― marcg (marcg), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:20 (10 years ago) Permalink
― girl scout heroin (iamamonkey), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:22 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Dadaismus, Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:23 (10 years ago) Permalink
― ddb, Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:40 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:45 (10 years ago) Permalink
thanks for all your help.
― marcg (marcg), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:50 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:53 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Dadaismus, Tuesday, 18 March 2003 19:00 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 19:01 (10 years ago) Permalink
― your null fame (yournullfame), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 20:26 (10 years ago) Permalink
http://www.eurock.com/features/florian.aspx
My favorites (of the ones I've heard so far) are Letzte Tage - Letzte Nachte and Einsjager und Siebenjager
― Joe (Joe), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 20:53 (10 years ago) Permalink
http://www.ultimathulerecords.com/
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 20:55 (10 years ago) Permalink
― marcg (marcg), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 20:58 (10 years ago) Permalink
Popol Vuh (1972)Quiche Maja (1973)Stolen From Time (1975, credited to Popol Ace)
Destroy:
Anything by those German guys.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 21:07 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Joe (Joe), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 02:47 (10 years ago) Permalink
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 05:06 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 07:57 (10 years ago) Permalink
― Dadaismus, Wednesday, 19 March 2003 18:22 (10 years ago) Permalink
The debut 'Affenstunde' is the one predominantly electronic one. The second one, 'In Den Garten Pharoahs', keeps it going but side two is improvised solo organ. All the Hertzog soundtracks are keepers, 'Aguirre', 'Heart of Glass', 'Nosferatu' (the soundtracks are compilations from their studio records, but they're the ones I throw in the player more often)
Avoid 'City Raga', their techno remix experiment. Also I'd say stick to the seventies before venturing into the eighties.
― jl, Wednesday, 19 March 2003 20:27 (10 years ago) Permalink
A UNREASONABLY SUBJECTIVE GUIDE TO POPOL VUH (Part One)
Affenstunde (1970)I'll be honest with you, I'm not especially interested in Florian Fricke as an electronic musician. This album is one to admire rather than play too often. Allegedly one of the first "rock" albums to be made entirely (almost) with the Moog of Dr. Robert's invention. Admirably, Fricke’s approach to the Moog seems to be that (like Sun Ra) he doesn't bother trying to get a tune out of it but concentrates instead on producing weird noises. However (like Sun Ra again), you wonder whether this is deliberate or because he CAN'T get a tune out of the damn thing! All in all, this album is quite different from other German "electronic" albums of the period in that genuinely IS electronic (for the most part) and, unlike Tangerine Dream and the "Berlin School", it doesn't just sound like the weird bits on a Pink Floyd record stuck together. 6/10
In den Gärten des Pharaos (1971)Better than "Affenstunde". The title track has more of Fricke's wayward Moog noodling (Moogling anyone?) but with more (ahem) musical elements added. Finishes with a long section played on a Fender Rhodes that is actually quite jazzy (in an ECM sorta way). The other track, "Vuh", is the first evidence to date of Popol Vuh as THE ultimate Goth band - a looooooooooong drone piece on a mighty swelling church organ overlaid with cacophonous percussion and mewling moogs. Good stuff! 7/10
Hosianna Mantra (1972)Woah, talk about a volte face! The Moog is consigned to a (very roomy) closet, rarely to appear on a Vuh record again and in its place we have Piano, Cembalo, Oboe, Electric Guitar. Very classically influenced and entirely devotional, Fricke's wonderful piano playing is well to the fore, unfortunately so is Conny Veit's echoplexed "early 70's" guitar, which over-eggs the pudding in places. Djong Yun adds vocals so wispy they barely exist. Somewhat meandering but I dare anyone to take actual OFFENCE at so diaphonous a creation! 7/10
Seligpreisung (1973)An odd album in the oeuvre. This is like a more muscular version of "Hosianna" with similar "songs" which are (with the exception of the instrumental, "Tanz der Chassidim") made up of successive themes rather than having any kind of verse-chorus-middle eight structure (in fact this album probably has more different tunes than the entirety of all the albums that follow it!). The presence of Amon Düül II's erstwhile drummer Daniel Fichelscher edges some of the songs towards prog rock or even (heaven forfend!) jazz rock. Fricke handles the vocals himself in an unlovely but sincere voice which adds to the album’s singularity. 7/10
Einsjäger und Siebenjäger (1974)The album that cements the partnership between the two core musicians of Popol Vuh - Florian Fricke and Daniel Fichelscher. Fichelscher's pounding, cymbal-heavy drums are all over this album but who would have thought a humble drummer (sorry any drummers out there!) would turn out to be such an astonishing guitarist? His acoustic playing (on his own "Morgengrüss") is beautiful enough but with his electric playing Fricke found the perfect vehicle for his compositions. Fichelscher's playing is not unlike Conny Veit but he has a warmer tone, a stronger melodic imagination and he's more of a virtuoso (the last the least important of the three). The title track is an amazing 19½ minute magnum opus which could conceivably pass for prog rock were it not so heartfelt and unpretentious, Djong Yun shows up to coo sweet somethings every so often. 8/10
― Dadaismus, Thursday, 20 March 2003 13:54 (10 years ago) Permalink
Klaus Schultze's "Big Moog" is in fact this instrument, or part of it is, I think parts of it were stolen back in thee 1980's. Fricke siad that he got this female voice sound that he liked out of it, but didn'e care for it otherwise. IIRC he avoided electronic instrumentation thereafter 'till he got a Synclavier for "Cobra Verde"
Danny Fichelscher is an astonishing guitarist, it's true. At times I think there has never been anyone better, actually. I am amazed that he isn't better known.
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 20 March 2003 14:02 (10 years ago) Permalink
― your null fame (yournullfame), Thursday, 20 March 2003 20:13 (10 years ago) Permalink
I'd forgotten about 'Letzte Tage, letzte Nächte'
― jl, Thursday, 20 March 2003 20:41 (10 years ago) Permalink
A UNREASONABLY SUBJECTIVE GUIDE TO POPOL VUH (Part Two)
Aguirre (1975)The first of Fricke’s confusing soundtrack albums from the films of Werner Herzog. I say confusing because the albums often bear little resemblance to what you hear in the film. The opening scenes of the film feature the once-heard-never-forgotten “Lacrimae di Rei”, which utilises the “choir organ”, a mellotron-like instrument also used to good effect by Amon Düül II. The only the other music which actually appears in the film is a brief field-recording of pan pipes. "Morgengrüss II" and “Agnus Dei” are both re-workings of tracks on “Einsjäger und Siebenjäger” and “Aguirre II” consists of the first part of “Lacrimae di Rei” (or “Aguirre I”) and a lush guitar piece from Daniel Fichelscher. Which leaves “Vergegenwaertigung” (snappy title huh?), a proto-ambient moog piece consisting of sundry whooshes and rumbles which appears to date from the early 70s. 7/10
Das Hohelied Salomos (1975)Having made the useful discovery that Fichelscher could play the guitar a bit, it sounds on this album as if Fricke got a bit carried away and allowed Fichelscher to solo over every nook and cranny on every track - if you are not a fan of guitar solos, this is not the album for you! For the first time, Fricke is cutting songs down to their essentials, instead of using successive themes here he concentrates on one repeated theme or one piano sequence and builds pieces this way. Here, he also begins re-visiting and re-configuring themes from other albums ("Hosianna Mantra" in particular). All in all, this is a very "rock" album. 6/10
Letzte Tage, letzte Nächte (1976)Even rockier than "Salomos" and considerably heavier. Wall-to-wall Fichelscher on this album with heavy drums and waves of guitar - some people have called this the beginning of Vuh's "raga rock" period but it’s really more rock than raga. Renate Knaup jumps ship from the fast-sinking Amon Düül II and sings “Dort ist Der Weg” and the title track, which are surprisingly straight folk-rock songs which even have English lyrics! Happily, it must be admitted that it still doesn’t really sound like anyone else. The highlight is probably the instrumental, “Oh wie nah ist der Weg hinab” which is used to memorable effect in the opening sequences of Werner Herzog’s “Heart of Glass”. 8/10
Herz aus Glas (1977)Throughout this period in Popol Vuh's evolution, Florian Fricke's piano playing recedes further and further into the mix until, with this album, it disappears altogether! Although he's credited as playing piano on this album, I cannot make out a single note of piano - and as the album is all-instrumental this effectively makes this a Daniel Fichelscher solo album. The compositions are still recognisably Fricke's though (one Fichelscher piece aside), the soloing guitars of the last few albums are placed further back WITHIN each track, which makes this album considerable less easy to date precisely. Also worth noting that hardly any of the music on this album actually appears in the Herzog film it’s nominally the soundtrack to – in fact, most of the music on the film is from “Letzte Tage, letzte Nächte”. 9/10
Nosferatu (1978)Another muddled soundtrack album from Herzog’s slightly redundant version of the F.W. Murnau’s silent classic. Once again, not all that much which is on this album is actually in the film and much of the music is from previous albums. A case in the point is 12 minutes or so of creepy electronic music included here, which, unless my ears very much deceive me and I don’t think they do, is merely the moog parts from “In den Gärten Pharaos”. Mind you, at least that music actually IS in the film (where it works very effectively), a lot here isn’t. 6/10
Bruder des Schattens, Söhne des Lichts (1978)Having taken the guitar-army raga rock approach as far as he could, Fricke moved back towards more placid waters on this album: longer and more hypnotic songs with largely acoustic instrumentation and a more overt "Eastern" influence. The title track is the best of Popol Vuh’s long tracks – moving through a Gregorian chant like opening; a classically influenced section with glacially beautiful woodwind before the main body of the piece: a long long, hypnotic folk-influenced mantra. All in all, absolutely stunning. “Höre, der du Wagst” and “Das Schloss des Irrtums” if anything are even more repetitive and trance-like – a bit too much for some tastes I would expect. The closing, “Die Umkehr”, is a slightly doomy and foreboding folk-rocker which lies somewhere between early Steeleye Span and Eastern European folk music. 9/10
― Dadasimus, Friday, 21 March 2003 11:08 (10 years ago) Permalink
Der Nacht der Seele (1979)Very similar in mood and sound to "Brüder" but with shorter, more concentrated tracks and more use of vocals. Some pieces, such as “Mit Händen, mit Füssen”, are as beautiful as anything in the Popol Vuh catalogue, others are more Gothic. Some quite odd percussion pieces too. Another good album and another short one too! 8/10
Sei still wisse ICH BIN (1981)Probably the most idiosyncratic Popol Vuh album of them all and one of the best. Soundtrack to Fricke’s extremely odd “film” of the same name (sometimes also called “Sinai Desert”) The mantra-like chanting and extreme repetition that Fricke had been exploring in more and more detail finds its ultimate expression on this truly unique album. Using the choir of the Bavarian State Opera, Fricke builds dense and rather unsettling walls of vocals over thundering, thumping percussion and Fichelscher’s pleasingly primitive guitar or else strips the music right down to simple modal melodies. Pretty special. 9/10
Fitzcarraldo (1982)Not an album I actually own, but given that all of the Popol Vuh music on it (there’s also some opera on here) is from previous albums, owning it would be somewhat redundant. One thing to note is that, once again, some of the music heard in the film isn’t on the soundtrack, specifically: a sequence which uses, “Singet, denn der Gesang vertreibt die Wölfe”, which is actually from “Herz aus Glas” (though not actually in the “Heart of Glass” film – told you it was confusing!)
Agape-Agape (1983)OK, eclectic sort of album, which picks up on various threads from the previous four or five albums. Unfortunately, the re-recording of old pieces starts in earnest on this album and you wonder why they bothered following this course. The other problem I find with this album is simply that it isn’t as well produced as previous albums. But this has good things on it – the title track for instance while “Why Do I Still Sleep” is hypnotic to the max. Nice to see Conny Veit back after an absence of ten years! 7/10
Spirit of Peace (1985)Just four tracks on this. The opening chant, “We Know About the Need” can be heard in a Werner Herzog documentary about Reinhold Messner. The title track is part two of a three part piano suite which is worth hearing in its entirety, if you can track it down – shows the hitherto unsuspected influence of Keith Jarrett IMO. “Song of Earth” is the old “Agnus Dei” tune (used previously in various PV albums) rearranged for choir and acoustic guitar – 8 whole minutes which is either extremely boring or extremely hypnotic or (more likely) somewhere between the two. The 17½ minute “Take the Tention High” (sic) seems to be striving for a similar feel to “Brüder des Schattens” but lacks dynamics and is simply TOO repetitive. 6/10
Cobra Verde (1987)Extremely obscure but surprisingly good soundtrack (probably better than Herzog’s self-parodic film deserved) – the last good Popol Vuh album in fact. For the first time in fifteen years, Fricke makes extended use of electronics, namely the synclavier keyboard. This is used to create a series of ominous drone pieces and to provide a subtle orchestral-like backing to the utterly beautiful “Ha’mut, bis dass die Nacht mit Ruh’ und Stille kommt”. The title track is a reworking of “Mit Händen, mit Füssen” done in full Gregorian chant mode. Worth picking up if you can find it – though that is extremely unlikely! 7/10
For Me and You (1991)This is the later Guido Hieronymous-guided Popol Vuh which means: some music which has nothing to do with Popol Vuh as we know and love them; some pointless re-workings of old material; some good stuff where Fricke and Fichelscher seem more involved. The stand out here is the four-part “Om Mani Padme Hum” which is built around Fricke’s piano and Renate Knaup’s voice, which can only be a good thing. Part 4 is especially exquisite. 5/10
City Raga (who cares?)Played this once I think – didn’t hear enough of Popol Vuh on this to play it again. No rating therefore.
― Dadaismus, Saturday, 22 March 2003 13:02 (10 years ago) Permalink
Definitely the title track is the standout on this one, for me--has a Native American feel. I am still trying to figure out if they are chanting the poem on the back of the CD, with the "gully gully ram sam" or whatever.
― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 22 March 2003 14:43 (10 years ago) Permalink
― jl, Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:23 (10 years ago) Permalink
BTW if anybody reading this owns Crispy Ambulance's Plateau Phase and the Nosferatu soundtrack, can you confirm that the CA track "Simon's Ghost" is a direct ripoff of the opening theme from Nosferatu? I don't have the soundtrack (and in fact don't know if this theme made it to the soundtrack as per Dadaismus' caveats) but saw the movie again recently, then shortly after that listened to the CA disc and noted the extreme similarity. on Plateau Phase the piece is credited to the group.
― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:34 (10 years ago) Permalink
I'm not finished yet!
Last part…
ALSO OF NOTEGila – Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1973)Gila was Conny Veit’s band before joining Popol Vuh, their first album (with a different line-up) is apparently quite psychedelic and spacey but this particular album is of special note because it’s basically Popol Vuh: but playing Conny Veit's songs as opposed to Florian Fricke's. Not surprisingly this sounds a bit like the Popol Vuh of this period (1973-75): melodic rock with folk and classical elements and with not enough progginess to render it unpalatable to the discerning listener - but not as GOOD as Popol Vuh of course! One of the problems is that it's some kind of concept album about the plight of the Native American - cue po-faced and awkward lyrics and vocals delivered with a Teutonic over-earnestness which spills over into (unintentional) comedy at times. Nice lush piano throughout from the late great Florian, Danny Fichelscher drums as athletically as ever, Conny plays nice guitar.
ADDITIONAL FILM WORKAs you may have noticed Florian Fricke’s music is often used in the films of Werner Herzog and it’s hard to imagine one without the other (just how many faux-naif mystics are there in Bavaria exactly?) As I confessed at the beginning of this marathon, I don’t have all Popol Vuh’s albums and I certainly haven’t seen all of Werner Herzog’s films so there may be some films which use Popol Vuh’s music which I’m unaware of.
Lebenszeichen (Signs of Life) (director: Werner Herzog, 1968)I confess I haven’t seen this, Werner Herzog’s first feature film. I do know however that Florian Fricke appears in it as “a pianist”, some years before Popol Vuh too!
Auch Zwerge haben klein angefangen (Even Dwarfs Started Small) (director: Werner Herzog, 1970) Truly one of the strangest films you’ll ever see. This is supposed to have some Florian Fricke music on the soundtrack, but I must admit not to noticing it.
Die Grosse Ekstase die Bildschnitzers Steiner (The Great Ecstasy of the Woodcarver Steiner) (director: Werner Herzog, 1973)This is a typically idiosyncratic Herzog documentary on the Swiss show jumper, Walter Steiner. Features some lovely Popol Vuh music, music which I’ve yet to hear on any album – damn it!
Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle (The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser) (director: Werner Herzog, 1974)Florian Fricke has a brief but striking role in this wonderful Herzog film. He plays a blind pianist called Florian (what else!), who is first seen playing (and singing – sort of!) a version of “Agnus Dei” (see numerous Popol Vuh albums) for the foundling Kaspar Hauser and his guardian (and looking very Beethoven-like in the process). He pops up again at the end of the film, in Kaspar’s deathbed scene, where he stares rather disconcertingly into space while humming “Agnus Dei”!
Sei still wisse ICH BIN (director: Florian Fricke, 1981)Not really a film (though shot on film) and not really a video (though resembling one in form). This is the visual accompaniment to the album of the same name (and vice versa). Shot entirely in the Sinai Desert, this largely consists of Herzog-like poetic landscapes, sometimes empty and sometimes peopled by mysterious figures in white robes: walking, standing on mountainsides or in large circles. The figures are following “The Prophet”, a Jesus-like figure who, bizarrely, is played by a woman with a false beard (60’s fashion model, Veruschka)! (Actually, now I come to think of it, it would have been even more bizarre if it had been a woman with a REAL beard). If you think Herzog’s films are slow and uneventful wait till you see THIS!
― Dadaismus, Monday, 24 March 2003 14:05 (10 years ago) Permalink
Thanks for the link to the Florian Fricke interview. I admit that Guido Hieronymous doesn’t appear to be Florian’s son – I’d always assumed that he’d allowed Mr. Hieronymous the latitude to ruin latter day Popol Vuh out of some kind of fatherly indulgence. Also fascinated to discover that Esther Ofarim was almost the vocalist on “Hosianna Mantra”, at about the same time that her husband was (mis)managing Can! It is stated that this is the first known interview in English with Florian Fricke – this isn’t true, I came across an interview with FF in a old copy of Sounds (UK music weekly – now defunct) which dated from 1978-79, the interview was with Sandy Robertson.
I would also recommend seeking out “Herzog on Herzog” (edited by Paul Cronin, published by Faber), a series of interviews with Werner Herzog which contains interesting info on Florian Fricke – including a practical joke played by him on the apparently notoriously gullible Herzog. Actually, I would recommend it in any case as an insight into Herzog who is a truly amazing man, even if he hasn’t made a decent feature film in years. Delighted to discover that Herzog, in the grand tradition of German intellectuals and film auteurs (see Fassbinder), was a more than useful footballer (that’s proper football not the musclebound rubbish which goes under that name in the USA).
― Dadaismus, Monday, 24 March 2003 14:08 (10 years ago) Permalink
A friend who I haven't seen in years had this brit electronic 'zine from the early eighties, which contained a FF interview. t was wierd, in that the interviewer had obtained FF's phone no. from somewhere, & called him up on spec. Fricke's response was, like, I don't do interviews, and where did you get my number from anyway!!?? But, seeing as I'm here, i'll answer a couple of questions. I can't remember much except for the bit about him selling the big Moog to Klaus S, and FF being slightly disparaging abt KS' musick "nice music for supermarkets" is how I remember he put it. Great stuff Dadaismus, anyway.
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 24 March 2003 15:48 (10 years ago) Permalink
Don't hear much difference in sound if they were remastered (doubt it), but the packaging at least is way superior to Spalax (plus, it's nice to have Digipaks rather than standard jewel case).Can't wait for them to do Letzte Tage - Letzte Naechte and the others...
― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 19 June 2004 01:26 (8 years ago) Permalink
Actually, listening to the title crack of Aguirre right now, and I can hear the vinyl clicks. Jees, and they licensed this from Fricke's family, too! Guess the original tapes are long gone...
― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 19 June 2004 02:07 (8 years ago) Permalink
― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Saturday, 19 June 2004 05:56 (8 years ago) Permalink
I believe they are. Bounus tracks?!??!?
― Dadaismus (Dada), Saturday, 19 June 2004 14:28 (8 years ago) Permalink
Disappointing if that is true, especially since as it is their albums are already pretty notorious for shuffling around (or re-recording) the same music on different albums.
― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 19 June 2004 21:59 (8 years ago) Permalink
i've seen just about all of herzog's films at least once. 'signs of life' is really pretty good. i had no idea that florian was in 'kaspar hauser', and that he's in some of my favorite scenes in that film. the guy who plays kaspar hauser, bruno s., is also in another of herzog's called 'stroszek' which is pretty good too.
― urker, Saturday, 19 June 2004 22:45 (8 years ago) Permalink
In Kaspar, Fricke looks uncannily Beethoven-like, as if he had stepped right out of the Romantic era...
― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 19 June 2004 23:01 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 22 June 2004 01:41 (8 years ago) Permalink
― John 2, Saturday, 17 July 2004 18:41 (8 years ago) Permalink
AffenstundeAgape/AgapeEinsjäger und SiebenjägerHosianna MantraAguirre
They are very good, and I A/B-ed them with my Spalax issues, and the new ones sound a bit (though noticeably) better - more "open" sounding, perhaps. some of them are vinyl transfers by the sound of it. Pretty well done, though not as good as the transfer on High Tide's "Sea Shanties, for example. They all come in little gatefold cardboard sleeves w/a little booklet. It appears that there are only 2 booklets, going on the ones I have - one for the regular albums, one for the soundtracks. Some of the blurb in the booklets is OK, but it's a little unsatisfying in some way. There are some good pictures, including a few I hadn't seen before. the bonus tracks are generally good, though the one on "agiurre" sounds suspiciously like one of the regular album tracks with a sampled ethnicky percussion loop overlayed, which sucks. The extras on "Einsjaeger..." are the best, 2 little pieces in the Hoheleid Salomos/Letze Tage..." style, IE more of the same, but bore of this same = more of what I want. I am REALLY looking forward to picking up "Das Hoheleid Salomos", "Letzte Tage Letzte Nacht" and "Der Nacht der Seele", because they are my favourites. I'm also interested to hear what's on "Cobra Verde" because I remember there being tow different versions of this when it came out.
I found myself getting faintly annoyed at how little Danny Fischelsher got mentioned in the blurb. That seems unfair somehow.
It would be good if they also issued "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 6 January 2005 13:00 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 6 January 2005 13:02 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 January 2005 13:04 (8 years ago) Permalink
I should also point out that all the reissues I bought have the proper dynamics, IE they haven't been loudness-maximised. Honestly, I was so relieved about this that I had a lump in my throat! (true!)
A little while ago, I also picked up the reissue of "shepherd's Symphony" (or whatever it's called) from the same series. It's really bad.
Also Also Also!!! ! I tried to play my CD of "For You and Me" the other night, and it had self-destructed!! All the metal foil had come away from the plastic disc!
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 6 January 2005 13:12 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 January 2005 13:15 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 6 January 2005 13:18 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 6 January 2005 13:21 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 7 February 2005 13:00 (8 years ago) Permalink
been listening to Nosferatu a lot recently. I would rate that one much higher than dadaismus does, but I rate the spare minimal electronics much higher, and think they balance out the other lovely band parts... actually I'd even say it's a good place to start for the atmospheric side of the band. With Letzte Tage, letzte Nächte being a good place to start for the transcendental heavy rock side.
― (Jon L), Monday, 7 February 2005 20:54 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Dominique (dleone), Friday, 25 March 2005 21:55 (8 years ago) Permalink
No blog visibility on this one? Would love to hear it.
― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 16:19 (3 months ago) Permalink
When the soles of my feet start to sing, I will know I have arrived at full therapeutic resonance.
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 16:20 (3 months ago) Permalink
"And that sounds like a gong-concert"
We can safely assume he does not mean Daevid Allen etc here.
― there were chinchillas, these weird little rat animals, in cages (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 16:24 (3 months ago) Permalink
i wonder if he heard rhys chatham's "two gongs"
― groundhog-enorme-toute-grosse-253x300.jpg (clouds), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 17:11 (3 months ago) Permalink
This perked my ears up on the Kraftwerk thread yesterday:
5) Two of Kraftwerk's most famous sound effects came from a speaking-aid for deaf-mute children, and a popular toy. The Vortrax was invented in Detroit in the early 1970s. A hand-held machine that looked a bit like a pocket calculator, it produced the distorted vocal choir sound that can be heard on 1975's 'Uranium', which was later sampled in the opening build-up of New Order's 'Blue Monday'.
This is slightly off; the Vortrax was used for the vocodered spoken word part, but I'm about 99.4% positive that the 'vocal choir' sound mentioned is just an Orchestron keyboard, the same one they use for Radioactivity (and the same one Popol Vuh used for 'Aguirre' etc). It never occurred to me that 'Blue Monday' lifted a 'Uranium' sample directly, but now that it's mentioned that makes sense!
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, February 6, 2013 1:25 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Went and looked on the app store and hola there is a 99 cent Orchestron simulator app for iPhone, which includes the Aguirre-esque choir patch and a few other patches. Fun! It has programmable chord pads too to help you cope with the teeny little imaginary keys.
― there were chinchillas, these weird little rat animals, in cages (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 7 February 2013 16:12 (3 months ago) Permalink
Omg wut?!?
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:10 (3 months ago) Permalink
search 'Orchestron'
― there were chinchillas, these weird little rat animals, in cages (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:10 (3 months ago) Permalink
hmm that makes me want to get an iphone. what else do they do?
― tylerw, Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:16 (3 months ago) Permalink
I thought Popol Vuh used the Jimmy Jackson's Choir Organ for "Aguirre". Orchestron didn't exist in 1972 after all?
Believe me I've looked high + low
― Le petit chat est mort (Tom D.), Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:18 (3 months ago) Permalink
(Don't get me started on Jimmy Jackson's Choir Organ)
Roguelike dungeon crawl games, ILX Zing Touch, fun synth and drum machine simulators, that's all I got so far.
― try a little crowleymass (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:19 (3 months ago) Permalink
xpost actually no why don't you get started on Jimmy Jackson's Choir Organ? I know nothing!
― try a little crowleymass (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:20 (3 months ago) Permalink
http://www.popolvuh.nl/pvchoir
― ☏ (am0n), Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:23 (3 months ago) Permalink
...also first Amon Duul II review here
(I love that Planet Mellotron site!)
― Le petit chat est mort (Tom D.), Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:24 (3 months ago) Permalink
oh man its the same instrument as on Wolf City!!!
― try a little crowleymass (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:36 (3 months ago) Permalink
Also, thanks a lot cause now I'm going to be saying
HABOOB
in my head all day...
― try a little crowleymass (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:37 (3 months ago) Permalink
Yes, it's a distinctive sound tho I'm not convinced it's not just a (perhaps malfunctioning) mellotron (xp) Haboob have an album too, which is fitfully entertaining, Choir Organ shamefully underused (I can hear it on one track only)
― Le petit chat est mort (Tom D.), Thursday, 7 February 2013 17:39 (3 months ago) Permalink
Does anyone know anything about the supposed 5 PV vinyl reissues? I saw something on their lol facebook page, but I have no idea who operates that or how much they know about what's going on. The Affenstunde reissue has not let me down AT ALL. It sounds great. In fact, now I truly understand why it's called Affenstunde.
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 18:02 (2 months ago) Permalink
oh, that's great to hear about affenstunde! was wondering if I should pick that up and I think you just helped me get to the bottom of that little dilemma.
― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 18:26 (2 months ago) Permalink
Will someone please tell me what is up with these Japanese reissues? All the facebook page says is "watch out for them now!" and that is not helping...
This image is all I have been able to find (haven't looked very hard, admittedly)
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Wednesday, 20 March 2013 22:17 (2 months ago) Permalink
the LT-LN cover is giving me a heart attackWANT
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Wednesday, 20 March 2013 22:18 (2 months ago) Permalink
i still can't find anything
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Friday, 22 March 2013 16:35 (2 months ago) Permalink
'Die Erde Und Ich Sind Eins' is about to hit the blogs! Give it a week or so.
― Call the Cops, Sunday, 7 April 2013 14:52 (1 month ago) Permalink
What does that mean?
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Sunday, 7 April 2013 14:58 (1 month ago) Permalink
Privately produced album long sought after by sad people like me
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Sunday, 7 April 2013 15:20 (1 month ago) Permalink
Who's sad? What's sad?! Will someone let me know when this exciting thing happens?
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Sunday, 7 April 2013 15:52 (1 month ago) Permalink
I think it's an album of vocal pieces, perhaps like e.g. "Song of Earth" on "Spirit of Peace"?
― Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Sunday, 7 April 2013 15:55 (1 month ago) Permalink
Ooh that sounds great.
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Sunday, 7 April 2013 15:58 (1 month ago) Permalink
hey wait a second, did this happen?
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:50 (4 weeks ago) Permalink
Good question, to the internet to find out
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:51 (4 weeks ago) Permalink
i did a quick search around for it last week, but came up with zilch! maybe call the cops has the details?looks pretty good.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:53 (4 weeks ago) Permalink
i hope we have someone on the case. i want this!
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 16:04 (4 weeks ago) Permalink
Aw man, if you want something doing... Leonardo Music Journal -- Awesome!!
― Call the Cops, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 17:30 (4 weeks ago) Permalink
call the cops otm!
― tylerw, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 17:31 (4 weeks ago) Permalink
Awesome is the operative word
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 17:37 (4 weeks ago) Permalink
Yeah, too cool!
― liam fennell, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 17:40 (4 weeks ago) Permalink
muchisimas gracias!
btw i found a picture of the bluebird costume! (i realized this morning that this thread is where i mentioned it before)
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 17:54 (4 weeks ago) Permalink
thank you! i finally had time to figure out how to hear this and it totally sounds like it should have a herzog voiceover talking about cave-dwelling glow worms and their mating habits or something. also reminds me of ernst reijseger a little now that i think about it. anyone know what/where the picture on the cover is?
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Friday, 26 April 2013 14:49 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
No idea. Spooky music!
― Tom D (Tom D.), Friday, 26 April 2013 14:52 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
ok good i thought i was being a chicken it sounds more like lost souls than people at one with the earth
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Friday, 26 April 2013 14:54 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
I Am At One With The Earth - And It Is Totally Freaky
― tylerw, Friday, 26 April 2013 14:55 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
Who are the singers?
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Friday, 26 April 2013 15:03 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
Well it looks like it's Vocals – Anni Morris Wieland, Bettina Fricke Waldthausend*, Dieter Prym, Florian Fricke, Friedemann Berger, Friedemann Wieland, Gisela Von Doering, Ingeborg Jahnke, Jan Lorck-Shjmerning, Jana Faust, Karl F. Weber, Klaudia Wieland
― Trip Maker, Friday, 26 April 2013 15:05 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
wait -- "song of the earth" is "agnus dei"?i have googled and found nothing about this release that i understand fully
― and that sounds like a gong-concert (La Lechera), Friday, 26 April 2013 15:18 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
It's the same tune, yes. He was fond of it and who can blame him? Interestingly, or maybe not, some of this reminded me of, respectively, Stockhausen's "Atmen gibt das Leben" and Cornelius Cardew's "The Great Learning", both of which were composed for choirs of "amateurs".
― Tom D (Tom D.), Friday, 26 April 2013 16:54 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
love cardew
― am0n, Friday, 26 April 2013 17:25 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
― am0n, Friday, 26 April 2013 17:28 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
and thanks for the upload CtC
― am0n, Friday, 26 April 2013 17:32 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
^ yes, thanks -- while listening I felt like I was doing dishes in the catacombs.
― Brad C., Friday, 26 April 2013 18:04 (3 weeks ago) Permalink
Pleasure
― Call the Cops, Saturday, 27 April 2013 13:29 (3 weeks ago) Permalink