Two years after the issue of Sei Still, Wisse ICH BIN, Agape-Agape (Love-Love) offers a deeper view of the same animal.
Still utilizing a choir for Gregorian chant-like ethereal intensity -- though they sing in Byzantine scales -- pianist Florian Fricke, guitarist/percussionist Daniel Fichelscher, guitarist Conny Veit (who came back to the fold after a prolonged absence), and vocalist Renate Knaup delve deeply into the drone world of Fricke's sacred music muse.
There are eight pieces on this set, the longest of which is the final one, "Why Do I Fall Asleep." But they are all of a single theme, even Fichelscher's "They Danced, They Laughed, As of Old," which is an extended retreatment of "Kleiner Kreiger" from the Einsjäger & Siebenjäger album.
Fricke only comes to the fore on the title track with his shimmering, insistent mantra-piano, but the twin guitars of Fichelscher and Veit more than compensate elsewhere as they entwine and slip through and around one another.
Once again, though the music might seem formulaic, it is in the subtleties and dynamics that Fricke's compositional growth is revealed, and Agape-Agape is a worthy, devastatingly beautiful outing.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hand in HandFlorian Fricke | Popol Vuh | Play | 02:52 | 6 MB | 11 MB |
| 2 | They Danced, They Laughed, As of OldDanny Secundus Fichelscher | Popol Vuh | Play | 04:49 | 11 MB | 24 MB |
| 3 | Love, Life, DeathFlorian Fricke | Popol Vuh | Play | 01:28 | 3 MB | 4 MB |
| 4 | The Christ Is NearFlorian Fricke | Popol Vuh | Play | 03:50 | 8 MB | 16 MB |
| 5 | Love-LoveFlorian Fricke | Popol Vuh | Play | 05:20 | 12 MB | 26 MB |
| 6 | Agape-AgapeFlorian Fricke | Popol Vuh | Play | 04:55 | 11 MB | 23 MB |
| 7 | Why Do I Still SleepFlorian Fricke | Popol Vuh | Play | 07:56 | 18 MB | 24 MB |
| 8 | Behold, The Drover Summonds | Popol Vuh | Play | 05:52 | 13 MB | 20 MB |
| 9 | Circledance | Popol Vuh | Play | 02:34 | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| 39 mins | 90 MB | |||||
| 39 mins | 168 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danny Secundus Fichelscher | Composer, Guitar, Percussion, Vocals |
| 2 | Florian Fricke | Composer, Percussion, Piano, Producer, Vocals |
| 3 | Stefan Massimo Jauch | Engineer, Mixing |
| 4 | Renate Knaup | Vocal Ad-Libs |
| 5 | Peter Kramper | Engineer, Mixing |
| 6 | Angie Melitoupulos | Engineer, Mixing |
| 7 | Popol Vuh | Primary Artist, Producer |
| 8 | Conny Veit | Guitar |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |