The Story
Band Members
Music and CDs

Band Members

Here you find the band's main members, presented in alphabetical order.




Andreas

Andreas Pirner (APi) plays the bass and some keyboards. He is one of the composers of Zelta Zonk. Even a little background singing occurs once in a while.
He moves to Berlin in 1969. At his school, the Fritz-Karsen-Schule, and the music courses he quickly gets into contact to fellow class mates having a similar taste for pop and rock music. His own taste at that time is mainly Beatles and Stones, quickly reaching to Jimi Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane. In the early seventies he and Stephan dig into Progressive Rock like Yes, Genesis, Greenslade, PFM from Italy, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, Pink Floyd and many more. About a year later they discover the emerging Glam Rock and Roxy Music, Alice Cooper, T. Rex, Cockney Rebel und David Bowie. Later, around mid 70s, he settles with Progressive Rock being his main dish, and most other musical styles being nice garnishes.




Andreas featuring Gibson EB2 Bass, SAM Amp + Dr.Böhm Speakers




Andreas starts out with a cheap Höfner bass. He teaches himself playing, surely profiting from piano lessons that he 'loved so much' as a child. In 1972 he spends 99 GBP at Modern Sound, Charing Cross Road, London, on an used sunburst Gibson EB2 bass guitar. He refinishes the color to dark red and puts soft strings in place. The bass' feel now is nice and mellow, the sound gets a little brighter.




In 1973 Andreas builds his own Dr. Böhm Cnt/L organ from an excessive DIY kit. He adds red bass speakers and a SAM bass amplifier to his equipment. A little later a Hohner String Vox enriches the keyboard section.




In November 1974 a dream comes true: Andreas gets a Rickenbacker 4001 bass. Pretty appropriate, since Chris Squire of Yes fame is his 'role model'.

He keeps many of the instruments past the existence of Zelta Zonk and continues to compose tracks, using a Revox tape machine in overdub mode. In the early '80s a MFB 501 Rythm machine (made by Manfred Fricke) and the 'Electronic Musical Instrument' CASIO VL-TONE VL-1 compliment his instrumental arsenal.

All recordings from that period still exist and get digitised in 2007, reworked in 2020 and published at Bandcamp. There you will find revisited Zelta Zonk stuff, as well as new creations from 2019 on, and last but not least new collaborations between Andreas (APi) und Stephan (SKG).




Bernd

Bernd Masche is the lead singer of Zelta Zonk for quite a while. He prefers Rock 'n' Roll shouters, but goes with the band to softer titles and even Prog Rock too. He brought his PA system to the group, starting the live business ...




Bernd Lead Singer




Klaus

Klaus Büchel is the drummer. His Pearl kit is a pretty basic one, no fancies. He adores the Beatles and the drumming style of Ringo, but enjoys Jimi Hendrix' Electric Ladyland or Wheels on Fire by Cream as well. Eventually he even gets into the 7/8 beats of later Prog Rock stuff.




Klaus Drums




Michael

Michael Hampicke is Zelta Zonk's roadie. He learns some guitar from Ulli and is part of all mayor things happening. He's a good friend and buddy.







This photo shows Michael (right) assisting Peter (left) with sound and lights mixing.




Peter

Peter Gröllmann is the sound engineer with Zelta Zonk. He is with the guys from the beginning. He starts out as guitarist and even customizes his own axe. His musical taste covers the Doors, Johnny Winter, Taste / Rory Gallagher, Ten Years After and the Edgar Broughton Band. At heart he is an universal electronics wizzard. In 1973 he constructs from scratch a full grown 16 channel mixing console for Zelta Zonk. From that time he is the sounds 'n' lights guy.




Peter's 'CustomCaster'

Peter Sound Technician




Sabine

Sabine Scheffler is the female singer for Zelta Zonk. Her soft, folksy voice nicely contrasts Bernd's raspy sound. The later Progressive Rock phase utilises more of her abilities.




Sabine Singer




Stephan

Stephan Gipp plays the keyboards, is composer too and sings background. He is guilty of introducing Pink Floyd and Yes to Zelta Zonk. From the beginning, he is interested in sounds. In 1972 he picks up his EMS Synhi A in London, adding a 'real' keyboard to that flimsy foil one a year later. He performs all keyboards, his own Hohner Combo Pianet, and including Andreas' Dr. Böhm organ and Hohner String Vox. This ensemble pretty much covers the final Progessive Rock era perfectly.

Since 2020 a new cooperation with Andreas started. The musical results are published (as APi & SKG) at Bandcamp.




Stephan + Dr. Böhm Organ + EMS-Synthezizer




Ulli

Ulli (Ulrich) Strehlow is guitarist, and -- like Andreas and Stephan -- composer as well as background singer. His musical career starts with a white Fender Stratocaster and a suiting Marshall tower. Later he broadens his spectrum with a black Gibson Les Paul and a Fender guitar amp. He utilized the sounds of both system according to need. A battery of effects completes his electric set-up. Additionally he plays a twelve-string acoustic guitar.

His musical heroes are Richie Blackmore (Deep Purple) and Steve Howe (Yes).

Ulli dies in 2001 through a tragic traffic crash.




Ulli Guitars




The photo above shows Ulli playing the Guild guitar from Lulu, a guitar friend of theirs. See the picture gallery (with captions in german) for Lulu, and for more photos of Zelta Zonk and its members.




Now step foreward to a glimpse at Zelta Zonk's music and their CDs.