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Artist
Popol Vuh
12+ albums
krautrockambientexperimentalProgressive rockpsychedelic
about
There are two bands named Popol Vuh: (1) A krautrock band from Germany. (2) A progressive rock band from Norway later renamed Popol Ace. (1) Popol Vuh were a proto-ambient / experimental / 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 Conny Veit, Daniel Fichelscher, and Robert 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 Gärten 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 pre-Columbian 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 f
