Popol Vuh (band)

Popol Vuh
OriginMunich, West Germany
Genres
Years active1969–2001
Labels
Past membersFlorian Fricke
Frank Fiedler
Holger Trülzsch
Djong Yun
Conny Veit
Daniel Fichelscher
Klaus Wiese
Bob Eliscu
Renate Knaup
Bettina Fricke
Alois Gromer
Ted De Jong
Guido Hieronymus
Maya Rose

Popol Vuh (German: [pɔpl̩ vuː])[1] were a German musical collective founded by keyboardist Florian Fricke in 1969 together with Frank Fiedler (sound design, fine cut), Holger Trülzsch (percussion), and Bettina Fricke (tablas and production).[2] Other important members during the next two decades included Djong Yun, Renate Knaup, Conny Veit, Daniel Fichelscher, Klaus Wiese, and Robert Eliscu.[3] The band took its name from the Mayan manuscript containing the mythology of highland Guatemala's K'iche' people.[4]

Popol Vuh began as an electronic music project, but under Fricke's leadership they soon abandoned synthesizers for organic instrumentation and world music influences.[5] They developed a productive working partnership with director Werner Herzog, contributing scores to films such as Aguirre, The Wrath of God (1972), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), and Fitzcarraldo (1982).[5] The group are associated with West Germany's 1970s krautrock movement and are considered progenitors of new-age and ambient music.[5] Today, Popol Vuh's best-reviewed works are In den Gärten Pharaos (1971) and Hosianna Mantra (1972).[citation needed]

  1. ^ "Werner Herzog on his Collaboration with Musician Florian Fricke (Popol Vuh)". youtube.com. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  2. ^ Popol Vuh Biography, Booklet to CD issue of "Popol Vuh Revisted & Remixed, 1970–1999", SPV recordings, 2011
  3. ^ Michael Fuchs-Gambock, Gerhard Augustin: Booklet to CD re-issue of "Hosianna Mantra", SPV recordings, 2004
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference test was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Jason, Ankeny. "Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 May 2019.