Angelzoom is my solo project. I am normally the singer of the pop band X-Perience. We released 3 Albums. In Germany and Finland we received gold and platinum rewards. X-Perience is at the moment in a creative break, therefore I have the possibility to do something different. I have developed further and I think I have something to say by telling content and stories. Now I write lyrics by myself. Angelzoom permits an insight in my world of dreams and therefore is much more personal. The difference to X-Perience is also the less rhythmical structure of the songs. Sound is not more typical pop song but more a crossover from different fields, electronic and classic, dark ambiences and atmospheres. This will be shown by live concerts which will have a more multimedia character, more atmosphere and will drag less people on the floor. It is more like cinema.

I listened to the debut album and like your sound very much, although it is pretty slick, it is ultimately relaxing as well. Where do you get the inspiration to create this sound and songs?
Most of all I prefer things of every day life, my feelings and my dreams.

I try to wrap my feelings into music in order to make pleasure to other people. Film- music with a content which makes people to listen to themselves, to relax or to feel free or simply good. But there is a man in the background, who has a decisive influence on the music. Bernd Wendlandt is the producer as well as song writer.

Bernd has a fantastic feeling for harmony and sounds and he is able to create amazing ideas and likes to test always new things. Over a long time we had the idea to produce the music for a film, which did not exist. When we realized that the cooperation is going very well we decided to produce an album. He is the ideal partner for translating my feelings and thoughts. The majority of my texts I like to write myself. But also Nik Page has written three beautiful texts, which I liked to get to music.

I know Bernd since many years. We worked together for the first and second X-perience album. He was one of the producers. I like his work. Together we had the idea to produce an album, which sounds like a soundtrack to a film. It is a beautiful work with him. He is able to translate my feelings and my thoughts. Especially I like his harmonic understanding and his moodladen songs as well as the manner how he embeds my voice.

How does a Angelzoom song come to birth? Could you tell something about the creative process?
Mostly Bernd has a music theme. He plays it on piano. I try to sing and if it fits to my voice he makes a demo. Then I write my lyrics. Then I go into the studio and we record it. Very often when Bernd plays a new theme I see pictures in my head and so I get new ideas for my texts. Many ideas for the texts and songs were born during sessions on the keyboard. Bernd Wendlandt and I intented to put many influences and opinions in different texts and songs.

I noticed there are some covers on the album, like ‘Blasphemous Rumours’, ‘Crawling’ or ‘Into My Arms’. Who’s idea was it to pick these covers? And why do covers?
I hold cover versions for especially good, when even changed, everything is preserved what was in it from the beginning. I hold it for good when songs looked at from a different angle get a new idea. We tried for the album 7 or 8 different titles and finally decided for 3, since they harmonize with my voice and fit with the character of the album. Should anybody not know the originals the songs would not stand out of it.

Did anyone tell you you just need to record a duet with Veljanov yet? I am sure this would turn out really good. What do you think?
My intention was to record a duet with Alexander Veljanov. I like his voice and music since many years very much. It is very astonishing that you ask this question because we had already spoken with Alexander very concretely and he had heard several songs of my album in the studio. It was a pity that it did not materialize because of timing reasons, which is too bad. But postponed is not canceled and when we will produce the next album we will try again.

How did you come into contact with all these guest musicians contributing to the record, as there are quite a lot who give a helping hand on this cd.
Since the music of Angelzoom is like a soundtrack, very mystical and full of sentiments, we would like to use additional to the sounds of orchester and synthies string musicians. I know the Letzte Instanz personally and have ask them, if they would like to play some parts of my album. Since they like my music they came into the studio and played the parts. After the Apocalypticas had listen to the song „Turn The Sky" they signaled their eagerness and so we send the song to Finnland, where they completed the song with their string instruments and send it back to us. The other guests (Inchtabokatables, miLu`- voice from Mila Mar, Roedernallee) did their parts in our studio. Only Joachim Witt sang his text in his studio in Hamburg and brought it to me during the handing over of the Echo and gave it to me in the wardrobe. I know Joachim since a long time and to work with him is a pleasure and without complications. I hold that through the guests the album got more shape and is more interesting. It does not matter from wich scene they come from but exactly the feeling is transported, what I wanted. I think it is good that because of the different character of the guests different feelings come about wich I like very much.

What is the overall reception of the Angelzoom album until now?
We have got many good reactions from the fans and good reviews in different big dark and metal magazines, not only in Germany. The first single "Fairyland" came into the charts on position 87 in Germany.

What’s your relation with Nik Page and other musicians from the so called Schwarze Scene, since you have sold many albums with X-perience, did this change anything for you?
I know Nik since many years. I grew up with music from the Schwarze Scene. Since a long time I prefer a type of music wich is mystical and a bit gloomy. I like Depeche mode, Deine Lakaien, Wolfsheim and Chandeen. Our first concerts with X-perience were on Depeche Mode- Parties. There I met Nik. We had concerts together with Blind Passengers, And One, S.P.O.C.K. and many others from this Scene. There a some things which you can not relate directly with the scene, wich have influenced me a lot i. e. Björk, Emiliana Torrini, Garbage and some soundtracks. I am not committed so much. When I like a song I buy the CD. The music of Angelzoom fits with my life- style. I like to dream. When I was young I dreamt a lot and imagined things, today I try to tell stories about it. I am a quiet person and now since I am a lit bit elder and matured it became more intensive. X- perience gave me a lot of fun but I have developed myself firther.

Could you tell something about your own favorite musicians or vocalists?
I like Björk, Sting and Martin Gore very much. They are all great musicians and have unmistakable voices.

How did the relation with the Motion Picture soundtrack for Alone in the Dark come into existence? Did this have anything to do with the record deal you have with Nuclear Blast?
We have send the album to different film producing firms. The postproduction firm of the US- horror film "Alone In The Dark" has it´s seat in Germany. They heard our album and wear of the opinion that the title "Peace Of Mind" would perfectly fit to the final scene of their film. In the meantime my producer has made the whole score to the film. At first we had the cooperation with the film but later Nuclear Blast got interest in us. Nuclear Blast will release the soundtrack for this film. They heard my song and wanted to hear more. My Management know NB and so he offered them my album and they liked it very much. Then they invited us to Donsdorf and we made the record deal.

While listening to the Angelzoom album, constantly associations with christmas came to mind through all these little sounds and the overall atmosphere. Ironically then i heard the song Christmas Dreams. Was this intentional? This atmosphere, especially since it is released in the times before christmas?
I think it is a very special album, which is emotionally charged and mood-laden, it is calm, classic and atmospheric. X- mass but also dark summer nights on rainy high ways and evenings on a chimney are good occasions for listening to the album.

What is your opinion on the music industry and the relation with internet and mp3 downloading?
The music industry has a lot of difficulties at the moment, because of the downloads in the internet. The sales of CD´s went down dramaticaly. The big companies are very careful to sign new contracts. It was very complicated for me to find a record company for my soloproject. My music does not belong to the mainstream. It differs very to the songs from X-Perience. I`m very happy to have a contract with Nuclear Blast. They do not interfere into my music. With this label we have a better personal contact. It seems to me, that they like my music and do not treat it as commercial product. Mp3 has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand you can work fantastic with it. You can transfer demos from A to B. You can take your I-Pod to your sports. And you don´t have to do without. It is just practical. The disadvantage is unfortunately that it got very easy to copy and to distribute songs without paying at least a minimum prize. In the past it was also possible with tapes but in the meantime the awareness for that has been lost. It is a threat to all creative people and we are very sorry for that. It seems to be like always in life, we will miss it when it has disappeared.

Imagine this. You are left alone on a desert island. What records would you take with you? Any literature?
Angelzoom, Best Of 2004 – 2087 and my friends, which read aloud out of my favorite books.

What does the average day of Claudia Uhle look like? Do you have a regular day job?
Every day is very different. It starts at 8 am, playing piano, do my fitness program above all jogging, go to the studio, write texts or songs or do rehearsal works or do promotion. In the afternoon I give lessons in playing the piano and singing. I like also very much to go for a walk, to listen to music, to read good books or to met my friends. On Sundays I play often the organ in different churches in Berlin. All these activities from my daily life they are always new and exciting.

What plans do you have for the future? What can we expect from you?
We have 2 shows in December on the 28. / 29. on the Dark Winter´s Night Festival with Nightwish, Oomph and others. We also plan a tour in February together with Nik Page and Joachim Witt.
My intention is to release every 2 years an Angelzoom album. I have so much to say. Together with my producer Bernd Wendlandt we hope to find some good ideas.

Next year is the 10. anniversary of X-perience. We plan to release an album for the fans with new mixes from the hits, some new songs and videostuff. But I myself am very anxious to see how all the things will develop and look very optimistic in the future.

Would you like to say anything to the Dutch readers?
Keep time to enjoy your life. Nothing is endless. The soul remains ....
Thank you! Thank You very much.