Khan at the college just around the corner. We met through a friend of mine. It is uncanny how many parallels we have. When we were fifteen, for example, we both hitchhiked through the lands. Marco was dressed up in Lederhosen hitching through the United States and I, dressed up in shorts, tails, bow tie and top hat, hitched through Europe. Both of us ended up in Fairfax, California, playing music. Beyond Passion was a hit for me. It made it to the Top Ten New Age albums in Canada and to the Top Twenty on Musical Starstreams.
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Released August 1992
piano, violin, voice, drums, accordion, saxophone, chapman stick, classical guitar, synthesizer, pedal steel guitar and electric guitar.
Musicians
| Sky | piano, synthesizer and classical guitar |
| Mark Karan | electric guitar |
| Robert Powell | pedal steel guitar |
| Teed Rockwell | chapman stick |
| Jennifer Youngdahl | voice |
| Annicia Balazs | voice and toning |
| Gus Garelick | violin |
| Jim Boggio | accordion |
| Jamison Frost | tenor and alto saxophone |
1. The Doorway 2. Departure 3. Inward Movement 4. Pentangle 5. Crystalchild 6. Garden of Live 7. Insel des Mondes 8. Initiation 9. Circle of Life 10. Melodia del Cuore 11. A New Beginning
Khemennu, Land of the moon was my fourth album. I had released a CD per year and now I was looking for new inspiration. I started to live more at night than at day. Often I found myself walking around the reservoir composing to the rhythm of my steps. The name Khemennu came after I had finished the songs in June 1992. I found a story by Laraine Mesavage about the Egyptian mythology and the moon calendar. Upper Egypt was once called Khemennu, the "Land of the moon." I had no doubts about the title. When I read that, I knew. Many friends were helping me on this album. The sound recordings from the whales at the beginning of 'Circle of Life' are recorded by Paul Horn who graciously allowed me to use them. There is also the sound of a geyser. For a while I was helping Constance Demby as an engineer. When Conny was performing on Lanzarote, a
vulcanic island in the Canaries, we drove around the island and found this little hole in the ground, a tiny geyser. We put a microphone close by and recorded this sound. Every so often it would spout steam. You can hear it on 'A New Beginning.' Robert Powell played the pedal steel guitar and Mark Karan, who now plays with "Bob Weir & Ratdog" plays the electric guitar on 'Circle of Life.' My teacher at that time did the toning on 'Initiation' and the dolphin like sounds at the end of 'Circle of Life.' Jim Boggio, see photo, and his music partner Gus Garelick play the accordion and the gypsy violin on 'Garden of Life.' The saxophones, tenor and alto, are played by Jamison Frost. Jennifer Youngdahl and Teed Rockwell complete the ensemble. Khemennu, Land of the moon became a concept album. A soundtrack to a spiritual journey. Recommended for meditation and exploration.
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Released May 1994
classical guitar, synthesizer, piano, percussion, drum machine, twelve string guitar, bass and bouzouki.
Musicians
| Sky | classical guitar, synthesizer, piano, drum machine, twelve string guitar and bouzouki. |
| Terry Lee | percussion |
| Skip Knierim | bass |
1. Newland 2. Gentle Waves 3. When I close my eyes and dream 4. Sacred Meeting 5. On Wings of Freedom 6. Love Forever 7. The Meadow
Roses in the Sky was a happy time. I just came back from Germany. I had not been there in eleven years. 1994 had just started and this time I had a large studio space, large enough for a white dove. My dove was very peaceful and tender. I learned a little patience from her. When she was sitting in the flower pot, I would put my finger out for her to climb onto. It took some minutes before she put one foot on my finger, all the while looking at me, and then, a minute later she put the other one. A magical and peaceful time. I was living with a wonderful friend and photographer Shoshana Korson and she was taking the pictures and Steve Fischer's graphic design completed the album art. The house I was living in was surrounded by Redwood trees. As I was recording 'The Meadow,' I went on the little wooden balcony which was thirty feet above the ground and spread my arms to touch this tall young Redwood tree. I closed my eyes and did not know if the balcony was moving or the tree. With closed eyes you might as well have been on sea holding onto the mast of a ship. I hoped to gather strength, inside, connection and deeper feeling. I meditated like that for a while and then I went inside to record the two classical guitars that you can hear on 'The Meadow.' There is a part called the 'Meadow of the Unicorns.' In those days I was driving up to Mount Tamalpais and would hang out for inspiration. One day I came across this meadow, one tree on a little rise and there was fog in the air. I added a little fantasy and that's how I got the name for the fifth part. 'The Meadow' is a six part song over sixteen minutes long. Its something like a musical story set to nature. Roses was finished when Terry Lee and his brother Skip Knierim showed up to lay down some percussion and bass tracks on 'Newland' and on 'Love Forever.' 'Love Forever' got picked up by Country and Western radio stations. The twelve string guitar was the foundation for this song. Roses in the Sky was published in May 1994 and I started to tour and left in October, heading across the country to the East coast and back to California. Roses in the Sky keeps on being one of my favorites. Recommended highly.
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Released October 1999
twelve string guitar, piano, flute, synthesizer, sitar, drum machine, percussion and vocal.
Musician
Sky
1. Sunday on Mars 2. Sleeping Helena 3. I Am Walking 4. Sacred Seeds 5. Dancing in Jerusalem 6. Awake 7. On the Dreamtrain 8. Water over Water 9. The Kiss 10. Above the Lake 11. Masquerade in Spring 12. One Day 13. Reprise
Union was a solo effort. I went to Egypt and Israel to get inspiration and silence in the desert. I prepared myself for this work. After six weeks I flew back to to the United States. I had moved away from the Bay area and lived in a little house in Medina, Ohio. For seven months I locked myself away going deep. On the summer solstice I drove out to Amish land and sat down under a tree at sunrise to record the two poems that I had written. At night I would lie on a little raft and float on a pond nearby, composing the lyrics for 'I am walking.' Images in this song are from the time when I was sailing up the Nile from Assuam to Luxor. The captain sailed all through the night. It was breathtaking. The song 'Dancing in Jerusalem' is inspired by the time I spent in Jerusalem. I heard music while I was walking through the old town. I followed the sound and came around the corner onto a small plaza. There, the music teacher was playing and the school kids were dancing all around; I had so many blessed moments on my journeys. Union was finished in October 1996, but the CD was not released until 1999 at that point I added and recorded 'The Kiss' on the sitar. Three hundred hand signed copies where printed. One of my favorite tracks is 'One day,' which I dedicated to my longtime friend Gaffur who played with me on my first recordings dating back to 1980. Union traverses many landscapes. Starting out with 'Sunday on Mars' and traveling on the 'Dreamtrain' to the Highlands above the lake.
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Released March 2009
piano, harpsichord, synthesizer, sampler, violin and bouzouki.
Musicians
| Sky | piano, harpsichord, synthesizer, sampler and bouzouki. |
| Hilary Schacht | violin |
1. love in grace 2. scent of a dove 3. memories 4. balance 5. spirit 6. evernever 7. silence
Love in Grace is my personal masterpiece. I was living in Florence, Alabama, when I started to get the idea of writing a symphony. I went to the library to read all I could find about the musicians and the music of the classical period. I set up my keyboard and started writing down ideas. Sometimes when I went to bed at night I could hear music in my head and change and add instruments at will. That was an enormous feeling, scary as well. I thought, "when it does not stop to play in my head, what then?". My life fell apart at that time and it was a long time before I picked up the work on the symphony again. I had moved to my hometown to regroup. I was recording different music for a while. Electronica, something more rhythm oriented. Once I got back to the United States in 2003, I continued to compose. I had one keyboard and no recording equipment for a while. But in 2004, I purchased two synthesizers with special sounds from all orchestral instruments. I bought an old piano and continued to learn and find new ideas. In October 2007, I finally felt ready to record. I recorded the parts over a three day period but to produce the album took an eternity. The following winter I did a few overdubs and asked Hilary Schacht to play the violin that you can hear on the song 'spirit.' During the recording break I asked: "Hilary, what can I give you in return for your playing?" She answered: "I am happy with a clipping from your spider plant." How can I not call the song 'spirit'? I get highest praise for the deep meditative quality of Love in Grace.
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Released March 2009
synthesizer, piano, bouzouki, sitar, harmonica, flute, ravanahatta, tamboura and drum machine.
Musician
Sky
CD 1 Mesa Times
1. space age 2. vortex piano 3. harpy 4. D flat major 5. sweet dreams 6. menuett a nature 7. choir space 8. morning sun 9. Julika 10. melody 11. space #12 12. melody TV 13. peace bubbles 14. I love 15. night train
CD 2 Silent Ears
1. Gingi 2. dripping time 3. the crow 4. tonebird 5. silent ears 6. time after time 7. Leh 8. call for you 9. winter of love 10. helena 11. gute Nacht
The Twins
The last album I had released was Union in 1999. Almost ten years past and I had recorded lots of songs. In winter 2008 I sat down and went through all of them, picking the crop. The only thing I needed now was to dust them up and fix unwanted artifacts like telephone ringing in the back of a recording. I found just such a software, especially for issues like that. In the summer my friend Marlene gave me her van so I could get away for a while and I went to Nederland, Colorado. For two weeks I sat in the van hooked up to an electric outlet and mastered the songs for The Twins. Ten years after I had recorded Silent ears at the same place.
The Twins Silent Ears
After I returned from a wonderful journey to India in 1997 I was happy like a kite but had no place to live. Where to now? You have heard about the musician without a girlfriend? I visited friends of mine in the Rockies and decided to stay. I found a place to live, high up and close to Nederland, Colorado. One of the most scenic places I had the fortune to live in. I fixed up a little studio and made it cozy and started to record. After a while the ceiling was leaking every time my room mate took a shower upstairs. It dripped an inch from the mixing board, lucky me. I had hours of soundscapes that I had brought back from India. When I was there I had a little portable DAT tape recorder with me and a good microphone as well. I recorded everything I could put my ears on. Once I passed by a tiny school and the children were singing the alphabet all in unison ever so sweet or at night I walked up to a snoring cow and put the microphone to her nose. There seem to be as many soundscapes to record as there are pictures to be taken. I recorded traffic, chanting sadhu, tea house conversations, a pond full of frogs at night, temples, a train ride; pretty much a kaleidoscope of soundscapes from all over India. First I had to choose the sounds that I wanted to use for Silent ears before I could record the bouzouki. I needed long clips so I chose the ones that I recorded during my stay in Auroville at the Bay of Bengal. When I started to record I played back the India soundtrack through the loud speakers and played the bouzouki to it. I was still in touch with India. I recorded once and then I added the sitar, harmonica and some other colors. When a long Colorado winter came to an end, I moved on, down the road to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I am still here. Silent ears, an impression of India set to bouzouki and sitar. Something different.
The Twins Mesa Times Time had passed. It was 2004 and I got back on my feet and I moved into a place where I actually could stand up straight with shoes on. I moved out of a little trailer, where I had to remove my shoes to do that. In my new home there were a couple of solar panels to make the electricity. Mesa Times is kind of a green recording. The cabin was close to nowhere removed from any influence, off the grid. Once a woodpecker flew down the stovepipe and I picked him up from the rafters and let him out. He shot out of my hands like an arrow and that was pretty much the news out there. I bought an old piano from the turn of the last century with ivory keys so nicked from the playing over time that you wonder what it all had heard. I was working and living in peace and quiet. For rent, I was working a couple of times a week at my neighbors horse ranch as a stable hand, and life was good and I was single. There was only one thing on my mind though, music. I started studying the piano in preparation for the symphony I wanted to write. Sometimes I would just sit at the keyboards and do something different and over the two years I had gathered enough material for a CD. On New Year 2006 I left the Mesa and moved to town. Mesa Times has something from a little further away.
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