Popol Vuh is the holy book of the Quiche Indians of Guatemala. Popol means: unification, people, container.Vuh is a god's name, a magic word; it expresses fertility swooping from above, light, sun, burning acorn. Nowadays the researchers into Mayan writings have agreed on the rough translation "place of the mats" which means "meeting place". When Florian Fricke formed the group in 1970 together with Holger Trulzsch and Frank Fiedler, he was deeply interested in Mayan myths, pratising Buddhism and Yoga - "Over the years music has become more and more a form of a prayer for me". Popol Vuh was the first German group to only use the in those days new and expensive Moog III sythesizers in order to create "cosmic sounds". Subsequently Fricke turned to more natural elements and played the piano, increasing his devotion to Bible themes and stories. Many of the following albums reflected both in their music and lyrics the deep religious leanings of the composer, "Hosianna Mantra" for example was based on the 5th book of Moses. With this, Popol Vuh searched for an appropriate female vocalist and ended up with Djong Yun, daughter of Korean composer Isang Yun; however "you cannot call it church music unless you understand your body as a church and your ears as the entrance". "Hosianna Mantra" was the last electronic effort of Popol Vuh making way for entering the film score music business especially for all Werner Herzog Films to come, being recorded at munich Bavaria Tonstudio where most albums of Popol Vuh were recorded consequently. Herzog's "audio artist" composed the score to films such as "Aguirre, The Wrath Of God", "Nosferatu" or "Cobra Verde". "Popol Vuh is euphoric music which became more and more sophisticated with time and in the course of its development. It is chamber music with modern elements. Music is for me the means to realistically approaching utopia. This is service of the beautiful, and it is rewarding."
Florian Fricke, born in 1944 by Lake Constance, studied music as a pupil of Rudolf Hindemith, Paul Hindemith's brother and at the age of 25 he became familiar with the Moog synthesizer. He traveled a lot to spritual places all around the world. In 1978 he founded the "Working Group For Creative Singing" and became member of the Breathing Therapy Society, giving lectures about these subjects at various locations. British journalist Sandy Robertson just says Popol Vuh "is relaxing without being boring. It is gentle, but not slushy. It is like the ocean sat sundown, like the desert by night, like the sky at dawn. Think deep; think sleep; think for yourself."
(c) copyright 1997 by Gammarock Records. All rights reserved.