Album Notes

Anshelle is a five piece band hailing from Bern, Switzerland. Their unique brand of whimsical guitar-pop instantly distinguishes the group as one of Europe’s most promising and appealing musical acts.

Anshelle’s critically acclaimed second release, “Rewind Please”, plays like a musical photo album with each track capturing a memory or defining moment - some of them happy, others less so. As such, the album presents an intriguing snapshot of a band standing at a crossroad. Which is exactly the situation Anshelle faced after the release of their first album, “Part Of The Game”. Dissatisfied with the electronic dance music of their debut, Anshelle decided on a complete change of musical direction. Gone are the computer effects and dance beats. Anshelle now specialise in rich, organic pop music that combines soulful vocals and delicate melodies to an exquisite effect.

The distinctive voice of Anshelle belongs to Michele Bachmann, who despite her tender age is already a veteran of the Swiss music scene. From the very beginning of her career, Michele stood out from her contemporaries by choosing to sing in English. A move which might have hindered Michele’s success at home but now enables Anshelle to appeal to fans far outside Switzerland’s tiny borders. Michele first generated attention as the vocalist for trip-hop band “Neuland” before joining her current bandmates and forming Anshelle. The group met with instant success when they were selected to tour with Switzerland’s biggest pop star, DJ Bobo. However, when the tour came to a close in 2004, Anshelle’s future was left in doubt by the unexpected departure of their long-time producer and composer.

Instead of giving up in the face of disaster, the group decided to completely reinvent themselves. In the space of a couple of months, Anshelle shed its electro sound and crafted a treasure trove of delicate guitar-pop gems. The resulting album, “Rewind Please”, was largely inspired by Michele’s childhood memories of growing up in idyllic Wileroltigen. Michele describes the village, with its 400 or so inhabitants, as “the most beautiful place on earth” and retreated to its rustic surrounds to write and record the album with bassist Phil Kueffer and pianist Sandro Marretta. The tracks were later perfected in the studio with Andre Bruegger playing guitar and Martin Kissling on drums. Co-producer Gert Staeuble and mixer Oli Boesch also played a significant role in shaping Anshelle’s seductive new sound, which places far greater emphasis on instruments than computers.

The band’s nostalgic outlook pervades the songs on “Rewind Please”. There is genuine sense of whimsy and melancholy that gently colours and connects each song to the next, without ever becoming overbearing. Anshelle walk the fine line between quiet reflection and upbeat pop music with impressive skill. While “Rewind Please” captures memories and emotions with unusual clarity and precision, it also looks to the future. A fine example is the album’s instantly catchy opening track, “Little Mountain”. The song is a musical mantra about persistence and following your passion. Two qualities that the members of Anshelle have consistently displayed in their journey as artists.

“Rewind Please” was released in Switzerland on the 24th of August to great acclaim. A major radio station has nominated Anshelle as one of the top Swiss acts of 2007 and the group has performed on national television.