DIE NACHT DER SEELE Tantric Songs LP 1979 Brain 0060.242, Germany LP 1979 PDU Pld.A 7014, Italy LP 1979 PEgg ?, France LP 1979 Celestial Harmonies ? (different sleeve) CD 1992 Spalax 14204, France CD 2005 SPV Recordings 085-70232 (digipack) Mantram der Erdberührung I (Fricke/Fricke) 2:20 Engel der Luft (Fricke/Fricke) 2:40 Mit Händen, mit Füssen (Fricke/Fricke) 2:50 "Wo bist Du, der Du überwunden Hast?" * (Fricke/Morya) 6:00 Mantram der Erdberührung II (Fricke/Fricke) 2:20   Im Riech der Schatten (Fichelscher/Fricke) 2:30 Wanderer durch die Nacht (Fricke) 4:00 Mantram der Herzberührung I (Fricke/Fricke) 2:50 Auf dem Weg (Fricke/Fricke) 2:55 Mantram der Herzberührung II (Fricke/Fricke) 1:20 In der Halle des Lernens (Fricke/Fricke) 4:20 * "Gesegnet Du, bei deiner Ankunft" (Moses V) Bearbetung F.Fricke. Personel: Florian Fricke (piano, vocals), Daniel Fichelscher (guitars, percussion), Djong Yun (vocal), Renate Knaup (vocal), Susan Goetting (oboe), Alois Gromer (sitar). Recorded at: BAVARIA Ton Studios München 8/79 Panne & Paulsen Studio Frankfurt/Main 3/79 from March 15th 1979 - August 1st 1979 Produced by: Florian Fricke for GAMMAROCK MUSIC GmbH Executive Producer: Gerhard Augustin Tracklist of SPV (085-70232) re-release: Mantram der Erdberührung I 2:13 Engel der Luft 2:38 Mit Händen, mit Füssen 2:42 "Wo bist Du, der Du überwunden hast?" 5:41 Mantram der Erdberührung II 2:12 Im Reich der Schatten 2:10 Wanderer durch die Nacht 4:07 Mantram der Herzberührung I 1:48 Auf dem Weg 2:53 Mantram der Herzberührung II 1:40 In der Halle des Lernens 4:02 Bonustracks (formerly unreleased): Mantram der Stirnberührung I 2:16 Zusammenkunft 0:47 Mantram der Stirnberührung II 2:03 Im Garten der Ruhe (Piano session version) 10:19

 

Reviews

13th album, from 1979, ("The Night Of The Spirit"). Djong Yun and Amon Duul II's Renate Knaup reappear beside the steady duo of Fricke/Fichelscher, and more oboe/sitar embellishment.

Forced Exposure catalogue

---

Subtitled Tantric Songs. The return of the oboe, now played by Susan Goetting, lends this album a decidedly melancholy color; not one you'd normally associate with Tantra's sex-bliss at all, really. There's more of a Mertonesque monastic vibe at work, rife with joy in contemplation and quiet in the face of the unkowable. Both Renate Knaup and Djong Yun sing, on different tracks, and Fichelscher continues to gently astound. Also present, here and there, is what sounds like a throat-singing choir -- it isn't credited, but adds a strangely glossolalic touch to the proceedings. -MM

New Sonic Architectrue catalogue

---

A fine and relaxing release, featuring four tracks and a musical change. A hybrid mix between gothic choral & Indian tantras. Features Renate Knaup (Amon Duul 2) on vocals.

Cranium Music catalogue

---

Good stuff, but don't buy it separately

This CD is subtitled Tantric Songs, and -- having just listened to it back-to-back with the CD Tantric Songs/Hosianna Mantra -- I would recommend strongly that you not purchase this CD separately, but purchase the latter CD instead. The latter CD contains what I believe to be the same material, but also includes material from Hosianna Mantra that I do not believe to have been separately released as a CD to date.
The tantric songs themselves are interesting meditation pieces, none of them very long, some of them repeated on other albums (such as one of the three Nosferatu soundtrack albums). These use vocals on a base of electronic music to create passageways into landscapes of personal devotion and discovery, like a musical equivalent of a wonderful maze in a monastery.
One of the sometimes frustrating things about Popol Vuh is the fact that pieces will turn up in more than one release under more than one name. Give this CD a pass and buy yourself a Tantric Songs/Hosianna Mantra instead.

Susan R. Matthews from Seattle, Washington , September 16, 1998