HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Popol Vuh were a German musical collective founded by keyboardist
Florian Fricke Florian Fricke (23 February 1944 – 29 December 2001) was a German musician who started his professional career with electronic music using the Moog synthesizer within the krautrock group Popol Vuh. His music and that of the band however soon evo ...
in 1969 together with Frank Fiedler (sound design, fine cut), Holger Trülzsch (percussion), and Bettina Fricke (tablas and production).Popol Vuh Biography, Booklet to CD issue of "Popol Vuh Revisted & Remixed, 1970–1999", SPV recordings, 2011 Other important members during the next two decades included Djong Yun, Renate Knaup,
Conny Veit Wolf Conrad "Conny" Veit (born 5 June 1949) was a German musician, singer, composer and painter, best known for his appearances in Gila and Popol Vuh. His main instrument was the guitar. His name was misspelled "Conny Veidt" in Gila's first album ...
,
Daniel Fichelscher Daniel "Danny" Secundus Fichelscher, (born 3 July 1953 in Berlin), is a German multi-instrumentalist who played a pivotal role in Krautrock band Popol Vuh, was a member of the German group Gila and is currently Amon Düül II's drummer. Fichels ...
,
Klaus Wiese Klaus Wiese (January 18, 1942 – January 27, 2009 in Ulm) was a veteran e-musician, minimalist, and multi-instrumentalist. A master of the Tibetan singing bowl, he created an extensive series of album releases using them. Wiese also used the hum ...
, and Robert Eliscu. The band took its name from the Mayan manuscript containing the mythology of highland
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...
's
K'iche' people K'iche', K'ichee', or Quiché may refer to: * K'iche' people of Guatemala, a subgroup of the Maya * K'iche' language, a Maya language spoken by the K'iche' people ** Classical K'iche' language, the 16th century form of the K'iche' language * Kʼich ...
. Popol Vuh began as an
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electro ...
project, but under Fricke's leadership they soon abandoned
synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s for organic instrumentation and world music influences. They developed a productive working partnership with director
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with u ...
, contributing scores to films such as ''
Aguirre, The Wrath of God ''Aguirre, the Wrath of God'' (; german: Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes; ) is a 1972 West German epic historical drama film produced, written and directed by Werner Herzog. Klaus Kinski stars in the title role of Spanish soldier Lope de Aguirre, w ...
'' (1972), '' Nosferatu the Vampyre'' (1979), and ''
Fitzcarraldo ''Fitzcarraldo'' () is a 1982 West German epic adventure-drama film written, produced and directed by Werner Herzog, and starring Klaus Kinski as would-be rubber baron, Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an Irishman known in Peru as Fitzcarraldo, who is ...
'' (1982). The group are associated with West Germany's 1970s
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in West Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electronic music, ...
movement and are considered progenitors of
new-age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...
and
ambient music Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody.The Ambient Century by Mark Prendergast, Bloomsbury, London, 2003. It ...
. Today, Popol Vuh's best-reviewed works are ''
In den Gärten Pharaos ''In den Gärten Pharaos'' ("In the Gardens of the Pharaoh") is the second album by German band Popol Vuh, released in 1971 by record label Pilz. Content On ''In den Gärten Pharaos'', Florian Fricke made more extensive use of the Moog synth ...
'' (1971) and ''
Hosianna Mantra ''Hosianna Mantra'' is the third album by German band Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1972 on the German record label Pilz. The album saw the band blend elements of Western classical music, Asian music, and space rock. For the release, ...
'' (1972).


History

The band's name, taken from the Mayan manuscript, has been translated roughly as "meeting place" or "book of the community". Link text, additional text. Their first album, ''Affenstunde'', released in 1970, can be regarded as one of the earliest
space music Space music, also called spacemusic or space ambient, is a subgenre of new-age music and is described as "tranquil, hypnotic and moving". It is derived from ambient music and is associated with lounge music, easy listening, and elevator music ...
works, featuring the then new sounds of the
Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...
together with
ethnic An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established fo ...
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
. This continued for only one more album, ''In den Gärten Pharaos'', and material later to be released on the soundtrack to ''
Aguirre, the Wrath of God ''Aguirre, the Wrath of God'' (; german: Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes; ) is a 1972 West German epic historical drama film produced, written and directed by Werner Herzog. Klaus Kinski stars in the title role of Spanish soldier Lope de Aguirre, w ...
'', before Fricke largely abandoned electronic instruments in favour of piano-led compositions from 1972's ''Hosianna Mantra'' forward. This album also marked the start of exploring overtly religious themes rather than a more generally spiritual feeling within the music. The group evolved to include a range of instruments:
wind Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few ...
and strings, electric and acoustic alike, combined to convey a mystical aura that made their music spiritual and introspective. Popol Vuh influenced many other European bands with their uniquely soft but elaborate instrumentation, which took inspiration from the music of
Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
,
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, and
pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...
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. The band contributed soundtracks to films of
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with u ...
, including the aforementioned ''Aguirre, the Wrath of God'', as well as ''
Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...
'', ''
Fitzcarraldo ''Fitzcarraldo'' () is a 1982 West German epic adventure-drama film written, produced and directed by Werner Herzog, and starring Klaus Kinski as would-be rubber baron, Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an Irishman known in Peru as Fitzcarraldo, who is ...
'', '' Cobra Verde'', '' Heart of Glass'' and '' The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser'', in which Fricke appeared. Florian Fricke died in Munich on 29 December 2001 and the group disbanded. In October 2003 Klaus Schulze wrote: :"Florian was and remains an important forerunner of contemporary ethnic and religious music. He chose electronic music and his big Moog to free himself from the restraints of traditional music, but soon discovered that he didn't get a lot out of it and opted for the acoustic path instead. Here, he went on to create a new world, which Werner Herzog loves so much, transforming the thought patterns of electronic music into the language of acoustic ethno music."Klaus Schulze, Oldau, October 7, 2003: Booklet to CD re-issue of "Hosianna Mantra", SPV recordings, 2004


Discography

#'' Affenstunde'' (1970) #''
In den Gärten Pharaos ''In den Gärten Pharaos'' ("In the Gardens of the Pharaoh") is the second album by German band Popol Vuh, released in 1971 by record label Pilz. Content On ''In den Gärten Pharaos'', Florian Fricke made more extensive use of the Moog synth ...
'' (1971) #''
Hosianna Mantra ''Hosianna Mantra'' is the third album by German band Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1972 on the German record label Pilz. The album saw the band blend elements of Western classical music, Asian music, and space rock. For the release, ...
'' (1972) #''
Seligpreisung ''Seligpreisung'' is the fourth album by German band Popol Vuh (German band), Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1973 on record label Kosmische Musik. The title is the German name for the Beatitudes, from Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Rele ...
'' (1973) #''
Einsjäger und Siebenjäger ''Einsjäger und Siebenjäger'' is the fifth album by Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1974 on Kosmische Musik. In 2004 SPV re-released the album with two bonus tracks. "Wo bist Du?" was originally released on Popol Vuh's album '' Die N ...
'' (1974) #''
Das Hohelied Salomos ''Das Hohelied Salomos'' ("The Song of Solomon") is the sixth album by Popol Vuh (German band), Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1975, on United Artists Records. In 2005, SPV GmbH, SPV re-released the album with three bonus tracks. Trac ...
'' (1975) #'' Aguirre'' (1975) #'' Letzte Tage – Letzte Nächte'' (1976) #'' Herz aus Glas'' (1977) #''
Brüder des Schattens – Söhne des Lichts ' (English language, English: "Brothers of the Shadow - Sons of Light") is the tenth album by Popol Vuh (German band), Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1978 on Brain Records. In 2006 SPV GmbH, SPV re-released the album with one bonus track ...
'' (1978) #''
Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...
'' (1978) #'' Die Nacht der Seele'' (1979) #''
Sei still, wisse ICH BIN ''Sei still, wisse ICH BIN'' (subtitled "Szenische Gesänge") is the thirteenth album by Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1981 on Klaus Schulze's record label Innovative Communication. In 2006 SPV re-released the album with one bonus t ...
'' (1981) #''
Agape – Agape ''Agape – Agape / Love – Love'' is the fourteenth album by Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1983 on Uniton. In 2004 SPV re-released the album with one bonus track. Track listing All tracks composed by Florian Fricke exce ...
'' (1983) #''
Spirit of Peace ''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'' (origi ...
'' (1985) #'' Cobra Verde'' (1987) #'' For You and Me'' (1991) #'' City Raga'' (1995) #'' Shepherd's Symphony – Hirtensymphonie'' (1997) #'' Messa di Orfeo'' (1999)


Florian Fricke solo albums

*''Die Erde und ich sind Eins'' (1983) – limited private pressing *''Florian Fricke Plays Mozart'' (1992) – featuring Fricke on piano playing Mozart compositions


Compilations

Note: there are two distinct issues of the compilation ''Best of Popol Vuh – Werner Herzog''. These are distinct from ''The Best Soundtracks from Werner Herzog Films'', though the selections of tracks overlap. *''Perlenklänge: The Best of Popol Vuh'' (1976) – Ohr / Pilz / Kosmische Musik compilation *''Tantric Songs'' (1981) – featuring tracks from '' Die Nacht der Seele'' and ''
Brüder des Schattens – Söhne des Lichts ' (English language, English: "Brothers of the Shadow - Sons of Light") is the tenth album by Popol Vuh (German band), Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1978 on Brain Records. In 2006 SPV GmbH, SPV re-released the album with one bonus track ...
'' *''
Fitzcarraldo ''Fitzcarraldo'' () is a 1982 West German epic adventure-drama film written, produced and directed by Werner Herzog, and starring Klaus Kinski as would-be rubber baron, Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an Irishman known in Peru as Fitzcarraldo, who is ...
'' (1982) – soundtrack featuring four previously released Popol Vuh compositions besides opera and traditional music *''In the Gardens of Pharao / Aguirre'' (1983) *''Gesang der Gesänge'' (1988) *''Best of Popol Vuh – Werner Herzog'' (1989 with 14 tracks; reissued 1993 with only 10 tracks) *''Florian Fricke'' (1991) – featuring tracks from '' Herz aus Glas'' (retitled) and ''
Brüder des Schattens – Söhne des Lichts ' (English language, English: "Brothers of the Shadow - Sons of Light") is the tenth album by Popol Vuh (German band), Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1978 on Brain Records. In 2006 SPV GmbH, SPV re-released the album with one bonus track ...
'' *''The Best Soundtracks from Werner Herzog Films'' (1991, 8 tracks) *''Best of Popol Vuh from the Films of Werner Herzog'' (1992, 10 tracks), contains one track (titled "We Are Aware of the Misery") from the Herzog film '' The Dark Glow of the Mountains'', which was previously unreleased *''Sing, for Song Drives Away the Wolves'' (1993) – remix album *''Movie Music'' (1994) – 3-CD set: ''Aguirre'', '' Herz aus Glas'', ''Nosferatu'' *''Nicht Hoch Im Himmel'' (1998) *''Future Sound Experience'' (2002) – remix album recorded in 1993 (according to its booklet) and released after Florian Fricke's death *''70's Progressive'' (2006) – SPV compilation *''On the Way to Himalaya'' (2006) – 3-CD set: ''
Brüder des Schattens – Söhne des Lichts ' (English language, English: "Brothers of the Shadow - Sons of Light") is the tenth album by Popol Vuh (German band), Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1978 on Brain Records. In 2006 SPV GmbH, SPV re-released the album with one bonus track ...
'', ''
Spirit of Peace ''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'' (origi ...
'', '' Die Nacht der Seele'' *''The Werner Herzog Soundtracks Box set'' (2011) *''Revisited & Remixed (1970–1999)'' (2011)


Unauthorized album

*''Yoga'' (1976) – recorded by Florian Fricke with Indian musicians


References


External links

*http://www.furious.com/perfect/populvuh.html (Comprehensive article & review of every album, in English) *http://www.maknef.com/popolvuh Popol Vuh & Florian Fricke. The ultimate resource: biography, discography, movies, collaborations, web links and foto gallery. * {{Authority control German electronic music groups Krautrock musical groups Musical groups established in 1969 Musical groups disestablished in 2001 Brain Records artists