Recorded in 1980 and produced by
Klaus Schulze,
Sei Still, Wisse ICH BIN ("Be quiet, I am") is one of
Popol Vuh's sacred music offerings. Like Hosianna Mantra nearly a decade before, this set is regal in its solemnity and in its intensity. Utilizing the Chorensemble der Bayerischen Staatsoper and the soprano saxophone stylings of
Chris Karrer,
Popol Vuh -- down to a three-piece with vocalist Renate Knaup fronting the choir,
Fricke on piano and voice, and guitarist Daniel Fichelscher holding down the drum chair as well, this is a huge recording .
Schulze's immediate mix, which brings the vocals into complete balance with the undulating, mantra-like instrumentation, is nothing less than stunning; from Tibetan-style prayer chants to Eastern Orthodox choral scales, from thundering bass drums and cymbals to snaky, elusive, sparse electric guitar lines and
Fricke's trademark shimmering piano, each of this album's seven selections is its own kind of masterpiece. It is the perfect marriage of world music utilized in rock & roll fashion, and of both being placed at the service of the Sacred. It is nothing less than awe-inspiring. ~ Thom Jurek