Popol Vuh

Popol Vuh is an proto-ambient experimental rock / krautrock band from Germany founded by Florian Fricke in 1970 together with Holger Trulzsch (percussion) and Frank Fiedler (electronics). Other important members during the next two decades included Daniel Fichelscher and Bob Eliscu.

It began with an electronic approach as heard on first album Affenstunde, inspired by the invention of the Moog synthesizer. This continued for only one more album, In Den Garten Pharaos, 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 all kinds of instruments: wind, percussion and strings, electric and acoustic alike, combined to convey a mystical aura that made their music spiritual and introspective.

Popul Vuh influenced many other bands from Europe with their uniquely soft but elaborate instrumentations, that took inspiration from Tibet, Africa, and Precolombian America. They created dream-like soundscapes along with psychedelic walls of sound, and are considered by some to be precursors of contemporary world music, as well of new age music and ambient.

The band contributed soundtracks to the films of Werner Herzog, including Nosferatu, Aguirre, Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo, and The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, in which Fricke appeared.

Florian Fricke died in Munich on December 29, 2001, and the group disbanded.

In October 2003 Klaus Schulze wrote "Florian was and remains to be 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."

There are two bands named Popol Vuh - a German one and a Norwegian one. For the Norwegian band, please see Popol Ace.

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