MP3DB.pro - Tzolk'in - Haab' (2008)

"tzolk'in is the name bestowed by mayanist scholars
upon the version of the 260-day mesoamerican
calendar which was used by the maya civilization of
pre-columbian mesoamerica. the tzolk'in, the most
fundamental and widely-attested of all the maya
calendars, was a pre-eminent component in the
society and rituals of the ancient maya. the word,
meaning "count of days", was coined based on
yukatek maya. the maya used several cycles of days,
of which the two most important were the tzolk'in,
or sacred round of 260 days and the approximate
solar year of 365 days or haab. the sacred round
combined the repeating cycle of numbers 1-13 with
20 day names... so that any particular combination
would recur in 13 x 20 or 260 days; the day name
and the number changed together: 1 imix, 2 ik, 3
akbal... as we might say monday 1, tuesday 2,
wednesday 3, and so on." (reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tzolk'in)

the musical project tzolk'in is a collaboration
between empusae and flint glass - artists who are
known in the fields of dark ambient, contemporary
ritualistic tribal music and experimental
electronica. this project is a conceptual creation
inspired by mayan mythology and the ancient mayan
astrological calendar of the same name. from the
beginning their approach to sound resulted in quite
a few novel musical perspectives: the merging of
empusae's distinct dark, oppressive and brooding
soundscapes and flint glass's characteristic
rhythmic and ambient compositions (which are
seemingly subject to an almost alien purpose and
theme). the final product is majestic and epic,
often martial and bellicose, with a sense of
tragedy that at times is even quite meditative.
tzolk'in can easily be viewed as an exotic
soundtrack to the phantoms of a dead civilization
or more simply put, music that is inspired by a
doomed mayan divination system.

on their first self-titled release, empusae and
flint glass chose eight periods of the tzolk'in
calendar and on haab' they describe eight periods
of the mayan solar year. ceremonious, deep tones
merge with the power and strength of industrial
music - kept together by elaborate impulsive ritual
rhythms that enhance the atmosphere of a
flourishing culture. an abyssal, haunting cycle of
tribal sound, constructed so that the listener can
dive into a bygone era.