Releases by Popol Vuh on three short-lived, but influential labels run by Rolf Ulrich Kaiser.

PILZ

Pilz was a sublabel of Ohr & Pilz music Produktion. BASF offered to finance it. So it became a subsidiairy of BASF. The label had it’s own design. The numbering is in order of release from BASF. Years of activity: 1971-1972. Into total the label released 20 albums and 7 singles.

2021276 9 - In der Garten Pharaos - 1971
2029143 1 - Hosianna Mantra - 1972

OHR

Ohr was started by Kaiser in around 1969-1970 in assistance by Peter Meisel. The first lp was released in April 1970. The final release was completed in December 1973 and released early 1974. During this time span, Ohr released 33 albums and twelve 7" singles. The label shut down in 1975 and archive were stored at Dierks Studio. And several albums from the catalogue were licensed by Dierks’ Venus Records.
‘Kosmische Musik’ is the only original Ohr-release containing music by Popol Vuh. This double album opens with an excerpt from ‘In den Garten Pharaos’. Other artists on this double-album are Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Temple.

2/56027 - Kosmische Musik (sampler) - 1972

KOSMISCHE KURRIERE / KOSMISCHE MUSIK

When Ohr stopped, Kosmische Musik took over.The lalbel started as Komscihe Kurriere but changed its name into Kosmische Musik after the third release. Many musicians who first released their music on Ohr and Pilz changed to this label, that was again initiated by Rolf Ulrich Kaiser in 1973. ‘Einsjäger & Siebenjäger’(1975) marked the end of this label.

KM 58009 - Seligpreisung - 1974
KM 58017 - Einsjäger und Siebenjäger - 1975

Brain Records was run by Bruno Wendel and Günter Körber in partnership with Metronome. They released three original Popol Vuh albums.

The label compiled several compilation albums, but none of them featured music by Popol Vuh. However they are present on the retrospective 8cdbox ‘The Brain Box – Cerebral Sounds Of Brain Records 1972-1979’, released by Universal in 2017

‘Herz aus Glas’ received a parallel release in 1977 on the French Egg label (different cover). The subtitle ‘Singet, Denn Der Gesang Vertreibt Die Wölfe...’ was the original title meant for this album, before it was decided to release it as the soundtrack to the film ‘Herz aus Glas’ by Werner Herzog.

‘Die Nacht der Seele’ was parallel released in 1979 by the Italian PDU-label.

‘Brüder des Schattens’ was released twice in 1978 by Brain Records. The second edition had the album with the ‘Nosferatu’-cover but the same catalogue number and label . See insert below

In 1978 ‘Brüder des Schattens’ appeared also on cassette. The album was also released in Japan in three different editions.

All three German releases have the orange of multicolor label, that followed up the green label that was used before 1977. Besides ‘Nosferatu’ has also been rereleased with a black label, which became the standard for Brain Records in the early 80s.

Of the Japanese releases one has a yellow and two have a blue label.

See pictures here.

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Germany

0060.079 - Herz aus Glas – 1977 - lp [ coloured label ]

0060.167 - Brüdes des Schattens – 1978 - lp [ coloured label ]

0660.167 - Brüdes des Schattens – 1978 – cs

0060.167 - Nosferatu -1978 - Germany [ coloured label ]

0060.167 - Nosferatu - 1978 - Germany [ black label ]

0060.242 - Die Nacht der Seele – 1979 – lp

Japan

Brain/Teichiku SUX 168 - 1979 – lp [ with three different labels ]

A French sublabel of Barclay that originally started in 1969. After a restart in 1976 – still as a sublabel of Barclay - it was profiled as the ‘European Progressive Rock’-label.
The label released two albums by Popol Vuh:

‘Coeur de Verre’ (1997) was a parallel release to ‘Herz aus Glas’ on Brain with a different cover and title in French.
There are two versions with different labels.
In 1979 the album was released by Egg in Japan.

‘Nosferatu – Fantome de la Nuit’ was a premier release

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Cœur De Verre (Bande Originale Du Film De Werner Herzog) - 900.536 - LP - France - 1977
Cœur De Verre (Bande Originale Du Film De Werner Herzog) - 900.536 - CS - France
Cœur De Verre (Bande Originale Du Film De Werner Herzog) - GP 708 - LP - Japan - 1979

On The Way To A Little Way (Soundtracks From "Nosferatu") - 900.573 - LP - France - 1978
Banda Sonora Original De La Pelicula "Nosferatu" -17.1468/1 - LP - Spain - 1979

The E.G.G. Sampler - HS 71 - LP - France - 1978

The Innovative Communication label was started by Klaus Schulze in 1978, a label – no wonder - dedicated to electronic music.