Florian Fricke
Encyclopedia
Florian Fricke was a German musician who started his professional career with electronic music using the Moog synthesizer
within the Krautrock
group Popol Vuh
. His music and that of the band however soon evolved in a completely different direction, and he almost completely abandoned synthesizers in favor of the acoustic piano.
and Munich
. It was in Munich that, at 18, he dedicated himself to new kinds of music like free jazz
. He also filmed some short amateur films. (He would later become a movie and music critic for the German magazine Der Spiegel
and the Swiss paper Neue Zürcher Zeitung
). It was also in Munich that he met Gerhard Augustin, who for many years would be his producer
.
In 1967 he met German film director Werner Herzog
and played a role in his first movie Lebenszeichen
(1968). Fricke was later responsible for the soundtracks of several of Herzog's movies, among them Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
(with Klaus Kinski
and Bruno Ganz
), Aguirre, the Wrath of God
and Heart of Glass
. Fricke also made a cameo appearance in Herzog's Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle
(1974).
Fricke was one of the first musicians to own and use a Moog III synthesizer
, with which he recorded Popol Vuh's first two albums "Affenstunde
" and "In den Gärten Pharaos
". His recordings with the instruments left an indelible mark on German electronic music
. However, he later significantly gave his Moog to fellow German musician Klaus Schulze
and renounced electronic music
.
In 1970, together with Holger Truelsch and Frank Fiedler, he founded the group Popol Vuh. The name is taken from a Mayan
manuscript (see "Popol Vuh
"). Fricke was the leader of the group until his death, almost always together with guitarist and drummer Daniel Fichelscher
. Fricke also recorded an album of Mozart compositions.
Besides working on his own music, Fricke collaborated with many German musicians. In 1972 he played in the Tangerine Dream
's Zeit
double album and collaborated with Renate Knaup of Amon Düül II
. Together with Fichelscher, from 1973 to 1974 he was a member of former Popol Vuh guitarist Connie Veit's band Gila
. In 1992 he recorded an album of Mozart compositions. In the 1998 he organized audio/video installations, among them "Messa di Orfeo" in the Italian city of Molfetta.
Beginning in the '70's, Fricke dedicated himself to musicotherapy. He also developed an original form of therapy called the "Alphabet of the Body".
Together with former Popol Vuh member Frank Fiedler, who was a competent cameraman, Fricke produced a series of films of spiritual inspiration set in the Sinai desert, Israel, Lebanon, Mesopotamia, Morocco, Afghanistan, Tibet and Nepal.
Fricke died of a stroke
in Munich in 2001, at the age of 57.
In October 2003 Klaus Schulze
wrote:
For his albums with Popol Vuh, see Popol Vuh
.
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
within the Krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
group Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh (German band)
Popol Vuh was a German electronic avantgarde band, in the mainstream-media so called Krautrock, founded by pianist and keyboardist Florian Fricke in 1969 together with Holger Trülzsch and Frank Fiedler...
. His music and that of the band however soon evolved in a completely different direction, and he almost completely abandoned synthesizers in favor of the acoustic piano.
History
Fricke started playing piano as a child. He studied piano, composition and directing at the Conservatories in FreiburgFreiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. It was in Munich that, at 18, he dedicated himself to new kinds of music like free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
. He also filmed some short amateur films. (He would later become a movie and music critic for the German magazine Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
and the Swiss paper Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung is a major German language Swiss daily newspaper based in Zurich.One of the oldest newspapers still published, it originally appeared as Zürcher Zeitung, edited by Salomon Gessner, from January 12, 1780, and was renamed to Neue Zürcher Zeitung in 1821...
). It was also in Munich that he met Gerhard Augustin, who for many years would be his producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
In 1967 he met German film director Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
and played a role in his first movie Lebenszeichen
Signs of Life (1968 film)
Signs of Life is a 1968 feature film written, directed, and produced by Werner Herzog. It was his first feature film, and his first major commercial and critical success...
(1968). Fricke was later responsible for the soundtracks of several of Herzog's movies, among them Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
Nosferatu the Vampyre is a 1979 West German vampire horror film written and directed by Werner Herzog. Its original German title is Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht...
(with Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
and Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall.- Early life :Bruno Ganz was born in Zürich to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university...
), Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Aguirre, the Wrath of God is a 1972 West German adventure film written and directed by Werner Herzog. Klaus Kinski stars in the title role. The soundtrack was composed and performed by German progressive/Krautrock band Popol Vuh...
and Heart of Glass
Heart of Glass (film)
Heart of Glass is a 1976 film written, directed, and produced by Werner Herzog, set in 18th century Bavaria. The main character is "Hias," based on the legendary Bavarian prophet Mühlhiasl.-Plot synopsis:...
. Fricke also made a cameo appearance in Herzog's Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser is a 1974 West German drama film written and directed by Werner Herzog about the legend of Kaspar Hauser. Its original German title is Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle, which means "Every man for himself and God against them all"...
(1974).
Fricke was one of the first musicians to own and use a Moog III synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
, with which he recorded Popol Vuh's first two albums "Affenstunde
Affenstunde
Affenstunde is the first album by Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1970 on Liberty Records. In 2004 SPV re-released the album with one bonus track.- Track listing :All tracks by Popol Vuh except track number 4 by Florian Fricke....
" and "In den Gärten Pharaos
In den Gärten Pharaos
In den Gärten Pharaos is the second album by Popol Vuh. It was originally released in 1971 on the label Pilz. In 2004 SPV re-released the album with two bonus tracks.- Track listing :...
". His recordings with the instruments left an indelible mark on German electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. However, he later significantly gave his Moog to fellow German musician Klaus Schulze
Klaus Schulze
Klaus Schulze is a German electronic music composer and musician. He also used the alias Richard Wahnfried. He was briefly a member of the electronic bands Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel before launching a solo career consisting of more than 60 albums released across five decades.-1970s:In...
and renounced electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
.
In 1970, together with Holger Truelsch and Frank Fiedler, he founded the group Popol Vuh. The name is taken from a Mayan
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
manuscript (see "Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh is a corpus of mytho-historical narratives of the Post Classic Quiché kingdom in Guatemala's western highlands. The title translates as "Book of the Community," "Book of Counsel," or more literally as "Book of the People."...
"). Fricke was the leader of the group until his death, almost always together with guitarist and drummer Daniel Fichelscher
Daniel Fichelscher
Daniel "Danny" Secundus Fichelscher, , is a German multi-instrumentalist who played a pivotal role in Krautrock band Popol Vuh, was a member of German group "Gila" and is currently Amon Düül II's drummer...
. Fricke also recorded an album of Mozart compositions.
Besides working on his own music, Fricke collaborated with many German musicians. In 1972 he played in the Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
's Zeit
Zeit
Zeit is the third album by the German electronic music group Tangerine Dream. A double LP, it was the first release featuring Peter Baumann, who joined Chris Franke and Edgar Froese.-Overview:...
double album and collaborated with Renate Knaup of Amon Düül II
Amon Düül II
-Studio Albums:-Live Albums:-Compilations:-Singles:-External links:*...
. Together with Fichelscher, from 1973 to 1974 he was a member of former Popol Vuh guitarist Connie Veit's band Gila
Gila (band)
Gila was a German progressive rock band, best known as one of the early and most important contributors to the Krautrock movement in the late-60s and early-70s.- Biography :...
. In 1992 he recorded an album of Mozart compositions. In the 1998 he organized audio/video installations, among them "Messa di Orfeo" in the Italian city of Molfetta.
Beginning in the '70's, Fricke dedicated himself to musicotherapy. He also developed an original form of therapy called the "Alphabet of the Body".
Together with former Popol Vuh member Frank Fiedler, who was a competent cameraman, Fricke produced a series of films of spiritual inspiration set in the Sinai desert, Israel, Lebanon, Mesopotamia, Morocco, Afghanistan, Tibet and Nepal.
Fricke died of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in Munich in 2001, at the age of 57.
In October 2003 Klaus Schulze
Klaus Schulze
Klaus Schulze is a German electronic music composer and musician. He also used the alias Richard Wahnfried. He was briefly a member of the electronic bands Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel before launching a solo career consisting of more than 60 albums released across five decades.-1970s:In...
wrote:
- "Florian was and remains an important forerunner of contemporary ethnic and religious music. He chose electronic music and his big MoogMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
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 HerzogWerner HerzogWerner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
loves so much, transforming the thought patterns of electronic music into the language of acoustic ethno music."
Florian Fricke solo albums
- Die Erde und ich sind Eins ("The Earth and I Are One", 1983) - limited private pressing
- Florian Fricke Plays Mozart (1992) - featuring Fricke on piano playing Mozart compositions
For his albums with Popol Vuh, see Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh (German band)
Popol Vuh was a German electronic avantgarde band, in the mainstream-media so called Krautrock, founded by pianist and keyboardist Florian Fricke in 1969 together with Holger Trülzsch and Frank Fiedler...
.
External links
- Popol Vuh Reference Comprehensive article & review of every album, in English
- Interview with Florian Fricke
- Popol Vuh.nl, Dutch site in English
- Popol Vuh.it, Italian site in Italian and English