In den Gärten Pharaos

In den Gärten Pharaos ("In the Gardens of the Pharaoh")[1] is the second album by German band Popol Vuh, released in 1971 by record label Pilz.

In den Gärten Pharaos
Studio album by Popol Vuh
Released	1971
Recorded	Trixi Studio, Munich, Germany Stiftskirche St. Margareta, Baumburg (Altenmarkt), Southern Germany
Genre	Electronic[1] new-age[2]
Length	37:25
Label	Pilz
Producer	Popol Vuh Bettina Fricke
Popol Vuh chronology
Affenstunde (1970) In den Gärten Pharaos (1971) Hosianna Mantra (1972)

Content

On In den Gärten Pharaos, Florian Fricke made more extensive use of the Moog synthesizer and experimental electronic sounds.

On side A is the title track "In den Gärten Pharaos", an ancient, contemplative meditation with the sound of rippling water, Moog synthesizer, Fender Rhodes, and African percussion. The Moog creates an exotic and alien sound while the African percussion and the water effects are interwoven throughout bringing the listener back to earth. The track was recorded at Trixi Studio in Munich.

The second song "Vuh" is dominated by one massive organ chord creating an epic wall of sound. "Vuh" uses the wide range of the organ, both the low drones and the high crescendos. Turkish percussion and layers of cymbals increase the intensity of the music. The song was then played and recorded on a medieval cathedral organ in the Stiftskirche St. Margareta, Baumburg (Altenmarkt) in Southern Germany. The organ was completely renewed in 1997.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Head Heritage	very favorable[3]

Perfect Sound Forever described it as "an altogether more mature and unified work" than Affenstunde.[1] Head Heritage described it as "the most mind-blowing mystical experience" and "awe-inspiring".[3]

Legacy

The album was ranked the 5th greatest of the 1970s by FACT magazine.[4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Popol Vuh.

Side A

No.	Title	Length
1.	"In den Gärten Pharaos"	17:38

Side B

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Vuh"	19:51

Personnel

• Florian Fricke – Moog synthesizer, Fender Rhodes, medieval cathedral organ
• Holger Trülzsch – African and Turkish percussion
• Frank Fiedler – Moog-Synthesizer-mixdown

Additional personnel

• Helmut Fritz – album cover
• Steffen Metzner – sleeve photography

References

1. Bearman, Gary (October 2008). "The Transcendent Music of Popol Vuh". Perfect Sound Forever. Archived from the original on October 29, 2008. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
2. In den Gärten Pharaos at AllMusic
3. September 16, 2012. "Julian Cope Presents Head Heritage | Unsung | Reviews | Popol Vuh – In den Garten Pharaos". Head Heritage. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
4. "The 100 Best Albums of the 1970s". Fact. July 14, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2015.

External links

• In den Gärten Pharaos at Discogs (list of releases)
• Popol Vuh discography
• In den Gärten Pharaos at Venco.com.pl