Hello, final visit to Florian Fricke's musical empire, may he enjoy the afterlife..
Today's Artists were a German electronic avant-garde band founded by pianist and keyboardist Florian Fricke in 1969 together with Holger Trülzsch (percussion), Frank Fiedler (recording engineer and technical assistance) and Bettina Fricke (tablas and production). Other important members during the next two decades included Djong Yun, Renate Knaup, Conny Veit, Daniel Fichelscher, Klaus Wiese and Robert Eliscu. The band influenced many other European bands with their uniquely soft but elaborate instrumentation, which took inspiration from the music of Tibet, Africa, and pre-Columbian America. With music sometimes described as "ethereal", they created soundscapes through psychedelic walls of sound, and are regarded as precursors of contemporary world music, as well as of new age and ambient. .......N'Joy
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A changeable line-up of musicians led by mystic and keyboard player Florian Fricke (1944-2001), Krautrock icons Popol Vuh were one of the great innovators of world music and exotic ambient.
Known very unfairly in some quarters as purveyors of sitar-heavy "raga rock", the band's sonic trademarks are far more diverse: abstract electronica, devotional music, progressive rock, eclectic vocal blends and pioneering ethno-ambient fusions. You may have already heard their music without realising it: German director Werner Herzog has used it to mesmerising effect in some of his films from the 70's and 80's, most notably Aguirre Wrath Of God and his extraordinary 1979 remake of the silent vampire classic Nosferatu.
Fricke was a brilliant, intuitive musician and one of the first Westerners to seamlessly blend Eastern and Western sounds, in both a traditional rock band context and in a more ethereal and meditative vein. But he didn't do it alone. Guitarist and drummer Daniel Fichelscher - the only other stable longtime member of the group - also made outstanding contributions. He was a supple, melodic guitar player who brought a rock-like accessibility to Popol Vuh's sound and without whom a large portion of the band's music would have been a very different thing. He was also a fine singer, making substantial contributions to the group vocals and chants that became pronounced in the band's music after the mid 1970's.
Where to begin?
At the time of Fricke's death more than two dozen original albums and film soundtracks of varying quality had been released and many more compilations as well. Wading through them can be a maddening experience. There is a tendency to repeat or re-record tracks on successive albums for no apparent reason, not to mention a lot of previously released music turning up on the film soundtracks. The less-than-hi-fidelity sound of some productions also takes a little getting used to. Until very recently the band's back catalogue was a shambles: some put that down to Fricke's personal quirks and aversion to the music business, while Fricke himself on at least one occasion (in a rare 1996 interview) blamed the record companies.
Popol Vuh's earliest music dates from the late 1960's and early 70's and is fairly typical of the exploratory, abstract electronica in vogue among German bands at the time. The second album In The Gardens Of Pharao (1971) is a classic; an intense, eerie melding of electronic tones from the Moog synthesiser and organ with cymbals, vocal tones and half-submerged tribal instruments. That it recalls early period Tangerine Dream is not surprising when you consider it was Fricke who introduced that very band to the Moog synth as a guest player on their album Zeit (1972). But In the Gardens of Pharao is a more deeply sacred music than TD, reflecting his keen interest at the time in Mayan Indian culture and his lifelong spiritual leanings in general.
At one end is the 20-minute "Spirit Of Peace", a spacious and deeply personal creation for solo piano. At the other end is the stunning main theme from Werner Herzog's film Aguirre (ignore the patchy Aguirre soundtrack album released 1974). On this track Fricke reaches the apogee of his work with electronic synthesis. It's breathtakingly, jaw-droppingly beautiful: a six minute sepulchral drone that blends angelic vocal samples played on a Melotron-like keyboard with deeply trance-inducing colours and pulses from the synthesiser. A milestone in ambient sound, "Aguirre" (also known as "Lacrime Di Re") also marks the end of Fricke's short love affair with electronics. A certain vocal sound he'd been attempting to find with electronics unexpectedly turned up in the form of a Korean vocalist named Djon Yon, who would feature prominently on Popol Vuh's next album Hosianna Mantra (1972).
Almost an antithesis to what came before, Hosianna Mantra favours mostly acoustic music that's devotional but doesn't sit within any single religious tradition. It's a timeless, beatless neo-classical blend of Yon's ritual-like vocal improvisations blended with Fricke's piano, silky electric guitar by one Connie Veit (with lots of sustain and echo), sweet oboe by Robert Eliscu of the pioneering world music band Between, and subtle touches of droning tamboura.
Meeting guitarist Daniel Fichelscher around this time radically changed Fricke's musical world yet again. In the next few years there appeared a series of forward-thinking albums made by what superficially appears to be rock line-up but which doesn't sound quite like any other rock music of the 1970's.
Seligpreisung (1973) is the greatest of these, a masterpiece of ambient rock jamming, jazz-style improvising and lovely duets for oboe and piano. The changing time signatures within many tracks are brilliantly handled, the flow uninterrupted. It marks the first appearance of Popol Vuh's trademark jangling guitar and piano combination, a luminous ambient sound that came to define the band's very soul. Fricke's wordless vocals here - usually not part of the PV sound - seem to anticipate the visionary style of Stephan Micus a decade later, being all about sound rather than lyrics. Seligpreisung also displays the band's mysterious brilliance for being able to sound non-Western with little actual reliance on exotic instruments.
Three other albums recorded in this quasi-rock style in the mid 1970's also rate essential listening and two of them feature the welcome return of Djon Yon's vocals.
Das Hohelied Salomos (1975) echoes the sound of Hosianna Mantra but with the additional of drums and more intensely layered rhythm and lead guitars, giving the album a more rocking feel. Some impressive group vocal chants start to appear at this point in the band's career, a direction which would come to full flower in the next decade. For the first time Indian sitar sits upfront on several tracks but it doesn't radically alter the groups sound - suggesting an earlier mastery of Indian and Mid Eastern modes before they ever relied on the actual instruments. The album Letzte Tag Letzte Nachte (1976) is similar, if even more intense at times in its psychedelic rock gestures, and some of Yon's most powerful singing can be heard here. Rounding out the trio is the film soundtrack Coeur De Verre/Herz Aus Glass (1977) which is completely instrumental, allowing Fichelscher to really let fly with some his most celestial, probing guitar playing.
Having explored the possibilities of what a full-time rock combo could sound like, the band moved on once again and by the late 70's was charting increasingly quiet and contemplative waters. The music recorded for Werner Herzog's hypnotic vampire film Nosferatu is actually spread across two different albums released in the same year: the official soundtrack album Nosferatu (1978) plus Bruder Des Schattens Sohne Des Lichts (1978).
The recent CD re-issue of Nosferatu by SPV Recordings compiles all of the music from both earlier releases and is the logical purchase. On these releases the band downplays its penchant for progressive rock jamming to include beatless mood pieces and atmospheric ethno-ambient stylings. Some moments date back to the sessions that produced the eerie electronica of In The Gardens of Pharao; some pieces exist within the classic Popol Vuh blend of piano and guitar; others manage the not inconsiderable feat of making Indian sitar and tambour drones sound rather tense. Towering above them all is Nosferatu's main theme "Brothers Of Darkness Sons Of Light", an example of Fricke's growing sophistication in use of vocals. It opens with dark male vocal chants that seem to blend Tantric, Buddhist and Christian traditions, building slowly with sad oboe and crashing Tibetan cymbals before spilling over into a slow instrumental jam as openly loving and joyous as anything you'll hear from the band.
Consistent with the feel of the previous two albums is the magnificent Tantric Songs (1979/1981) which - just to keep things confusing - currently exists in two different versions. It demonstrates the band's extraordinary gift for tapping a deep, mystical, intangible power and turning it into music without pomp or pretension. The album offers some the moodiest and most ambient of Popol Vuh's music: Fricke's shadowy gothic piano figures, Fichelscher's glittering acoustic and electric guitars, some lovely oboe and touches of Indian instrumentation. It's music unanchored to any particular time period in musical history and awash with religious atmosphere, carried by subtle shifts of light and shade. The original version of Tantric Songs emphasises a slightly wider range global exotica than Celestial Harmonies U.S. version. The latter is more of a "best-of" collection of late 70's material which deletes a handful of shorter tracks to make room for the aforementioned 18-minute classic "Brothers Of Darkness Sons Of Light".
Although output of new material slowed in the 1980's, the decade remains significant for Popol Vuh's exhilarating distillation of vocal sounds - chants, mantras and choral singing - from different ages and cultures.
The film soundtrack Sei Still Wisse Ich Bin (1981) is an "oratorio" that finds the band working with large scale choirs and group vocals. Anyone with a fondness for the soulful qualities of human voice should be suitably knocked out. Backed by flowing piano, guitars, tribal drums and shimmering percussion, the swelling chorales and chants are by turns mournful and joyous, dark and euphoric, dramatic and gentle. The vocal sources are varied - operatic, South American, Christian, Tibetan elements and more. This is profound music, human and divine at the same time, and its rough edges and looseness make it all the more appealing. With perfect understatement, his friend and Celestial Harmonies Records boss Eckart Rahn once said to me in an interview about Fricke: "He knew something". Yes he did, and he managed to get it down on spellbinding records like this.
Four more original releases from the same decade also rate highly. Agape Agape (1983) and Spirit Of Peace (1985) don't consistently scale the heights of Still Wisse Ich Bin with their vocal work but are still essential releases. "Why Do I Still Sleep" is a cluster of simple piano figures so gentle and expansive you may get carried away on its ravishing melody and not return for several hours. Some of the layered vocal chants like "Agape Agape" and "We Know About The Need" are extraordinarily beautiful, while the gentle group jam "Take The Tension High" casts its slow mantra-like spell over 18 minutes. The film soundtrack Cobra Verde (1987) also contains several similar folksy vocal mantras alongside some surprising beatless, string-laden landscapes - the latter more traditionally filmic and not typical of the band, but fantastic and darkly beautiful all the same.
The 90's proved to be creatively far leaner than previous decades, with only For You And Me (1991) proving to be an impressive work. Its clean, crisp production is something of a shock if you previously waxed ears on the band's earlier material. Was the softer lo-fi sound of yore deliberate? Quite possibly.
Certainly the band's creative dynamic was now different. What is not widely known is the reason: Fricke sustained a serious hand injury at some point in the 80's - losing at least one finger to gangrene after a trip the Himalayas, according to Eckart Rahn - and tragically could no longer play the piano. So new member Guido Hieronymus took over the piano playing and also shared the creative duties, a move that fundamentally changed Popol Vuh, with Daniel Fichelscher now less involved than before.
The overall effect of the clean sound on For You and Me seems somehow less mystical but the album is still a lovely, engaging and mostly upbeat collection of world music fusions with just a touch of synth pop. The classic blend of ringing guitars and glowing piano still binds everything together, however, and some of the small group choral arrangements are striking. The band's past resurfaces on the 4-part suite "Om Mane Padem Hum" on which Fricke cleverly reworks the brighter moments from his classic "Brothers Of Darkness Sons Of Light" into something new but equally as warm and optimistic.
With the non-essential City Raga (1995) and Shepherd's Symphony (1997) the influence of Hieronymus on keyboards and arrangements has become overt, with the band now hopping on board the 90's ambient dance bandwagon. At the time many fans were aghast, but in retrospect neither of these are horrible records; they're just underwhelming next to ethno-ambient efforts by more dance-savvy acts of the period like Mayko, Loop Guru, Deep Forest and Delerium. Daniel Fichelscher - sidelined after the arrival of Hieronymus - was unimpressed with all the sequencers and drum machines; he left the band soon after City Raga after contributing guitar to just one track.
The final album before Fricke's death in 2001 was an interesting but unexceptional mix of ambient drones and poetry for an art installation called Messa Di Orfeo (1999). It's significant only in that it suggests Fricke had come nearly full circle to once again embrace the abstract electronica of his earliest work.
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Of all the Popol Vuh recordings, and of all the soundtracks Florian Fricke composed for Werner Herzog's films, Fitzcarraldo is by far the most atypical. Given that this is a film about an opera house being built in the middle of the South American jungle so Enrico Caruso will come to perform there, it would stand to reason that opera music be used in the soundtrack. And therein lies both the brilliance and difficulty of the score as a recording. Certainly those fans of Krautrock who love Fricke's gorgeously haunting, simple melodies, are not ready for the bombast of tenor god Caruso -- or are they? The manner in which the score is structured is such that these moments from Caruso's performances come across as moving vignettes in and of themselves. When juxtaposed next to Fricke's serial music, they become portals to another time and are episodes that stand in stark contrast to opera music in general. Make no mistake. This is a provocative score and is not for everyone, not even Popol Vuh fans. But for those open-minded enough to accept Fitzcarraldo on its own merits, this is a singular achievement in Fricke's composing, editing, and production career.
Popol Vuh - Fitzcarraldo (flac 214mb)
01 Wehe Khorazin 5:32
02 Scene From „Ernani“ 5:51
03 Engel Der Luft 2:35
04 RidiPagliacci (by Caruso) 3:09
05 O Paradiso (by Caruso) 3:35
06 Kind Mit Geige 0:54
07 Im Garten Der Gemeinschaft 2:23
08 Blasmusik 0:41
09 Tod Und Verklärung (Excerpt) 2:52
10 Musik Aus Burundi 1:49
11 Il Sogno - Manon 2:36
12 Quartett - Rigoletto 3:57
13 Oh Mimi, Tu Piu Non Torni (by Caruso) 3:02
14 Als Lebten Die Engel Auf Erden 2:04
15 A Te O Cara, Amor Talora - I Puritani 5:50
Popol Vuh - Fitzcarraldo (ogg 96mb)
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Spirit of Peace is the fifteenth album by Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1985 on Cicada. The first track was used by Werner Herzog as original motion picture soundtrack for his documentary The Dark Glow of the Mountains (original title "Gasherbrum – Der leuchtende Berg") about Reinhold Messner.
Perhaps people are unfairly comparing this to the outstanding seminal Popol Vuh albums of the 70's. Admittedly, their sound had changed DRAMATICALLY by the time of Spirit of Peace. This album is truly what the title suggests; one of the more peaceful albums ever made, and also one of the most beautiful. Definitely way more mellow than their early to mid-70's material, but a truly stunning album that's among the best I've ever heard in the realm of ambient/new age/atmospheric/scared musics.
On this album it all is arranged and performed in such a way that nothing disturbs the absolutely gorgeous flow of the music that seems to be radiating from a completely different plane of existence, be it heaven or dao or nirvana - from what I've read from Fricke's rare interviews his aim was to make universally sacred music, regardless of the religious boundaries of the listener. You don't have to be a religious person to appreciate the beauty of these pieces, but the spiritual resonance within the album is of a magnitude that shouldn't be overlooked, giving the album a mesmerizing and, dare I say, healing quality.
Popol Vuh - Spirit of Peace (flac 182mb)
01 We Know About The Need 4:20
02 Spirit Of Peace 7:00
03 Song Of Earth 8:07
04 Take The Tension High 17:27
(ogg mb)
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‘For You And Me’ was their 17th album & now 28 years later it holds up more than ever. While decidedly new age and world music in sound (with musical elements from the Himalayas, Ireland, Greece and Africa), this album has style and grace, and the updated sonic quality makes it a pleasure to listen to. The light pieces combined with their timeless dramatic signature sound, the majestic piano chords, the profound lyrics and the crescendos of emotions set this album apart from the banal new age mainstream. The authentic Popul Vuh spirituality permeates on every track here, prepare for goose bumps and a divine moment,in For You And Me, they created a more modern day classic, easily their best album of the 90’s.”
Popol Vuh - For You And Me (flac 264mb)
01 For You And Me 5:27
02 Wind Of The Stars In Their Eyes 3:04
03 Little Bazaari 7:51
04 Compassion 5:05
05 When Love Is Calling You 4:13
06 In Your Eyes 1:02
07 OM Mani Padme Hum 1 1:12
08 OM Mani Padme Hum 2 2:48
09 OM Mani Padme Hum 3 4:32
10 OM Mani Padme Hum 4 5:19
11 For You 2:06
Popol Vuh - For You And Me (ogg 107mb)
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Issued in 1993, Sing, for Song Drives Away the Wolves is Florian Fricke's remixed and updated version of Popol Vuh's soundtrack album for Werner Herzog's Coeur de Verre (Heart From Glass), 1976. The original material is saturated in the heritage of East Indian classical music as it met the droning evolution of Krautrock. On Sing, the original seven tracks are present with beefed-up basslines, layered keyboards and guitars, and more punched-up kit drums. Unlike most update projects, this one works because of the obvious reverence Florian Fricke has for the material. It may be rocked up, but it still sounds like nothing else out there. This is music of bliss and mysticism, it resonates with its gradually unfolding themes and variations, and presents the listener a veritable world of sonic warmth to enter into and remain for as long as one wishes. The effect of these modern tracks is riveting; their punch is undeniable, but so is their subtlety. This new version of the album also contains the title track from Einsjäger and Siebenjager "You Shouldn't Awake Your Beloved Before It Pleases Her" from 1974. Almost 19-and-a-half minutes in length, it complements this sound beautifully in that it unfolds acoustically from Fricke's piano, a soprano saxophone, and drums. The same feeling of ecstasy eventually draws itself out of the music as an electric guitar enters the fray and transforms it into a driving, droney dirge. While Coeur de Verre is more desirable for those who like originals, Sing should not be discounted. Fricke was one of the few musicians who understood how to remix his own music.
Popol Vuh - Sing, for Song Drives Away the Wolves (flac 251mb)
01 Song From The High Mountains 6:20
02 Pages From The Book Of Daring 3:54
03 Dance Of The Chassidim 3:20
04 Keepers Of The Threshold 3:35
05 Sing, For Song Drives Away The Wolves 4:14
06 Little Warrior 1:04
07 Sweet Repose 1:00
08 You Shouldn't Awake Your Beloved Before It Pleases Her 19:26
Popol Vuh - Sing, for Song Drives Away the Wolves (ogg 97mb)
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After spending 25 years turning musical dreams into realities Florian Fricke, Frank Fiedler and Guido Hieronymus have, with Shepherd's Symphony recorded an album that sounds quite unlike anything previously released under the name Popol Vuh. It's a reflection of the desire by Popol Vuh to encroach upon the avenue of popular music. In this, Florian has been heavily influenced by his son Johannes whose love for Hip-Hop and Techno Trance Sounds led to his convincing Florian of the need to write material that would appeal to the younger generation of music lovers whilst retaining the support of existing fans.
Florian Fricke has always been open to change within his music and to experiment with samples and sounds, he recently ventured into the World of Dance, always striving to ensure that his critics could not point to any stagnation in his music. His previous album, City Raga, indicated a coming change which has been completed with the Shepherd's Symphony album.
The Symphony is modern schamanistic music and will gain Popol Vuh many new admirers. Florian has always tried to walk new paths, untouched by others, it is an expression of Florian's freedom to remain an innovator and never to become an imitator. "Hirtensymphony", is the title of a new German film recently made in Tibet by Florian, who travels, once every five years to Himalaya where on his last journey, accompanied by his longtime friend and co-producer he conquered the Kailash mountain. In Germany there is a very old creative tradition based on a sort of mystical tendency toward the absolute. Before Popol Vuh they produced many great poets, philosophers, some wonderful music and sadly, mad fascism. The music of Popol Vuh is relaxing, but never boring. It is gentle, but not slushy. It is like the Ocean at Sundown, like the Desert by Night, like the Sky at Dawn. Think Deep, Think Sleep, Think For Yourself!
Popol Vuh - Shepherd's Symphony (flac 285mb)
01 Shepherds Of The Future (Die Hirten Der Zukunft) 6:08
02 Short Visit To The Great Sorcerer (Kurzer Besuch Beim Grossen Zauberer) 6:00
03 Wild Vine 8:29
04 Shepherd's Dream (Der Traum Des Schäfers) 4:17
05 Eternal Love 8:18
06 Dance Of The Menads (Tanz Der Menaden) 6:24
07 Yes 5:02
Popol Vuh - Shepherd's Symphony (ogg 101 mb)
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Today's Artists were a German electronic avant-garde band founded by pianist and keyboardist Florian Fricke in 1969 together with Holger Trülzsch (percussion), Frank Fiedler (recording engineer and technical assistance) and Bettina Fricke (tablas and production). Other important members during the next two decades included Djong Yun, Renate Knaup, Conny Veit, Daniel Fichelscher, Klaus Wiese and Robert Eliscu. The band influenced many other European bands with their uniquely soft but elaborate instrumentation, which took inspiration from the music of Tibet, Africa, and pre-Columbian America. With music sometimes described as "ethereal", they created soundscapes through psychedelic walls of sound, and are regarded as precursors of contemporary world music, as well as of new age and ambient. .......N'Joy
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A changeable line-up of musicians led by mystic and keyboard player Florian Fricke (1944-2001), Krautrock icons Popol Vuh were one of the great innovators of world music and exotic ambient.
Known very unfairly in some quarters as purveyors of sitar-heavy "raga rock", the band's sonic trademarks are far more diverse: abstract electronica, devotional music, progressive rock, eclectic vocal blends and pioneering ethno-ambient fusions. You may have already heard their music without realising it: German director Werner Herzog has used it to mesmerising effect in some of his films from the 70's and 80's, most notably Aguirre Wrath Of God and his extraordinary 1979 remake of the silent vampire classic Nosferatu.
Fricke was a brilliant, intuitive musician and one of the first Westerners to seamlessly blend Eastern and Western sounds, in both a traditional rock band context and in a more ethereal and meditative vein. But he didn't do it alone. Guitarist and drummer Daniel Fichelscher - the only other stable longtime member of the group - also made outstanding contributions. He was a supple, melodic guitar player who brought a rock-like accessibility to Popol Vuh's sound and without whom a large portion of the band's music would have been a very different thing. He was also a fine singer, making substantial contributions to the group vocals and chants that became pronounced in the band's music after the mid 1970's.
Where to begin?
At the time of Fricke's death more than two dozen original albums and film soundtracks of varying quality had been released and many more compilations as well. Wading through them can be a maddening experience. There is a tendency to repeat or re-record tracks on successive albums for no apparent reason, not to mention a lot of previously released music turning up on the film soundtracks. The less-than-hi-fidelity sound of some productions also takes a little getting used to. Until very recently the band's back catalogue was a shambles: some put that down to Fricke's personal quirks and aversion to the music business, while Fricke himself on at least one occasion (in a rare 1996 interview) blamed the record companies.
Popol Vuh's earliest music dates from the late 1960's and early 70's and is fairly typical of the exploratory, abstract electronica in vogue among German bands at the time. The second album In The Gardens Of Pharao (1971) is a classic; an intense, eerie melding of electronic tones from the Moog synthesiser and organ with cymbals, vocal tones and half-submerged tribal instruments. That it recalls early period Tangerine Dream is not surprising when you consider it was Fricke who introduced that very band to the Moog synth as a guest player on their album Zeit (1972). But In the Gardens of Pharao is a more deeply sacred music than TD, reflecting his keen interest at the time in Mayan Indian culture and his lifelong spiritual leanings in general.
At one end is the 20-minute "Spirit Of Peace", a spacious and deeply personal creation for solo piano. At the other end is the stunning main theme from Werner Herzog's film Aguirre (ignore the patchy Aguirre soundtrack album released 1974). On this track Fricke reaches the apogee of his work with electronic synthesis. It's breathtakingly, jaw-droppingly beautiful: a six minute sepulchral drone that blends angelic vocal samples played on a Melotron-like keyboard with deeply trance-inducing colours and pulses from the synthesiser. A milestone in ambient sound, "Aguirre" (also known as "Lacrime Di Re") also marks the end of Fricke's short love affair with electronics. A certain vocal sound he'd been attempting to find with electronics unexpectedly turned up in the form of a Korean vocalist named Djon Yon, who would feature prominently on Popol Vuh's next album Hosianna Mantra (1972).
Almost an antithesis to what came before, Hosianna Mantra favours mostly acoustic music that's devotional but doesn't sit within any single religious tradition. It's a timeless, beatless neo-classical blend of Yon's ritual-like vocal improvisations blended with Fricke's piano, silky electric guitar by one Connie Veit (with lots of sustain and echo), sweet oboe by Robert Eliscu of the pioneering world music band Between, and subtle touches of droning tamboura.
Meeting guitarist Daniel Fichelscher around this time radically changed Fricke's musical world yet again. In the next few years there appeared a series of forward-thinking albums made by what superficially appears to be rock line-up but which doesn't sound quite like any other rock music of the 1970's.
Seligpreisung (1973) is the greatest of these, a masterpiece of ambient rock jamming, jazz-style improvising and lovely duets for oboe and piano. The changing time signatures within many tracks are brilliantly handled, the flow uninterrupted. It marks the first appearance of Popol Vuh's trademark jangling guitar and piano combination, a luminous ambient sound that came to define the band's very soul. Fricke's wordless vocals here - usually not part of the PV sound - seem to anticipate the visionary style of Stephan Micus a decade later, being all about sound rather than lyrics. Seligpreisung also displays the band's mysterious brilliance for being able to sound non-Western with little actual reliance on exotic instruments.
Three other albums recorded in this quasi-rock style in the mid 1970's also rate essential listening and two of them feature the welcome return of Djon Yon's vocals.
Das Hohelied Salomos (1975) echoes the sound of Hosianna Mantra but with the additional of drums and more intensely layered rhythm and lead guitars, giving the album a more rocking feel. Some impressive group vocal chants start to appear at this point in the band's career, a direction which would come to full flower in the next decade. For the first time Indian sitar sits upfront on several tracks but it doesn't radically alter the groups sound - suggesting an earlier mastery of Indian and Mid Eastern modes before they ever relied on the actual instruments. The album Letzte Tag Letzte Nachte (1976) is similar, if even more intense at times in its psychedelic rock gestures, and some of Yon's most powerful singing can be heard here. Rounding out the trio is the film soundtrack Coeur De Verre/Herz Aus Glass (1977) which is completely instrumental, allowing Fichelscher to really let fly with some his most celestial, probing guitar playing.
Having explored the possibilities of what a full-time rock combo could sound like, the band moved on once again and by the late 70's was charting increasingly quiet and contemplative waters. The music recorded for Werner Herzog's hypnotic vampire film Nosferatu is actually spread across two different albums released in the same year: the official soundtrack album Nosferatu (1978) plus Bruder Des Schattens Sohne Des Lichts (1978).
The recent CD re-issue of Nosferatu by SPV Recordings compiles all of the music from both earlier releases and is the logical purchase. On these releases the band downplays its penchant for progressive rock jamming to include beatless mood pieces and atmospheric ethno-ambient stylings. Some moments date back to the sessions that produced the eerie electronica of In The Gardens of Pharao; some pieces exist within the classic Popol Vuh blend of piano and guitar; others manage the not inconsiderable feat of making Indian sitar and tambour drones sound rather tense. Towering above them all is Nosferatu's main theme "Brothers Of Darkness Sons Of Light", an example of Fricke's growing sophistication in use of vocals. It opens with dark male vocal chants that seem to blend Tantric, Buddhist and Christian traditions, building slowly with sad oboe and crashing Tibetan cymbals before spilling over into a slow instrumental jam as openly loving and joyous as anything you'll hear from the band.
Consistent with the feel of the previous two albums is the magnificent Tantric Songs (1979/1981) which - just to keep things confusing - currently exists in two different versions. It demonstrates the band's extraordinary gift for tapping a deep, mystical, intangible power and turning it into music without pomp or pretension. The album offers some the moodiest and most ambient of Popol Vuh's music: Fricke's shadowy gothic piano figures, Fichelscher's glittering acoustic and electric guitars, some lovely oboe and touches of Indian instrumentation. It's music unanchored to any particular time period in musical history and awash with religious atmosphere, carried by subtle shifts of light and shade. The original version of Tantric Songs emphasises a slightly wider range global exotica than Celestial Harmonies U.S. version. The latter is more of a "best-of" collection of late 70's material which deletes a handful of shorter tracks to make room for the aforementioned 18-minute classic "Brothers Of Darkness Sons Of Light".
Although output of new material slowed in the 1980's, the decade remains significant for Popol Vuh's exhilarating distillation of vocal sounds - chants, mantras and choral singing - from different ages and cultures.
The film soundtrack Sei Still Wisse Ich Bin (1981) is an "oratorio" that finds the band working with large scale choirs and group vocals. Anyone with a fondness for the soulful qualities of human voice should be suitably knocked out. Backed by flowing piano, guitars, tribal drums and shimmering percussion, the swelling chorales and chants are by turns mournful and joyous, dark and euphoric, dramatic and gentle. The vocal sources are varied - operatic, South American, Christian, Tibetan elements and more. This is profound music, human and divine at the same time, and its rough edges and looseness make it all the more appealing. With perfect understatement, his friend and Celestial Harmonies Records boss Eckart Rahn once said to me in an interview about Fricke: "He knew something". Yes he did, and he managed to get it down on spellbinding records like this.
Four more original releases from the same decade also rate highly. Agape Agape (1983) and Spirit Of Peace (1985) don't consistently scale the heights of Still Wisse Ich Bin with their vocal work but are still essential releases. "Why Do I Still Sleep" is a cluster of simple piano figures so gentle and expansive you may get carried away on its ravishing melody and not return for several hours. Some of the layered vocal chants like "Agape Agape" and "We Know About The Need" are extraordinarily beautiful, while the gentle group jam "Take The Tension High" casts its slow mantra-like spell over 18 minutes. The film soundtrack Cobra Verde (1987) also contains several similar folksy vocal mantras alongside some surprising beatless, string-laden landscapes - the latter more traditionally filmic and not typical of the band, but fantastic and darkly beautiful all the same.
The 90's proved to be creatively far leaner than previous decades, with only For You And Me (1991) proving to be an impressive work. Its clean, crisp production is something of a shock if you previously waxed ears on the band's earlier material. Was the softer lo-fi sound of yore deliberate? Quite possibly.
Certainly the band's creative dynamic was now different. What is not widely known is the reason: Fricke sustained a serious hand injury at some point in the 80's - losing at least one finger to gangrene after a trip the Himalayas, according to Eckart Rahn - and tragically could no longer play the piano. So new member Guido Hieronymus took over the piano playing and also shared the creative duties, a move that fundamentally changed Popol Vuh, with Daniel Fichelscher now less involved than before.
The overall effect of the clean sound on For You and Me seems somehow less mystical but the album is still a lovely, engaging and mostly upbeat collection of world music fusions with just a touch of synth pop. The classic blend of ringing guitars and glowing piano still binds everything together, however, and some of the small group choral arrangements are striking. The band's past resurfaces on the 4-part suite "Om Mane Padem Hum" on which Fricke cleverly reworks the brighter moments from his classic "Brothers Of Darkness Sons Of Light" into something new but equally as warm and optimistic.
With the non-essential City Raga (1995) and Shepherd's Symphony (1997) the influence of Hieronymus on keyboards and arrangements has become overt, with the band now hopping on board the 90's ambient dance bandwagon. At the time many fans were aghast, but in retrospect neither of these are horrible records; they're just underwhelming next to ethno-ambient efforts by more dance-savvy acts of the period like Mayko, Loop Guru, Deep Forest and Delerium. Daniel Fichelscher - sidelined after the arrival of Hieronymus - was unimpressed with all the sequencers and drum machines; he left the band soon after City Raga after contributing guitar to just one track.
The final album before Fricke's death in 2001 was an interesting but unexceptional mix of ambient drones and poetry for an art installation called Messa Di Orfeo (1999). It's significant only in that it suggests Fricke had come nearly full circle to once again embrace the abstract electronica of his earliest work.
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Of all the Popol Vuh recordings, and of all the soundtracks Florian Fricke composed for Werner Herzog's films, Fitzcarraldo is by far the most atypical. Given that this is a film about an opera house being built in the middle of the South American jungle so Enrico Caruso will come to perform there, it would stand to reason that opera music be used in the soundtrack. And therein lies both the brilliance and difficulty of the score as a recording. Certainly those fans of Krautrock who love Fricke's gorgeously haunting, simple melodies, are not ready for the bombast of tenor god Caruso -- or are they? The manner in which the score is structured is such that these moments from Caruso's performances come across as moving vignettes in and of themselves. When juxtaposed next to Fricke's serial music, they become portals to another time and are episodes that stand in stark contrast to opera music in general. Make no mistake. This is a provocative score and is not for everyone, not even Popol Vuh fans. But for those open-minded enough to accept Fitzcarraldo on its own merits, this is a singular achievement in Fricke's composing, editing, and production career.
Popol Vuh - Fitzcarraldo (flac 214mb)
01 Wehe Khorazin 5:32
02 Scene From „Ernani“ 5:51
03 Engel Der Luft 2:35
04 RidiPagliacci (by Caruso) 3:09
05 O Paradiso (by Caruso) 3:35
06 Kind Mit Geige 0:54
07 Im Garten Der Gemeinschaft 2:23
08 Blasmusik 0:41
09 Tod Und Verklärung (Excerpt) 2:52
10 Musik Aus Burundi 1:49
11 Il Sogno - Manon 2:36
12 Quartett - Rigoletto 3:57
13 Oh Mimi, Tu Piu Non Torni (by Caruso) 3:02
14 Als Lebten Die Engel Auf Erden 2:04
15 A Te O Cara, Amor Talora - I Puritani 5:50
Popol Vuh - Fitzcarraldo (ogg 96mb)
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Spirit of Peace is the fifteenth album by Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1985 on Cicada. The first track was used by Werner Herzog as original motion picture soundtrack for his documentary The Dark Glow of the Mountains (original title "Gasherbrum – Der leuchtende Berg") about Reinhold Messner.
Perhaps people are unfairly comparing this to the outstanding seminal Popol Vuh albums of the 70's. Admittedly, their sound had changed DRAMATICALLY by the time of Spirit of Peace. This album is truly what the title suggests; one of the more peaceful albums ever made, and also one of the most beautiful. Definitely way more mellow than their early to mid-70's material, but a truly stunning album that's among the best I've ever heard in the realm of ambient/new age/atmospheric/scared musics.
On this album it all is arranged and performed in such a way that nothing disturbs the absolutely gorgeous flow of the music that seems to be radiating from a completely different plane of existence, be it heaven or dao or nirvana - from what I've read from Fricke's rare interviews his aim was to make universally sacred music, regardless of the religious boundaries of the listener. You don't have to be a religious person to appreciate the beauty of these pieces, but the spiritual resonance within the album is of a magnitude that shouldn't be overlooked, giving the album a mesmerizing and, dare I say, healing quality.
Popol Vuh - Spirit of Peace (flac 182mb)
01 We Know About The Need 4:20
02 Spirit Of Peace 7:00
03 Song Of Earth 8:07
04 Take The Tension High 17:27
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‘For You And Me’ was their 17th album & now 28 years later it holds up more than ever. While decidedly new age and world music in sound (with musical elements from the Himalayas, Ireland, Greece and Africa), this album has style and grace, and the updated sonic quality makes it a pleasure to listen to. The light pieces combined with their timeless dramatic signature sound, the majestic piano chords, the profound lyrics and the crescendos of emotions set this album apart from the banal new age mainstream. The authentic Popul Vuh spirituality permeates on every track here, prepare for goose bumps and a divine moment,in For You And Me, they created a more modern day classic, easily their best album of the 90’s.”
Popol Vuh - For You And Me (flac 264mb)
01 For You And Me 5:27
02 Wind Of The Stars In Their Eyes 3:04
03 Little Bazaari 7:51
04 Compassion 5:05
05 When Love Is Calling You 4:13
06 In Your Eyes 1:02
07 OM Mani Padme Hum 1 1:12
08 OM Mani Padme Hum 2 2:48
09 OM Mani Padme Hum 3 4:32
10 OM Mani Padme Hum 4 5:19
11 For You 2:06
Popol Vuh - For You And Me (ogg 107mb)
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Issued in 1993, Sing, for Song Drives Away the Wolves is Florian Fricke's remixed and updated version of Popol Vuh's soundtrack album for Werner Herzog's Coeur de Verre (Heart From Glass), 1976. The original material is saturated in the heritage of East Indian classical music as it met the droning evolution of Krautrock. On Sing, the original seven tracks are present with beefed-up basslines, layered keyboards and guitars, and more punched-up kit drums. Unlike most update projects, this one works because of the obvious reverence Florian Fricke has for the material. It may be rocked up, but it still sounds like nothing else out there. This is music of bliss and mysticism, it resonates with its gradually unfolding themes and variations, and presents the listener a veritable world of sonic warmth to enter into and remain for as long as one wishes. The effect of these modern tracks is riveting; their punch is undeniable, but so is their subtlety. This new version of the album also contains the title track from Einsjäger and Siebenjager "You Shouldn't Awake Your Beloved Before It Pleases Her" from 1974. Almost 19-and-a-half minutes in length, it complements this sound beautifully in that it unfolds acoustically from Fricke's piano, a soprano saxophone, and drums. The same feeling of ecstasy eventually draws itself out of the music as an electric guitar enters the fray and transforms it into a driving, droney dirge. While Coeur de Verre is more desirable for those who like originals, Sing should not be discounted. Fricke was one of the few musicians who understood how to remix his own music.
Popol Vuh - Sing, for Song Drives Away the Wolves (flac 251mb)
01 Song From The High Mountains 6:20
02 Pages From The Book Of Daring 3:54
03 Dance Of The Chassidim 3:20
04 Keepers Of The Threshold 3:35
05 Sing, For Song Drives Away The Wolves 4:14
06 Little Warrior 1:04
07 Sweet Repose 1:00
08 You Shouldn't Awake Your Beloved Before It Pleases Her 19:26
Popol Vuh - Sing, for Song Drives Away the Wolves (ogg 97mb)
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After spending 25 years turning musical dreams into realities Florian Fricke, Frank Fiedler and Guido Hieronymus have, with Shepherd's Symphony recorded an album that sounds quite unlike anything previously released under the name Popol Vuh. It's a reflection of the desire by Popol Vuh to encroach upon the avenue of popular music. In this, Florian has been heavily influenced by his son Johannes whose love for Hip-Hop and Techno Trance Sounds led to his convincing Florian of the need to write material that would appeal to the younger generation of music lovers whilst retaining the support of existing fans.
Florian Fricke has always been open to change within his music and to experiment with samples and sounds, he recently ventured into the World of Dance, always striving to ensure that his critics could not point to any stagnation in his music. His previous album, City Raga, indicated a coming change which has been completed with the Shepherd's Symphony album.
The Symphony is modern schamanistic music and will gain Popol Vuh many new admirers. Florian has always tried to walk new paths, untouched by others, it is an expression of Florian's freedom to remain an innovator and never to become an imitator. "Hirtensymphony", is the title of a new German film recently made in Tibet by Florian, who travels, once every five years to Himalaya where on his last journey, accompanied by his longtime friend and co-producer he conquered the Kailash mountain. In Germany there is a very old creative tradition based on a sort of mystical tendency toward the absolute. Before Popol Vuh they produced many great poets, philosophers, some wonderful music and sadly, mad fascism. The music of Popol Vuh is relaxing, but never boring. It is gentle, but not slushy. It is like the Ocean at Sundown, like the Desert by Night, like the Sky at Dawn. Think Deep, Think Sleep, Think For Yourself!
Popol Vuh - Shepherd's Symphony (flac 285mb)
01 Shepherds Of The Future (Die Hirten Der Zukunft) 6:08
02 Short Visit To The Great Sorcerer (Kurzer Besuch Beim Grossen Zauberer) 6:00
03 Wild Vine 8:29
04 Shepherd's Dream (Der Traum Des Schäfers) 4:17
05 Eternal Love 8:18
06 Dance Of The Menads (Tanz Der Menaden) 6:24
07 Yes 5:02
Popol Vuh - Shepherd's Symphony (ogg 101 mb)
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I haven't downloaded it yet to know which it is for sure, but just FYI, the track listing you have showing there for "Sing...Wolves" is actually the one for "Sei Still, Wisse Ich Bin".
ReplyDeleteThanks Anon, its been corrected now.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to thank you. As a fan of Werner Herzog movies, the music going with them can hardly be taken apart.
ReplyDeleteThe rest is for me to discover and to appreciate, or not.
Thanks again.