IN DEN GÄRTEN PHARAOS

On time of writing, this is the earliest album of Florian Fricke's Popol Vuh recordings which I have managed to find, so I have not been able to observe the complete musical development of the late master behind these mystic spiritual compositions. The A-side of the record is the residing place for the title track; The archaic melodies on nature soundscapes and ambient tapestries "In den Gärten Pharaos" illustrate a psychic landscape, leaning more to primitive abstractions than the forthcoming more concretized and firmly shaped compositions. However even here, in my opinion characteristically, with subtle melodies and tonal textures Florian achieves similarly melancholic and sanguine feeling, correlating with religious context of his work. Holger Trülzsch's ancient drumming increases the associations with mythological visions of ancient Egypt, and the sound collage has calmness and duration allowing pleasant meditative listening. Also as African drums were an element on early Jade Warrior records, people liking them and open sound expressionism escaping rock context might enjoy this song. The later moments of the song conclude to relaxed gliding on electric piano's soothing notes and electronic shades.

The B-side's "Vuh" was the culmination point of this album for me, and as a solitary musical work a masterpiece. I read from an interview that this song was performed in a church, capturing the grandiose of pipe organs and proper energies for artwork creation. Similarly I understood that realizations with the sounds from Moog experimentations and this song's organic creating method gave Florian impulse to search the divine beauty from acoustic instruments. According the following records which I have heard, I believe he found a prosperous path, and these grandiose melodic maneuvers rise firmly with singular melodic basis and with massive force as to lift up the pillars of heaven. The experimental approach for music morphs the structural classical harmonic procedures of classic European tradition as misty shades of the creation, building bridges of yearning from today's underground ambient movements to the ancestral origins of ancient raw power. Synthesis of contrasting artistic methods may allow possibilities for birth of new charming directions, and the classical music background merging with tribal archaism in the scene of German electronic ambient days offer this shapeless gem for our adoration. The aspect of ancient heritage is mostly shimmering trough vast layers of cymbals and percussions, working as integral element instead of minor sound color provider. Though the first side of the LP did not impress me totally, the second side certainly has grown to my most sacred musical experiences on the personal voyage of listening, and which possibly was a part of sincere search of truth trough the methods of music.