Wisp (band)

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Wisp
General information
origin Kestenholz (SO) Switzerland
Genre (s) Rock pop / art rock
founding 1975
Website https://www.irrwisch.ch
Founding members
Singing piano keyboards
Steff Bürgi
guitar
Chris Bürgi
Drums
Josef Kissling
Current occupation
Singing piano keyboards
Steff Bürgi
guitar
Chris Bürgi
Drums
Josef Kissling
bass
Adrian Wirz (since 2005)
Singing flute
Sabine Hasler (since 1998)
Sax percussion
Andi Hürzeler (since 1987)
former members
bass
Erich Riesen (1975–1987)
guitar
Peter Krattiger (1975-1992)
flute
Dieter Lüscher (1975–1980)
Trumpet percussion
Wolfgang Hafner (1975–1980)
Keyboards
Fredy Gruber (1982-1992)
Bass cello percussion vocals
Michael Wernli (1998-2005)

Irrwisch is one of the oldest Swiss rock bands . The band has been active for 45 years and has released 12 albums so far.

Band history

Irrwisch live 2019

Steff Bürgi and Chris Bürgi founded their first school band in Kestenholz (SO) as early as 1968. After several changes of members and names, the Irrwisch group was born in 1975. This formation included: Steff Bürgi ( vocals , organ ) / Chris Bürgi ( guitar ) / Peter Krattiger (guitar) / Erich Riesen ( electric bass ) / Josef Kissling ( drums ) / Dieter Lüscher ( flute ) / Wolfgang Hafner ( trumpet , Percussion ).

In 1978 the first single "Metronom / Reflections" was recorded in the Powerplay Studio Horgen. The highlight of these early years was the 1st place at the "National Rock Excretion" 1979 in Augst . There was an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival as a trophy. In the meantime, the two wind players Wolfgang Hafner and Dieter Lüscher had said goodbye to the group. The style changed from jazzy influences to pop-rock sound. In 1981 “In Search Of” was released by EMI Switzerland, recorded in the Rainbow Studio in Munich under the production direction of Armand Volker. In 1982 "Living in a Fool's Paradise" came on the market. This was followed by a tour of Switzerland and Germany with Roger Chapman and supporting acts with Uriah Heep , Wishbone Ash and Eloy . A tour keyboardist was called in for these shows - Fredy Gruber. After a transition phase with difficult negotiations with the record company, the band managed a coup with the compilation "Countdown" in 1988, which mainly consisted of the titles of the first two LPs as well as 2 new songs "Bad News" and "No more that I can say".

Driven by this success, the band went back to the studio shortly afterwards to record a new work: "The fish came to the surface" which came out in 1989 and became the band's most successful album ever. The highlights of these years were the Hallenstadion concert in Zurich in the opening act of Marillion in January 1988 and the Music Scene / Camel Tour in 1989 - with Andi Hürzeler (Sax) as a guest musician. In 1990 the “Live” album was released with live recordings from the previous tour. The following CD "Forbidden Fruits" in 1991 was produced with Curt Cress in the Pilot Studio in Munich. The commercial expectations placed on this production could not be met so that the group temporarily dissolved.

In 1994 the two protagonists Steff and Chris Bürgi founded the production company "Chestwood Music Productions" and set up their own recording studio in Kestenholz. Two years later, the first product from this workshop appeared with the name "Chestwood" (1996). Due to the good response that this new beginning triggered, a live formation was put together again to which the following musicians belonged: In addition to Steff Bürgi and Chris Bürgi, Josef Kissling (drums), Fredy Gruber (keyboards) and Andi Hürzeler (saxophone) took their traditional seats again . Sabine Hasler (vocals) and Michael Wernli (bass) joined the team. Several concerts were played in this line-up, which are immortalized on the live recording "Christmas Concert" (2000). Without Fredy Gruber, who soon left the band, a new studio CD was presented in 2002, "Time will tell". In October 2002 Irrwisch was able to perform at the closing ceremony of Expo.02 at the Arteplage Yverdon.

In the following years Irrwisch ventured into new crossover projects: "Irrwisch & Brass" concerts with youth wind orchestras and "Irrwisch & Strings" with a 10-piece string ensemble. In the summer of 2005, Adrian Wirz replaced the previous bassist Michael Wernli. 3 choir singers enrich the Irrwisch sound since 2006 in the studio as well as live: Sabse Kaufmann and Marianne Iseli-Henzi (since 2006) and Evelyne Brogli (since 2010). For the band's 30th anniversary, Irrwisch released the album "Wizard for a day" (2007). In the same year the ballad “First Time” was nominated by Swiss television for the TV show “Die Großste Schweizer Hits”. The title was re-produced especially for this program. After various concert appearances between 2008 and 2010, the musicians from Irrwisch returned to the studio to record new songs. The concept idea “Stone and a rose” was taken up again and the existing song ideas expanded and supplemented with further material. In December 2011, these new versions were presented live to the audience for the first time in the “Christmas Concerts” which were soon released as a live CD.

The foundation stone for the new studio production was laid at the beginning of 2013: the first official takes were recorded. The goal was a conceptual work with a band and a classical orchestra - a musical fusion of the two different ensembles. In addition to various concert appearances in clubs (Mühle Hunziken / Galery Pratteln, Marabu Gelterkinden and others) and the important supporting act of Lionel Richie on Sunset in Kestenholz, studio recordings were pushed forward. At the end of 2015 the work "Stone and a rose - a musical epos" was released as a double CD album in time for the band's 40th anniversary and celebrated with a CD christening at the New Year's concert in Balsthal in 2016 (later also released on vinyl). As the highlight of the celebrations, a concert version of the work with a band and classical orchestra was successfully performed under the direction of Maija Breiksa in autumn 2016. A DVD of this was released. Further orchestral concerts took place in 2018. The performances in the KKL Luzern with the symphonic wind orchestra BOFMN Neuenkirch under the direction of Roger Meier became an unforgettable highlight. This milestone is documented in the concert video (Bluray) "Irrwisch & Orchestra in the KKL". For the band's 45th anniversary, Irrwisch is going on a trip through the Swiss music clubs from autumn 2019 and will present an exciting colorful program - sorted from the large treasure chest of the imposing repertoire.

style

The melodious songs, composed by the powerful singer Steff Bürgi, are stylistically based on models such as Genesis, Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Yes, Jethro Tull. Irrwisch themselves assign their style to art rock . The artistic handling of motifs, harmonies and rhythms and the sometimes complex song forms with work character testify to this - the best example is the classical rock epic "Stone and a rose", a work for classical symphony orchestra and rock band which was released in 2016 as a double CD and double Vinyl was released.

Discography

Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
countdown
  CH 10 02/21/1988 (5 weeks)
The Fish Came To The Surface
  CH 11 05/21/1989 (6 weeks)
Forbidden fruits
  CH 21st 07/21/1991 (6 weeks)
Singles
Queen of Fire
  CH 26th 09/18/1988 (3 weeks)
  • 1981 - In Search of (LP)
  • 1982 - Living In A Fool's Paradise (LP)
  • 1988 - Countdown (CD / LP)
  • 1989 - The Fish Came To The Surface (CD / LP)
  • 1990 - Live (CD)
  • 1991 - Forbidden Fruits (CD)
  • 1996 - Chestwood (CD)
  • 2000 - Christmas Concert (CD)
  • 2002 - Time Will Tell (CD)
  • 2007 - Wizard For A Day (CD)
  • 2012 - Christmas Concert (incl. "The Stone and a Rose Epos") (CD)
  • 2016 - Stone and a Rose (double CD / double vinyl)
  • 2019 - Love Hurricane (Single)
  • 2020 - Normal Life (Single)

Songs

1983 was the song Living in a Fool's Paradise in the SWF3 listener hit parade, Queen of Fire came in 1988 in the Swiss charts. Other airplay songs: First Time, Cinderella, Wizard for a day, Still in love with you, Bad News, No more that I can say, Diamond in my hand, Beautiful New Day, Stone and a rose, Love Hurricane, Normal Life

Individual evidence

  1. Charts CH

Web links