POPOL VUH - Affenstunde (1970-2018) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Affenstunde is the debut recording by composer and multi-instrumentalist Florian Fricke's Popol Vuh, named for the sacred Mayan text. It was issued on the Liberty label in Germany in 1970 and has been in print, off and on, in Europe, Japan, and even in the United States sporadically since that time. For those completely dislocated by Tangerine Dream's early experiments in sonic terror and dynamics, Affenstunde is somehow akin yet very different. Fricke's synthesizers are more interested in pulse and circularity, not utter dislocation and shock. The music here all seems of a piece, despite the different selection titles and the single percussion piece on the set, "Dream, Pt. 5" -- primitive hand drums run through the middle of the mix. Other than this selection, the entire album would have made a fantastic soundtrack for Andrei Tarkovsky's film Solaris. The sheer momentum of the title cut, which closes the album and integrates spacious electronic soundscapes, ever deepening tonalities, found taped choral vocals whispering in the background, and percussion is one of the most provocative pieces to come from the Krautrock generation. This is an auspicious debut, which holds up wonderfully in the 21st century.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist:
1. Ich mache einen Spiegel (Dream part 4) 5:12
Popol Vuh
2. Ich mache einen Spiegel Dream part 5 4:41
Popol Vuh
3. Ich mache einen Spiegel Dream part 49 7:43
Popol Vuh
4. Affenstunde 18:35
Popol Vuh
- Bonus track -     
5    Train Through Time    10:31
Credits :
Percussion – Holger Trülzsch
Synthesizer [Moog Synthesizer] – Florian Fricke

POPOL VUH - In den Gärten Pharaos (1971-2004) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

"In Pharaoh's Garden" was the first true work of "sacred music" by Florian Fricke, guiding light of the mythical group Popol Vuh. Consisting of two extended works, his mixture of electronics and church organ with assorted winds and percussives, conjures up visions of the celestial light. Deeply emotional and filled with mysticism, this album marked the dawning of new age music, and still today is a wonder to behold. by Archie Patterson
Tracklist :
1 In Den Gärten Pharaos 17:38
Popol Vuh
2 Vuh 19:52
Popol Vuh
- Bonus Tracks (Formerly Unreleased) :
3 Kha-White Structures, No. 1 10:16
Popol Vuh
4 Kha-White Structures, No. 2 10:09
Popol Vuh
Credits :
Mixed By [Moog-Synthesizer-Mixdown], Remastered By [Digital Remastering] – Frank Fiedler
Percussion [Afrikanische, Türkische Percussion] – Holger Trülzsch
Synthesizer [Moog Synthesizer], Organ, Electric Piano [Fender Piano] – Florian Fricke

POPOL VUH - Hosianna Mantra (1972-2004) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Florian Fricke pioneered the use of synthesizers in German rock, but by the time of Hosianna Mantra he had abandoned them (eventually selling his famous Moog to Klaus Schulze). While In den Gärten Pharaos had blended synths with piano and African and Turkish percussion, Hosianna Mantra focuses on organic instrumentation. Conny Veit contributes electric guitar, but other than that, Fricke pulls the plug and builds the album around violin, tamboura, piano, oboe, cembalo, and Veit's 12-string, often with Korean soprano Djong Yun's haunting voice hovering above the arrangements. As the album's title suggests, Fricke conceived of Hosianna Mantra as a musical reconciliation of East and West, a harmonization of seemingly opposed terms, combining two devotional music traditions. That notion of cultural hybridity resonates throughout. On "Kyrie" droning tamboura, simple piano patterns, ethereal, gull-like guitars, and yearning oboe ebb and flow before coalescing in a passage of intensity and release. The epic title track adds another dimension to the fusion, emphasizing a Western rock sound with Veit's spectacular playing to the fore, simultaneously smoldering and liquid, occasionally yielding to Djong Yun's celestial vocals. Above all, Fricke envisioned this as sacred music, intimately linked to religious experience; however, as his musical synthesis of disparate religious traditions indicates, he was seeking to foment a spiritual experience beyond the specificity of any particular faith. Indeed, Fricke called this album a "mass for the heart" and that aspect can be heard most succinctly on the melancholy "Abschied" and the gossamer-fragile "Segnung," which blend an austere hymnal sensibility with a more mystical vibe. Julian Cope has said that Hosianna Mantra sounds like it was made in a "cosmic convalescent home" -- an excellent description underscoring the timeless, healing quality of this music, which is far removed from the everyday world and yet at one with it.  by Wilson Neate  
Tracklist :
1 Ah! 4:43
2 Kyrie 5:20
3 Hosianna - Mantra 10:15
Das V. Buch Mose
4 Abschied 3:10
5 Segnung 6:00
6 Andacht 0:40
7 Nicht Hoch Im Himmel 6:17
8 Andacht 0:35
- Bonus Track -
9      Maria (Ave Maria) 4:30
Credits :
Composed By, Lyrics By – Popol Vuh
Electric Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar – Conny Veit
Oboe – Robert Eliscu
Piano, Harpsichord – Popol Vuh
Soprano Vocals – Djong Yun
Tambura – Klaus Wiese
 Violin – Fritz Sonnleitner

POPOL VUH - Seligpreisung (1974-2004) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Released in 1973, Seligpreisung was, if anything, a complete shock after the gorgeous "religious" rock of Hosianna Mantra. Gone are the hypnotic Gregorian chants and overtone layers of drone. In their place is a kind of shimmering, spacy jazz-rock where, despite a few instances of Florian Fricke chant-singing, the effect is one where his piano becomes the steadiest backdrop, playing hypnotic, repetitive chords and phrases while Conny Veit improvises with David Gilmour-like blues guitar phrases over the gently swirling music. Elsewhere, the rest of the group (the same cats who played on Hosianna Mantra) is heard in classically tinged miniatures that float through the mix with a kind of meandering insistence on instantly recognizable Western thematics and standard conceptions of beauty rather than confrontations -- however subtle -- with the East/West space-time continuum. This is not to say that Seligpreisung is a disappointment; rather, it is only a shock for its giant step backward into the realm of the conventional. Perhaps Hosianna Mantra presented an abyss, and as Fricke looked over it musically, he realized that its beauty was unbearable. For whatever the reason, Seligpreisung is a meditative, generally quiet, and lovely album, but it doesn't go near the precipice.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1    Selig Sind Die, Die Da Hungern    6:00
2    Tanz Der Chassidim    3:15
3    Selig Sind, Die Da Hier Weinen    5:08
4    Selig Sind, Die Da Willig Arm Sind    3:12
5    Selig Sind, Die Da Leid Tragen    3:39
6    Selig Sind, Die Sanftmütigen    2:31
7    Selig Sind, Die Da Reinen Herzens Sind    2:33
8    Ja, Sie Sollen Gottes Kinder Heissen    2:42
- Bonus Track -    
9    Be In Love 4:59
Guest, Violin [Violine] – Fritz Sonnleitner
Soprano Vocals [Sopran] – Djong Yun
Credits :
Composed By, Arranged By, Piano, Vocals, Harpsichord [Cembalo] – Florian Fricke
Electric Guitar, Drums, Congas – Daniel Fichelscher
Electric Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar [12 String Guitar] – Conny Veit
Music By [All Tracks By] – Popol Vuh
Oboe – Robert Eliscu
Tambura – Klaus Wiese

POPOL VUH - Einsjäger & Siebenjäger (1974-2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Released in 1974, Einsjäger & Siebenjäger (Earth & Sky) is a further rock entrenchment for Popol Vuh. Florian Fricke's piano is more percussively present with its runs and large chord voicings rippling throughout each composition. In addition, Daniel Fichelscher's electric guitar picks up where Conny Veit's left off, taking the bluesy space rock solo style into new territory by incorporating Eastern scales into the main body of his blues phrasing. There are five short compositions on the first side, which merely prepare the listener for the mind-blowing title cut, which takes up the entirety of side two. Here, in addition to the swirling organic percussion and pianism of Fricke and the loping, often singing guitar lines that repeat hypnotically with rock & roll tension, the vocals of the amazing Djong Yun become the catalyst for the other musicians to spiral off into extended improvisations. This is certainly one of the most beautiful albums Popol Vuh issued in the 1970s, and remains a watermark for their trademark of melding beauty and free-flowing composition.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Kleiner Krieger 1:10
Danny Secundus Fichelscher
2     King Minos 4:30
Florian Fricke
3     Morgengruß 2:59
Danny Secundus Fichelscher
4     Würfelspiel 3:13
Florian Fricke
5     Gutes Land 5:16
Florian Fricke
6     Einsjäger & Siebenjäger 19:25
Florian Fricke
- Bonus Tracks:   
7    King Minos II    1:55
Florian Fricke
8    Wo Bist Du?    5:42
Florian Fricke
Credits :
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion – Daniel Fichelscher
Flute – Olaf Kübler
Piano, Spinet – Florian Fricke
Vocals – Djong Yun

POPOL VUH - Aguirre (1975-2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Aguirre gathers recordings made between 1972 and 1974 embodying the distinctive characteristics of Popol Vuh's early-'70s sonic identity: austere analog synth textures that inspired subsequent ambient artists and organically crafted, ethnically nuanced proto-new age music. The most memorable material here derives from the soundtrack to Werner Herzog's film Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes, which chronicles an ill-fated 16th century Spanish quest for El Dorado. The film's central motif blends pulsing Moog and spectral voices conjured from Florian Fricke's Mellotron-related "choir organ" to achieve something sublime, in the truest sense of the word: it's hard not to find the music's awe-inspiring, overwhelming beauty simultaneously unsettling. The power of the legendary opening sequence of Herzog's film (a breathtaking shot of the conquistadors descending a mountain path, dwarfed by the natural beauty that ultimately consumes them) owes as much to Popol Vuh's music as it does to the director's mise-en-scène. This musical motif appears in two slightly different incarnations: "Aguirre I," which closes with Andean pipes, and "Aguirre II," featuring Daniel Fichelscher's soaring guitar melodies. Elsewhere, the cosmic sensibility of those tracks is replaced with an earthbound orientation, but the results are no less mesmerizing. Built around acoustic guitars and percussion (and a fleeting contribution from vocalist Djong Yun), the 15-minute triptych "Vergegenwärtigung" blurs the boundaries between East and West while incorporating nuances of early music. The album also includes "Morgengruß II" and "Agnus Dei," versions of which appeared on Einsjäger & Siebenjäger. Compared with In den Gärten Pharaos or Hosianna Mantra, Aguirre doesn't stand up as a consistently great album, but that's not to say that it doesn't contain some great pieces of music. by Wilson Neate  
Tracklist:
1    Aguirre I (L'Acrime Di Rei) 7:22
Florian Fricke
2    Morgengruss II 2:55   
Danny Secundus Fichelscher
3    Aguirre II 6:15
Florian Fricke
4    Agnus Dei 3:03
Florian Fricke
5    Vergegenwärtigung 16:51   
Florian Fricke
- Bonus Track -
6    Aguirre III 7:16
Florian Fricke
Credits:
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion – Daniel Fichelscher
Piano, Spinet, Arranged By – Florian Fricke
Vocals – Djong Yun
Written-By, Composed By – Daniel Fichelscher (tracks: 2), Florian Fricke (tracks: 1, 3 to 6)

POPOL VUH - Das Hohelied Salomos (1975-2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Das Hohelied Salomos continues along the same path as Hosianna Mantra (1972), Seligpreisung (1973), and Einsjäger & Siebenjäger (1974). Collaborating with guitarist/percussionist Daniel Fichelscher and soprano Djong Yun and adapting lyrics from the Old Testament's Song of Solomon, Florian Fricke crafts deeply spiritual music from a synthesis of Eastern and Western popular, classical and devotional traditions. Fichelscher's guitar and percussion are to the fore, often eclipsing Fricke's rippling piano melodies, and Yun graces most tracks with her serene, ethereal voice. As on Einsjäger & Siebenjäger, the group works with an economical palette, combining elements to create grand arrangements with subtly shifting rhythms, tempos, and textures. Here, however, the results are all the more expansive and majestic as the minimalist strokes coalesce in sweeping, cosmic swathes, most memorably on the meditative interludes "Du Sohn Davids I" and "In den Nächten auf den Gassen I," with its oceanic, mantric ebb and flow. With contributions from Alois Gromer (sitar) and Shana Kumar (tabla), Das Hohelied Salomos recovers some of the Eastern accent that was more evident on Hosianna Mantra and Seligpreisung: the standout in that regard is the lilting "Der Winter Ist Vorbei," which sets Yun's vocals amid Gromer and Kumar's hypnotic grooves. Elsewhere, there's a more seamless cultural hybrid: for instance, on "Steh auf, Zieh Mich Dir Nach," which gradually gathers momentum with Fricke's piano arpeggios and Fichelscher's rich, bluesy playing. That rock dimension is most emphatic on the closing "Du Tränke Mich mit Deinen Küssen," another track that builds slowly around layered, interweaving guitars. Das Hohelied Salomos encapsulates Fricke's gift for blending aspects of Western rock music's traditionally profane idiom with non-Western and non-rock aesthetics to pursue his unique vision of sacred music. by Wilson Neate  
Tracklist :
1    Steh Auf, Zieh Mich Dir Nach    4:44
Florian Fricke
2    Du Schönste Der Weiber    4:28
Danny Secundus Fichelscher / Florian Fricke
3    In Den Nächten Auf Den Gassen    1:33
Florian Fricke
4    Du Sohn Davids I    2:59
Florian Fricke
5    In Den Nächten Auf Den Gassen II    3:26
Florian Fricke
6    Der Winter Ist Vorbei    3:42
Florian Fricke
7    Ja, Deine Liebe Ist Süßer Als Wein    3:36
Danny Secundus Fichelscher
8    Du Sohn Davids II    3:47
Florian Fricke
9    Du Tränke Mich Mit Deinen Küssen    4:57
Danny Secundus Fichelscher / Florian Fricke
- Bonus Tracks (Formerly Unreleased) :    
10    In Den Nächten Auf Den Gassen III 2:10
Producer – Florian Fricke
11    Schön Bist Du Vor Menschensöhnen (Alternative Session) 2:45
Producer – Florian Fricke
12    Mitten Im Garten (Alternative Piano Version) 4:50
Producer – Florian Fricke
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar, Guitar [Electric], Percussion – Daniel Fichelscher
Electronics – Frank Fiedler, Robert Wedel
Producer, Electronics, Piano, Mixed By – Florian Fricke
Sitar – Al Gromer
Tabla – Shana Kumar
Vocals – Djon Yun

POPOL VUH - Letzte Tage - Letzte Nächte (1975-2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As Florian Fricke moved away from an early synthesizer-centered sound and embraced organic instrumentation in his quest to fuse Eastern and Western musical and spiritual traditions, Popol Vuh's rock orientation became more pronounced. That aspect derived largely from the contributions of electric guitarists Conny Veit (on Hosianna Mantra and Seligpreisung) and Daniel Fichelscher (on Seligpreisung, Einsjäger & Siebenjäger, and Das Hohelied Salomos). Letzte Tage - Letzte Nächte is the band's boldest foray into rock territory. On Das Hohelied Salomos, Fichelscher's guitar often eclipsed Fricke's piano; here, his presence is even more emphatic. That's not to say that the band has lost its equilibrium -- this is another classic Popol Vuh exercise in balancing and reconciling apparent opposites. An opening pair of instrumentals sets the tone. Buoyed by hard-driving percussion, on "Der Große Krieger" Fichelscher combines muscular riffage with a lightness of touch as he unleashes streams of soaring notes; "Oh Wie Nah Ist der Weg Hinab" builds on an ominous Floydian groove before lilting, interwoven guitar lines lift the song to its conclusion. Elsewhere, vocals play a key role in the dynamics: pounding drums and thick layers of bluesy guitar provide a heavy foundation on "Dort Ist der Weg," while the ethereal voices of Djong Yun and Renate Knaup add an expansive dimension. Their vocals also contribute a pastoral feel, especially on the folky title track and on meditative numbers like the guitar and piano mantra "Haram Dei Raram Dei Haram Dei Ra" and "Kyrie," on which Fricke's arpeggios blend with Ted de Jong's tamboura and Alois Gromer's sitar. Concluding a strong cycle of albums, Letzte Tage - Letzte Nächte continues to encapsulate Popol Vuh's defining characteristics: an ability to create music that's simultaneously delicate and powerful, detailed and expansive, earthbound in its origins and cosmic in its reach. by Wilson Neate
Tracklist :
1     Der Grosse Krieger 3:15
Danny Secundus Fichelscher
2     Oh Wie Nah Ist Der Weg Hinab 4:38
Florian Fricke
3     Oh Wie Weit Ist Der Weg Hinauf 4:37
Florian Fricke
4     In Deine Hände 3:04
Florian Fricke
5     Kyrie 4:38
Florian Fricke
6     Haram Dei Raram Dei Haram Dei Ra 1:31
Florian Fricke
7     Dort Is Der Weg 4:32
Danny Secundus Fichelscher / Florian Fricke
8     Letzte Tage/Letzte Nächte 4:21
Danny Secundus Fichelscher / Florian Fricke
- Bonus Tracks (Formerly Unreleased) -   
9    Wanderschaft - Wanderings    5:56
10    Gib Hin (Session Version)    2:30
11    Haram Dei Ra (Alternative Version)    6:32
Credits :
Guitar [Guitars] – Daniel Fichelscher
Percussion – Daniel Fichelscher
Piano – Florian Fricke
Sitar – Al Gromer
Tambura – Ted De Jong
Vocals – Djong Yun, Renate Knaup

POPOL VUH - Coeur de Verre (1977-2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of several soundtracks Florian Fricke composed for the films of Werner Herzog, Coeur de Verre (Heart from Glass, 1976) is one of the true masterpieces from Popol Vuh. Utilizing East Indian classical music as its starting point, Fricke and Daniel Fichelscher (guitars and percussion), with help from Alois Gromer on sitar and flutist Mattias Tippelskirch, have recorded one of the most blissed-out works in the band's history. Fricke's concentration on nearly painfully slowly developing themes (yes, even slower than usual) is tempered by the sheer reliance on transcendent euphoria in the processional tempos. The purposeful control of dynamics is necessary because of the deep emotional and spiritual connotations in the music. Composed to the images on the screen, the original version of "Sing, for Song Drives Away the Wolves" and the redone "Geimenschaft" appear here and close the album. Indeed they are its highlights, but that is only after a buildup that demands release after 45 minutes. Many would argue for one of the choral vocal works like Hosianna Mantra or Sei Still, Wisse ICH BIN as the band's flat-out masterpiece, but in its purely instrumental incarnation this one is unquestionably Popol Vuh's watermark. There is so much beauty here, it tenderly breaks the heart over and over again, seemingly effortlessly.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist:
1    Engel der Gegenwart 8:22    
Florian Fricke
2    Blätter Aus Dem Buch der Kühnheit 4:23    
Florian Fricke
3    Das Lied von Den Hohen Bergen 4:15    
Florian Fricke
4    Hüter der Schwelle 3:50    
Florian Fricke
5    Der Ruf 4:44    
Danny Secundus Fichelscher
6    Singet, Denn der Gesang Vertreibt Die Wölfe 4:18    
Florian Fricke
7    Gemeinschaft 3:50    
Florian Fricke
- Bonus Tracks -
8    Auf Dem Weg - On The Way (Alternative Guitar Version)    4:42
9    Hand In Hand In Hand (Agape Guitar Version)    5:44
Credits:
Flute – Mathias von Tippelskirch
Guitar – Daniel Fichelscher
Percussion – Daniel Fichelscher
Piano – Florian Fricke
Sitar – Al Gromer

POPOL VUH - Nosferatu : The Vampyre (Original Soundtrack) (1978-2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Florian Fricke's soundtracks always added a distinctive dimension to the films of Werner Herzog and that's especially true of his recordings for Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (starring Klaus Kinski as the most spectacularly grotesque Count Dracula ever). This CD brings together Brüder des Schattens, Söhne des Lichts and Nosferatu: Fantôme de la Nuit, two 1978 Popol Vuh albums containing material for Herzog's film. The director drew initially on the first of these records but subsequently asked Fricke for more music conveying fear and dread. In response, Fricke raided his archive of unused work -- this was the origin of the second record. Featured prominently in the film, "Brüder des Schattens, Söhne des Lichts" moves from a spectral choral beginning to a lighter, almost pastoral conclusion with piano, guitar, and sitar, echoing the chiaroscuro dynamic of its title ("Brothers of Shadow, Sons of Light"). That brighter, expansive mood recurs on several tracks with a more pronounced Eastern groove: "Through Pain to Heaven," for example, with its mesmerizing interplay of guitars and droning, billowing sitar. Darker numbers like "Mantra 2" -- which combines choral voices and organic drones in a mournful, subtly menacing fashion -- resonate more explicitly with the film's gothic aesthetic. Among the dark tracks, the most striking pay homage to early electronic soundtrack experiments: for example, "Die Nacht der Himmel" with its spooky theremin sound and the supremely eerie "Der Ruf der Rohrflöte." To call this a soundtrack CD is slightly misleading: not all the music features in the movie and it omits non-Popol Vuh material heard in the film (portions of Wagner's "Das Rheingold" and Gounod's "Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cècile," for instance). That said, it holds together as a coherent album in its own right and includes some exceptionally strong, memorable material. by Wilson Neate  
Tracklist:
1    Brüder des Schattens 5:43
Florian Fricke
2    Höre, Der du Wagst 6:00
Danny Secundus Fichelscher / Florian Fricke
3    Das Schloss des Irrtums 5:37   
Danny Secundus Fichelscher / Florian Fricke
4    Die Umkehr 5:58
Danny Secundus Fichelscher / Florian Fricke
5    Mantra 1 6:15   
Florian Fricke
6    Morning Sun 3:21   
Danny Secundus Fichelscher
7    Venus Principle 4:41
Composed By, Lyrics By – Gromer       
8    Mantra 2 5:22
Florian Fricke
9    Die Nacht Der Himmel 5:03   
Florian Fricke
10    Der Ruf Der Rohrflöte 3:39
Florian Fricke
11    To a Little Way 2:34   
Florian Fricke
12    Through Pain to Heaven 3:47
Danny Secundus Fichelscher / Florian Fricke
13    On the Way 4:05   
Florian Fricke
14    Zwiesprache Der Rohrflöte 3:22   
Florian Fricke
Credits:
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Daniel Fichelscher
Choir – A Chorus From Munich
Oboe – Bob Eliscu
Piano, Synthesizer – Florian Fricke
Sitar – Alois Gromer
Tambura [Tamboura] – Ted De Jong

POPOL VUH - Brüder des Schattens - Söhne des Lichts (1978-2006) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Originally released in 1978, Popol Vuh's BRUDER DES SCHATTENS-SOHNE DES LICHTS fully indulges all of the elements that marked the German band's sound through the years, including the group's fascination with medieval chants, ethnic fusion, and lilting, ambient music. BRUDER contains lengthy, abstract compositions that rely on guitar, piano, and studio manipulation. Released today, BRUDER might be classified as a new-age album; in the 1970s, however, this was groundbreaking music, and the 2006 reissue is a welcome reminder of Popol Vuh's pioneering impact on modern impressionistic music. by AllMusic
Tracklist :
1     Brüder des Schattens - Söhne des Lichts 18:53
Florian Fricke
2     Hoere, Der du Wagst 5:52
Florian Fricke
3     Das Schloss des Irrtums 5:38
Florian Fricke
4     Die Umkehr 5:58
Danny Secundus Fichelscher / Florian Fricke
- Bonus Track -    
5    Sing, For Songs Drive Away The Wolves 4:15
Guitar, Drums – Daniel Fichelscher
Instruments [All Digital Instruments By], Mixed By [Remixed], Recorded By – Guido Hieronymus
Producer [Produced By] – Florian Fricke, Frank Fiedler
Vocals [Vocal] – Djong Yun
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Daniel Fichelscher (faixas: 1 to 4)
Choir – Münchner Chor
Oboe – Bob Eliscu (faixas: 1 to 4)
Piano – Florian Fricke
Sitar – Alois Gromer
Tambura [Tamboura] – Ted De Jong (faixas: 1 to 4)

POPOL VUH - Die Nacht Der Seele : Tantric Songs (1979-2005) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Mantram Der Erdberührung I    2:13
2    Engel Der Luft    2:38
3    Mit Händen, Mit Füssen    2:42
4    "Wo Bist, Du, Der Du Überwunden Hast?"    5:41
5    Mantram Der Erdberührung II    2:12
6    Im Reich Der Schatten    2:10
7    Wanderer Durch Die Nacht    4:07
8    Mantram Der Herzberührung I    1:48
9    Auf Dem Weg    2:53
10    Mantram Der Harzberührung II    1:40
11    In Der Halle Des Lernens    4:02
- Bonus Tracks -
12    Mantram Der Stirnberührung I 2:16
Producer – Daniel Fichelscher, Florian Fricke
13    Zusammenkunft 0:47
Producer – Daniel Fichelscher, Florian Fricke
14    Mantram Der Stirnberührung II 2:03
Producer – Daniel Fichelscher, Florian Fricke
15    Im Garten Der Ruhe (Piano Session Version) 10:19
Producer – Daniel Fichelscher, Florian Fricke
Credits :
Guitar, Percussion – Daniel Fichelscher
Oboe – Susan Goetting
Producer, Piano, Vocals – Florian Fricke
Sitar – Al Gromer
Vocals – Djon Yun, Renate Knaup

POPOL VUH - Sei Still, Wisse ICH BIN (1981-2006) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Recorded in 1980 and produced by Klaus Schulze, Sei Still, Wisse ICH BIN ("Be quiet, I am") is one of Popol Vuh's sacred music offerings. Like Hosianna Mantra nearly a decade before, this set is regal in its solemnity and in its intensity. Utilizing the Chorensemble der Bayerischen Staatsoper and the soprano saxophone stylings of Chris Karrer, Popol Vuh -- down to a three-piece with vocalist Renate Knaup fronting the choir, Fricke on piano and voice, and guitarist Daniel Fichelscher holding down the drum chair as well, this is a huge recording . Schulze's immediate mix, which brings the vocals into complete balance with the undulating, mantra-like instrumentation, is nothing less than stunning; from Tibetan-style prayer chants to Eastern Orthodox choral scales, from thundering bass drums and cymbals to snaky, elusive, sparse electric guitar lines and Fricke's trademark shimmering piano, each of this album's seven selections is its own kind of masterpiece. It is the perfect marriage of world music utilized in rock & roll fashion, and of both being placed at the service of the Sacred. It is nothing less than awe-inspiring.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1    Wehe Khorazin    6:22
Florian Fricke
2    Und Als Er Sah Es Geht Dem Ende Zu    7:04
Florian Fricke
3    Garten Der Gemeinschaft    4:41
Florian Fricke
4    Gemeinsam Aßen Sie Das Brot    2:51
Florian Fricke
5    Laß Los    6:46
Florian Fricke
6    Gemeinsam Tranken Sie Den Wein    3:50
Florian Fricke
7    ...Als Lebten Die Engel Auf Erden    2:10
Florian Fricke
- Bonus Track -    
8    King Minos III (Studio Version)    5:02
Florian Fricke
Credits :
Choir – Choir Ensemble Of The Bavarian State Opera
Guitar, Drums – Daniel Fichelscher
Piano, Vocals, Composed By, Producer – Florian Fricke
Soprano Saxophone – Chris Karrer
Vocals – Renate Knaup

POPOL VUH - Fitzcarraldo (1982-2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist:
1    Wehe Khorazin 5:32   
Florian Fricke / Popol Vuh
2    Scene from "Ernani" 5:53
Popol Vuh
3    Engel Der Luft 2:37
Florian Fricke / Popol Vuh
4    Ridi Pagliacci 3:11   
Composed By – Leoncavallo
Tenor Vocals – Caruso   
5    O Paradiso 3:38   
Composed By – Meyerbeer
Tenor Vocals – Caruso
6    Kind Mit Geige 0:56   
Traditional
7    Im Garten Der Gemeinschaft 2:26   
Florian Fricke / Popol Vuh
8    Blasmusik 0:42   
Traditional
9    Tod und Verklärung 2:55   
Composed By – R. Strauss
10    Musik Aus Burundi 1:51   
Traditional
11    Il Sogno 2:38
Composed By – Verdi   
12    Quartett - Rigoletto 3:59   
Composed By – Verdi
13    Oh Mimi, Tu Piu Non Torni 3:04   
Composed By – Puccini
Tenor Vocals – Caruso   
14    Als Lebten Die Engel Auf Erden 2:07   
Florian Fricke / Popol Vuh
15    A Te O Cara, Amor Talora 5:50
Composed By – Bellini
Credits:
Guitar, Drums – Daniel Fichelscher
Oboe – Susan Goetting
Piano – Florian Fricke
Saxophone – Chris Karrer
Sitar – Al Gromer
Vocals – Djong Yun, Renate Knaup

POPOL VUH - Agape-Agape / Love-Love (1983-2004) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Two years after the issue of Sei Still, Wisse ICH BIN, Agape-Agape (Love-Love) offers a deeper view of the same animal. Still utilizing a choir for Gregorian chant-like ethereal intensity -- though they sing in Byzantine scales -- pianist Florian Fricke, guitarist/percussionist Daniel Fichelscher, guitarist Conny Veit (who came back to the fold after a prolonged absence), and vocalist Renate Knaup delve deeply into the drone world of Fricke's sacred music muse. There are eight pieces on this set, the longest of which is the final one, "Why Do I Fall Asleep." But they are all of a single theme, even Fichelscher's "They Danced, They Laughed, As of Old," which is an extended retreatment of "Kleiner Kreiger" from the Einsjäger & Siebenjäger album. Fricke only comes to the fore on the title track with his shimmering, insistent mantra-piano, but the twin guitars of Fichelscher and Veit more than compensate elsewhere as they entwine and slip through and around one another. Once again, though the music might seem formulaic, it is in the subtleties and dynamics that Fricke's compositional growth is revealed, and Agape-Agape is a worthy, devastatingly beautiful outing.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Hand in Hand 2:53
Florian Fricke
2     They Danced, They Laughed, As of Old 4:53
Danny Secundus Fichelscher
3     Love, Life, Death 1:29
Florian Fricke
4     The Christ Is Near 3:54
Florian Fricke
5     Love-Love 5:26
Florian Fricke
6     Behold, the Drover Summons 5:56
Florian Fricke
7     Agape-Agape 4:57
Florian Fricke
8     Why Do I Still Sleep 8:00
Florian Fricke
- Bonus Track -
9    Circledance 2:36
Composed By – Daniel Fichelscher, Florian Fricke
Credits :
Guitar – Conny Veit
Guitar [Guitars], Vocals [Vocal], Percussion – Daniel Fichelscher
Producer – Florian Fricke, Popol Vuh
Remastered By [Digital Remastering] – Frank Fiedler
Vocals [Vocal] – Renate Knaup

POPOL VUH - Cobra Verde (Original Soundtrack) (1987-2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Cobra Verde, the final collaboration between Popol Vuh and director Werner Herzog, was previously released only in Europe, so this release is a welcome one. (Incidentally, Cobra Verde -- which literally translates as Green Cobra -- was the final collaboration between Herzog and the actor Klaus Kinski.) Released in 1987, the album begins with a simple yet regal chant by Chor der Bauerischen Staatsoper on "Der Tod des Cobra Verde," accompanied by hand drums, guitars, piano, and clavier in a repetitive, sacred manner. The next two themes are programmed on a synthesizer and are less interesting, but they are quietly tense and dramatic, serving more than the band's other work as simple film cues. The two different styles combine on "Eine Andere Welt," to haunting effect. The overtone chanting on "Grab der Mutter" is the most moving thing on the disc and among Florian Fricke's finest compositions. African ceremonial music and singing are brought to light in "Die Singenden Mädchen von Ho, Ziavi" (since the film is set in Africa, it's a wonder that the folk styles didn't come into play earlier than this). The album's final cut is -- at nine and half minutes -- a long meditative piece that considers all the elements previously employed and comments on them with piano, voices, percussion, guitar, and some electronics. It's quite beautiful, but it meanders. The American edition also comes with a bonus track that doesn't quite fit, "Om Mani Padme Hum 4," for solo piano (the most sacred public mantra in Tibetan Buddhism). For Popol Vuh fans, this is a necessary purchase; for Herzog soundtrack collectors, this may also be worth it. For the rest, this one is -- as hard as it is to say it -- forgettable. by Thom Jurek  
 Tracklist:

1    Der Tod des Cobra Verde 4:35   
Florian Fricke
2    Nachts: Schnee 1:51   
Florian Fricke
3    Der Marktplatz 2:30
Florian Fricke
4    Eine Andere Welt 5:07   
Florian Fricke
5    Grab der Mutter 4:30   
Florian Fricke
6    Die Singenden Mädchen von Ho, Ziavi 6:52   
7    Sieh Nicht Überm Meer Ist's 1:26   
Florian Fricke
8    Hab Mut, Bis Daß die Nacht mit Ruh' und Stille Kommt 9:32
Florian Fricke
- Bonus Track -
9    Om Mani Padme Hum 4 5:28
Florian Fricke
Credits:
Guitar, Percussion, Vocals – Daniel Fichelscher
Piano, Keyboards, Vocals – Florian Fricke
Vocals – Renate Knaup

POPOL VUH - For You and Me (1991-2006) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Popol Vuh's 1991 release comes as a positive celebration of world music, guided by the sure hand of Florian Fricke. Among those recruited for the journey is Renate Knaup-Aschauer, who provides celebratory vocals for music that shifts, sometimes giddily, from Africa to Ireland to South America. Never static, never uninteresting, For You and Me provides a strong statement for diversity within the Popol Vuh catalog. by Steven McDonald
Tracklist :
1    For You And Me    5:24
2    Wind Of The Stars In Their Eyes    3:03
3    Little Bazaari    7:48
4    Compassion    5:57
5    When Love Is Calling You    4:11
6    In Your Eyes    0:55
7    OM Mani Padme Hum 1    1:09
8    OM Mani Padme Hum 2    2:45
9    OM Mani Padme Hum 3    4:30
10    OM Mani Padme Hum 4    5:17
11    For You    2:02
- Bonus Track -   
12    OM Mani Padme Hum 3 (Piano Version)    4:31
Credits :
Guitar – Daniel Fichelscher
Harp [Irish Harp] – Anne-Marie O'Farell
Keyboards, Guitar – Guido Hieronymus
Piano, Producer – Florian Fricke
Vocals – Renate Knaup

POPOL VUH - Sing, For Song Drives Away the Wolves (1993) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

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.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Song of the High Mountains 6:20
Florian Fricke
2     Pages from the Book of Daring 3:54
Florian Fricke
3     Dance of the Chassidim 3:20
Florian Fricke
4     Keepers of the Threshold 3:35
Florian Fricke
5     Sing, for Song Drives Away the Wolves 4:14
Danny Secundus Fichelscher / Florian Fricke
6     Litlle Warrior 1:04
Danny Secundus Fichelscher
7     Sweet Repose 1:00
Guido Hieronymus
8     You Shouldn't Awake Your Beloved Before It Pleases Her (Einsjager) 19:26
Credits :
Guitar, Drums – Daniel Fichelscher
Instruments [All Digital Instruments], Mixed By [Remixed], Recorded By – Guido Hieronymus
Piano, Producer – Florian Fricke
Sitar – Al Gromer
Vocals – Djong Yun

POPOL VUH - City Raga (1994) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Wanted Maya 7:00
Written-By – Fricke, Hieronymus, Maya
2    Tears Of Concrete 5:30
Written-By – Fricke, Hieronymus, Maya
3    Last Village 7:10
Written-By – Fricke, Hieronymus
4    City Raga 8:10
Written-By – Fricke, Hieronymus, Maya
5    Morning Raga 5:40
Written-By – Fichelscher, Fricke, Hieronymus
6    Running Deep 6:00
Written-By – Fricke, Hieronymus
7    City Raga (Mystic House Mix) 6:41
Written-By – Fricke, Hieronymus, Maya
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar – Daniel Fichelscher
Choir – The Children Choir From Kathmandu
Keyboards, Engineer [Engineering], Electric Guitar – Guido Hieronymus
Piano – Florian Fricke
Vocals – Maya Rose