Spalax Rec. 
Popol Vuh : Sei Still Wisse Ich Bin (1980)****°
Spalax Rec. Popol Vuh : Sinaï Desert -VHS- (1980,pub.1996)***
Introduction to the works of Popol Vuh :
Popol Vuh’s repertoire is impressive, almost from start to finish. The band’s first album was very different, with more moog electronic music, and is the only album I don’t have yet, for various reasons. After that, Popol Vuh’s repertoire has a more “recognisable” character with many variations, forms and inspirations. “In Garten Des Pharaos”, like the first album, also has moog improvisations (which were later used in different forms for the “Nosferatu" soundtrack). “Yoga” (1976) is different as well, but was in fact not a Popol Vuh album, but some Indian musicians who Florian Fricke produced. Also beware of some of the last albums under the name of Popol Vuh ; also these were no Florian Fricke albums, but contains very different music from his son (I think these are “City Raga” and “Shepherd's Symphony”), but were also produced by him. Last album which I think still is from Florian is “Messa Orfeo” (1998), a very different, soundtrack kind of concept, with some boring spoken word and accompanying music ; it is for me less rewarding compared to all other works. A few are more (calm) progressive albums (like “Das Hohelied..”), of which I think “Einsjäger,Siebenjäger” might be one of the highlights in that direction. Therefore he had his crew of participators of which two people most often became an inevitable part of the sound, with Daniel Fichelscher on guitar and drums, providing the progressive touch and Djon Yung on vocals confirming the eastern religious touch. There are also many religious inspirations with preference to some different, not obvious combinations of religions and music (with references to Old Egypt, Aztec culture and Indian music) and more often with Biblical inspirations. (like “Seligpreisung”). Favourites in the Indian/Christian combinations are “Hosianna Mantra” & “Tantric Songs”. Another highlight of religious aspirations, with some overtone choir arrangements is “Sei Still..”. All music, from start to finish sounds “timeless”, with no stylistic directions or much differences referring to when it was recorded. They have some kind of meditative power outside everything (in time and style), with a style which is like a genre of its own. Some people started to say how much Popol Vuh’s music predated New Age before it existed, with completely integral musical inspirations, but also such a category hardly grabs the music. Surely, it can be regarded as ‘meditative music’. All was created after having ‘calmed down’ and ‘brought to some essence’ through meditation before the studio work. Master film director Werner Herzog became a big fan of Florian Fricke’s music and used it in many of his films (but rarely was it ever composed for it). The choice of music for certain movies made these albums like different concepts on their own.
The name Popol Vuh refers to the only saved book from the huge library of the Aztecs, which was burned down by the Spanish, because it was easier to conquer a destroyed high society. They might also have been afraid of the darker sides of the Aztec religion. The naïve ideas of Christianity was like a dark shadow giving them a way to overpower others with self-confirming excuses.
One side-project of Florian Fricke is also very special, and has beautiful piano by him. It is Gila’s first album, a concept around the “Wounded knee” massacre. I don’t know of any other album that showed, with so much power and vision, the dignity of native Indians and its culture, even more than from any expression I’ve heard so far before from direct native Indian sources or origins ! (review on next page).
Review of the CD :
From the whole repertoire of Florian Fricke, I think that this album more or less resumes the religious aspirations put into a musical scenery, in some kind of ecstasy form thanks to really impressive choral arrangements, and a kind of Tibetan percussion. I have no idea where Florian Fricke got or learned his musical and spiritual backgrounds for this, because the harmonies presented here, assume some great deeper knowledge or understandings. The music sound like religious music as if from some hidden past life origin, as if referring to a more common source for various cultures (native American, African?, Eastern, far-eastern, Byzantine,..) with the addition of a contemporary touch with electric guitar and percussion. Also Renate Knaup (Amon Düül II) sings with it. It was especially the choral arrangement which impressed me very much when I first heard this. Once, I fell asleep with it, and I dreamed about a really impressive religious and “magical” ritual. The choral harmonies contain many overtones, and have a repetitive (religious) rhythm in them that builds up a more communal secular energy, uplifting the energy to certain heights. This is alternated with some guitar passages which have a more calming-down nature. The main theme is a song led by Florian on vocals, and refers to the title “be quiet, I am”. This has once more biblical references (to the passage of the last supper). Last guitar track in that way sounds also like a perfect goodbye.
Even when the album is only a bit over 34 minutes, the score showed a whole process of saturation and liberation, and in that way is completely satisfying.
Review of the VHS :
It took a while before I was able to see the video of this short film, because not many people still have VHS (it was not re-released on DVD yet). The movie of accompanying images presents the music in a perfect environment of slowly moving and changing views, recorded in the Sinai desert, starting the music and the first images with the rising and falling of the sun. The visions follow a prophet dressed in white moving slowly through the desert while others, also dressed in long white clothes follow him, and surround him, watch him meditate or sing, now and then seen from different angles or with the prophet in close up. For the prophet a girl with bright eyes has been taken, with additional beard, making him look like a transcendent looking creature that is moved, and is one with the greatness of the environment while singing. The moving figures through the landscape give something majestic, unusual, mystical spirituality that fits with the environment and still is independently human. The sunlight makes long shadows. At times when the circle closes around the prophet it is as if he is like the sun for the environment and where the shadow of each member that followed him became like the presentations of the ray of sun. Even when the whole concept and images are simple and almost amateur-like they are convincing in giving the message of the music a serene presentation.
PS. I also learned from the video that the involved choir was the Choir Ensemble from the Bayrische State Opera.
Personal gradings of Popol Vuh albums :
Popol Vuh : In den Garten des Pharaos (1971)****°
Popol Vuh : Hosianna Mantra (1972)*****
Gila : Bury my heart at wounded knee (1973)*****
Popol Vuh : Sing, for song drives away the wolves (1974)***°
Popol Vuh : Seligpreisungen (1974)****°
Popol Vuh : Einsjäger Siebenjäger (1975)*****
Popol Vuh : Das Hohelied Salomos (1975)****°
Popol Vuh : Aguire + Spirit of Peace,part 2 (1976)****°
Popol Vuh : Letzte Tage, Letzte Nachte (1976)***°
Popol Vuh : Coeur de verre / Herz aus Glas (1977)***°°
Popol Vuh : On the way to a little way (Nosferatu - soundtrack)
(=Brüder des Schattens, Sohne des Licht) (1978)*****
Popol Vuh : Bruder des Schattens (1979)***°°
Popol Vuh : Tantric Songs (= Die Nacht der Seele) (1979)*****
Popol Vuh : Florian Fricke (1979)****°
Popol Vuh : Sei still, wisse ich bin (1980)****°
Popol Vuh : Agape Agape (1983)***°°
Popol Vuh : Spirit of Peace (1985)***°°
Popol Vuh : Messa di Orfeo (1989)*°°
