Faust (English: "fist") are a German rock band from Hamburg. Formed in 1971 by producer and former
music journalist
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
Uwe Nettelbeck
Uwe Nettelbeck (7 August 1940 – 17 January 2007) was a German record producer, journalist and film critic. He was best known as the creator and producer of the German krautrock band Faust and changed the face of German rock music in the early ...
, the group was originally composed of
Werner "Zappi" Diermaier (b.1949), Hans Joachim Irmler (b.1950), Arnulf Meifert, Jean-Hervé Péron (b.1949), Rudolf Sosna (b.1946 - d.1996) and Gunther Wüsthoff, working with
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
Kurt Graupner.
Their work was oriented around dissonance,
improvisation
Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...
, and experimental
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
approaches,
and would influence subsequent
ambient and
industrial music.
They are considered a central act of
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
's 1970s
krautrock
Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in West Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electronic music, a ...
movement.
History
1971–1975
Faust formed in 1971 in the rural setting of Wümme. They secured a
recording contract
A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...
with
Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
and soon began recording their debut, ''
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540).
The wiktionary:erudite, erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a ...
'', which sold poorly but received critical acclaim for its innovative approach and established a devoted fan base. Meifert was sacked shortly afterwards because, as Peron wrote in 2004, "he discussed things, because he had flat buttocks and an absolutely beautiful girlfriend, because he practised every day, because he always kept his room neat and woke up every morning to first wet a cloth he'd put in front of his room to keep the dirt out, because he played such a hard 4/4th that we had to travel into the tongue, ready to drop, ding dong is handsome top."
In 1972 the band recorded its second, slightly more accessible album ''
So Far
So Far may refer to:
Literature
* ''So Far...'', a 1995 autobiography by Kelsey Grammer
Film and video
* '' Grateful Dead: So Far'', a 1987 music documentary about the Grateful Dead
* ''So Far'', a 2005 music documentary about Section 25
Musi ...
''. Faust became one of the premier bands in the international appreciation of the genre that would eventually be known as
krautrock
Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in West Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electronic music, a ...
.
Faust became one of the first acts to sign to
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is a British billionaire, entrepreneur, and business magnate. In the 1970s he founded the Virgin Group, which today controls more than 400 companies in various fields.
Branson expresse ...
's
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldw ...
, who embarked on a marketing campaign somewhat daring for its time, aimed at introducing Faust to British record-buyers. ''
The Faust Tapes'' was a cut-and-paste album, which spliced together a large number of bits and pieces from their extensive collection of private recordings not originally intended for release. Virgin issued it at the then price of a single, 48 pence. ''The Faust Tapes'' reportedly sold over 100,000 copies but its low price tag rendered it ineligible for a chart placing.
After collaborating with
Tony Conrad
Anthony Schmalz Conrad (March 7, 1940 – April 9, 2016) was an American video artist, experimental filmmaker, musician, composer, sound artist, teacher, and writer. Active in a variety of media since the early 1960s, he was a pioneer of both d ...
on the album ''
Outside the Dream Syndicate'', Faust recorded ''
Faust IV
''Faust IV'' is the fourth studio album by the German krautrock group Faust, released in 1973. The album is included in the book '' 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'', where it is referred to as a "krautrock classic". This was the las ...
'' at Virgin's studios in England. The band broke up in 1975 after Virgin rejected its fifth album (some of the recordings later appeared on the ''Munich and Elsewhere'' album), but reissues of their recordings and various additional material through
Chris Cutler
Chris Cutler (born 4 January 1947) is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of other bands, including Art Bears, ...
's
Recommended Records
Recommended Records (RēR) is a British independent record label and distribution network founded by Chris Cutler with Nick Hobbs in March 1978. RēR features largely "Rock in Opposition" and related music, but it also distributes selected musi ...
maintained a level of interest.
Faust experimented with the presentation of their early records. Their first album was originally released on clear vinyl, in a clear sleeve with an X-ray of a human fist
silkscreened on the outer sleeve. Their second album, ''So Far'', made extensive use of the color black, though inside the sleeve were sheets with a different illustration for each song. ''The Faust Tapes'' had a visually unsettling
op art
Op art, short for optical art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions.
Op artworks are abstract, with many better-known pieces created in black and white. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, ...
cover design by
Bridget Riley
Bridget Louise Riley (born 24 April 1931) is an English painter known for her op art paintings. She lives and works in London, Cornwall and the Vaucluse in France.
Early life and education
Riley was born on 24 April 1931 in Norwood, London ...
, while that for ''
Faust IV
''Faust IV'' is the fourth studio album by the German krautrock group Faust, released in 1973. The album is included in the book '' 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'', where it is referred to as a "krautrock classic". This was the las ...
'' consisted of a series of blank music
staves.
1975–present: breakup, "disappearance" and reunion
After Faust's breakup, the group's whereabouts were unknown; the Recommended Records catalogues talked about the group's "disappearance". The official Web site lists three concerts during the 1980s, and the "Patchwork" album, a compilation of outtakes, feature three snippets that were recorded in the 1980s, but apart from that, the group's activities between 1975 and 1990 remain shrouded in mystery.
In 1990 and 1992, members Irmler, Diermaier and Péron reunited for performances.
In 1994, Faust toured the United States for the first time, with Péron and Diermaier assisted by Steven Wray Lobdell and with members of
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of th ...
as an opening act. Irmler did not participate in the 1994 US tour, but took a more active role after that, producing the groups' records and releasing them on his Klangbad label. He also compiled and edited the "Patchwork" remix album in 2002. Sosna's chronic alcoholism ended a brief reunion with Faust "after four or five exhausting days", and he died on 10 November 1996. Gunter Wüsthoff has not taken part in any of the reunions. They have continued to perform in various combinations and with various additional musicians ever since, with Diermaier always behind the drum kit.
In 1996, Diermaier and Péron met
Olivier Manchion
Olivier Manchion (born 1971) is a French musician.
Manchion was born in Suresnes, near Paris. In 1987, he started to perform on bass guitar with Amaury Cambuzat. They founded Ulan Bator (band), Ulan Bator in 1993. They released albums in 1995 on ...
and Amaury Cambuzat from French group
Ulan Bator
Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north c ...
. They performed for the first time together as "Collectif Met(z)" in November 1996 (this quartet became the basis of a later Faust line-up and this concert was part of a 2005 release). A few days after, Faust performed at the Garage in London and at the Transmusicales de Rennes, featuring
Chris Cutler
Chris Cutler (born 4 January 1947) is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of other bands, including Art Bears, ...
.
After two studio albums, Péron left the group in June 1997. From mid-1997 to 2004, Faust toured as Zappi W. Diermaier, Hans Joachim Irmler, Steven Wray Lobdell, Lars Paukstat and Michael Stoll, releasing many more studio and live albums.
Diermaier and "art-errorist" Péron reunited in 2005, when Zappi proposed that they start a "new" Faust together with Olivier Manchion and Amaury Cambuzat from
Ulan Bator
Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north c ...
. Faust now exists in two completely different incarnations, both active and each reflecting different aspects of the original group. Uwe Nettelbeck died on 17 January 2007.
Diermaier/Péron's new Faust made their debut at the 2005 Art-Errorist Avant Garde festival in
Schiphorst, Germany, where they also presented a new release entitled ''Collectif Met(z)'', a collection including concerts from 1996 and 2005 and unreleased solo songs. They also recorded ''Trial and Error'', released on DVD in 2007 by the Fuenfundvierzig Label. This incarnation of the group has been extremely active, releasing several CD-Rs and DVD-Rs and touring extensively, including a very successful autumn 2005 UK tour, released in 2007 as ''... In Autumn'' by Dirter. This release also features ex
Henry Cow
Henry Cow were an English experimental rock Musical ensemble, group, founded at the University of Cambridge in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer ...
saxophonist/flautist
Geoff Leigh, vocalist Lucianne Lassalle, poet
Zoë Skoulding
Zoë Skoulding is an English/Welsh poet, whose work also encompasses translation, editing, sound-based vocal performance, literary criticism and teaching creative writing. Her poetry has been included in several UK anthologies, translated into 1 ...
and the members of the Welsh group
Ectogram. The trio of Diermaier, Péron and Cambuzat performed at a
Rock in Opposition
Rock in Opposition or RIO was a Social movement, movement representing a collective of Progressive rock, progressive bands in the late 1970s united in their opposition to the music industry that refused to recognise their music. It was initiate ...
festival in France in April 2007. This trio lineup also recorded a new album entitled ''Disconnected'' which was mixed by
Steven Stapleton and Colin Potter of
Nurse with Wound. It was released to tie in with the 2007 Schiphorst Avant Garde festival in July 2007. ''C'est com... com... compliqué'', the second album from these sessions was released in February 2009 on the Bureau B label.
A 2009 BBC documentary on Krautrock featured interview segments with Péron and Diermaier. In 2011, in collaboration with the British artists
Geraldine Swayne
Geraldine Swayne (born 1965) is an English painter, who works mainly in miniature in enamel on metal.
She studied Fine Art at Newcastle University from 1985–89 and in 1990 she won a Northern Arts Travel award to paint and make super-8 films ...
and
James Johnston, the duo recorded a new Faust studio album, ''Something Dirty''.
In 2010, Faust with members Hans Joachim Irmler, Steven Wray Lobdell, Lars Paukstat, Michael Stoll and Jan Fride released a new studio album, ''
Faust Is Last
''Faust Is Last'' is the 10th studio album by the German krautrock
Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock
Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundarie ...
'', which happened to be the last studio album by Irmler's Faust.
After being absent from the band for forty-nine years, core member Gunther Wusthoff reunited with Werner "Zappi" Diermaier to play on the new 2022 Faust album Daumenbruch. Pèron though is not present on the album as a musician. Members of Einsturzende Neubauten and Monobeat Original, another musical project of Diermaier, also play on the album.
Collaborations
During the Wümme years, Diermaier, Péron and Wüsthoff played on
Slapp Happy's first two albums, ''
Sort Of'' (1972) and ''
Acnalbasac Noom
''Acnalbasac Noom'' (also known as ''Slapp Happy or Slapphappy'') is a studio album by German-British avant-pop group Slapp Happy, recorded in Wümme, Bremen, Germany in 1973 with Faust as their backing band. It had a working title of ''Casabla ...
'' (1973) which were also produced by Uwe Nettelbeck. Slapp Happy's
Peter Blegvad had played with Faust in Wümme and subsequently toured with them in the UK. That tour also featured
Uli Trepte, who had performed with
Guru Guru and
Neu!
Neu! (; German for "New!"; styled in block capitals) were a West German krautrock band formed in Düsseldorf in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother following their departure from Kraftwerk. The group's albums were produced by Conny Pl ...
.
In contrast with Slapp Happy's song-based music, in 1972 Diermaier, Péron and Sosna also collaborated with the violinist
Tony Conrad
Anthony Schmalz Conrad (March 7, 1940 – April 9, 2016) was an American video artist, experimental filmmaker, musician, composer, sound artist, teacher, and writer. Active in a variety of media since the early 1960s, he was a pioneer of both d ...
on ''
Outside the Dream Syndicate''; the record was released in 1973 at a low price in the UK and was, at the time, one of the few available examples of
drone-based minimalism. A live recording from a 1995 concert, entitled ''Outside the Dream Syndicate Alive'' featuring Tony Conrad, Zappi Diermaier & Jean-Hervé Péron of Faust and
Jim O'Rourke James O'Rourke may refer to:
Sports
* Jim O'Rourke (baseball) (1850–1919), American baseball player and Hall of Fame inductee
* Jimmy O'Rourke (baseball) (1883–1955), American baseball player, son of the Hall of Fame inductee
* James O'Rourk ...
was released in Autumn 2005.
Faust collaborated with New Jersey avant-garde hip-hop crew
Dälek for the album ''Derbe Respect, Alder'' in 2004.
Jean-Hervé Péron collaborated with
THEME and
Zsolt Sores
Zsolt () is a Hungarian masculine given name, originally a variant of ''Solt''.
Related names
* Zsolt: old Hungarian personal name, with an identical origin to the names ''Zoltán'', ''Zsolt'' and possibly ''Csolt''. Derived from the old Turkish w ...
on a MLP called 'Poison Is (Not) The Word' released on the
Lumberton Trading Company Lumberton is the name of several places:
Canada
* Lumberton, British Columbia, a ghost town
United States
* Lumberton, Florida, an unincorporated community in Pasco County, Florida
* Lumberton, Mississippi
* Lumberton, New Jersey
* Lumberton, ...
label in 2012, and in 2013 Faust recorded 'Live at Clouds Hill' with
Omar Rodríguez-López
Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975) is an American guitarist and songwriter. He has formed or played in several bands, including the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Antemasque, and Bosnian Rainbows. He was the bassist for th ...
.
Faust performed with Slapp Happy again in November 2016 at the Week-End festival in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
, Germany. The two groups also played together in February 2017 at
Cafe Oto in London.
In December 2017, Faust recorded a one-off collaboration with erotic-electronic artist Natalie Sharp, aka
Lone Taxidermist
Lone may refer to:
People
*Lone (given name), a given name (including a list of people with this name)
* Lone (musician), Matt Cutler, an electronic musician from Nottingham, United Kingdom
*Lone (surname), a surname (including a list of people w ...
, as part of the
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The st ...
programme
Late Junction's "Late Junction Sessions" series.
Discography
Studio albums
Collaborations
* ''
Outside the Dream Syndicate'' (1973) – collaboration with
Tony Conrad
Anthony Schmalz Conrad (March 7, 1940 – April 9, 2016) was an American video artist, experimental filmmaker, musician, composer, sound artist, teacher, and writer. Active in a variety of media since the early 1960s, he was a pioneer of both d ...
* ''
Derbe Respect, Alder
''Derbe Respect, Alder'' is a collaboration album released in 2004 by Faust and Dälek
Dälek () (stylized in all lowercase) is an American experimental hip hop group formed in Newark, New Jersey in 1998. The group's current lineup consists ...
'' (2004) – collaboration with
Dälek
* ''Outside the Dream Syndicate Alive'' (2005) – 1995 live collaboration with
Tony Conrad
Anthony Schmalz Conrad (March 7, 1940 – April 9, 2016) was an American video artist, experimental filmmaker, musician, composer, sound artist, teacher, and writer. Active in a variety of media since the early 1960s, he was a pioneer of both d ...
* ''
Disconnected'' (2007) – collaboration album with
Nurse with Wound
* ''Fini!'' (2008) - Jean-Herve Peron collaboration with Andrew Liles and Ragna Skinner
* ''Poison Is (Not) the Word'' (2012) – Jean-Herve Peron collaboration with THEME and Zsolt Sores
* ''...Live at Clouds Hill (Vinylbox #3)'' (2013) – collaboration with
Omar Rodríguez-López
Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975) is an American guitarist and songwriter. He has formed or played in several bands, including the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Antemasque, and Bosnian Rainbows. He was the bassist for th ...
Singles
* "
So Far
So Far may refer to:
Literature
* ''So Far...'', a 1995 autobiography by Kelsey Grammer
Film and video
* '' Grateful Dead: So Far'', a 1987 music documentary about the Grateful Dead
* ''So Far'', a 2005 music documentary about Section 25
Musi ...
" (1972) (re-issue in 2010)
* "Chemical Imbalance" (1990)
* "Überschall 1996" (1996) – split single with
Stereolab
Stereolab are an Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's music combines influences from krautrock, lounge and 1960s pop music, often incorporating a re ...
and
Foetus
A fetus or foetus (; plural fetuses, feti, foetuses, or foeti) is the unborn offspring that develops from an animal embryo. Following embryonic development the fetal stage of development takes place. In human prenatal development, fetal develo ...
* "Trafics" (1997) – split single with La Kuizine
* "Wir Brauchen Dich" (2001)
Compilations
* ''Munic and Elsewhere'' (1986)
* ''The Last LP: Faust Party No. 3, 1971–1972'' (1988)
* ''71 Minutes of Faust'' (1988) – compilation of material from the above two
* ''Faust/Faust So Far'' (2000)
* ''The Wumme Years: 1970–1973'' (2000)
* ''BBC Sessions +'' (2001)
* ''Faust 1971–1974'' (2021) – 8xCD or 7xLP box set (includes unreleased album ''Punkt'')
Live albums, and other releases
* ''Faust 5'' (1975) – never officially released, it exists only in the form of a Virgin Records promotional cassette
* ''Faust Concerts, Volume 1: Live in Hamburg, 1990'' (1994)
* ''Faust Concerts, Volume 2: Live in London, 1992'' (1994)
* ''BBC Sessions/Kisses for Pythagoras'' LP Lmt. Ed. (1996)
* ''Untitled'' (1996) – compilation of live and studio material
* ''Edinburgh 1997''
ive(1997)
* ''Land of Ukko & Rauni''
ive(2000)
* ''Freispiel'' (2002) – remixes of ''Ravviviando''
* ''Patchwork 1971–2002'' (2002) – compilation of remixed and unreleased material
* ''Abzu'' (2003) – 4 CDs box with interviews and unreleased, live, solo and remixed tracks
* ''Collectif Met(z)'' (2005) – 3 CDs box + video CD
* ''
Silver Monk Time'' (2006) – tribute album to
The Monks by various artists; Faust contribute one track
* ''Live in Krakow 2006'' (2007)
* ''... In Autumn'' (2007) – 3 CDs box + 1 DVD, recorded 2005
* ''Od Serca Do Duszy''
ive(2007) – 2xCD
* ''Kleine Welt''
ive(2008) – Hans Joachim Irmler's Faust, recorded 2006
* ''Schiphorst 2008''
ive(2009) – recorded at the Schiphorst Festival
* ''Clouds Hill Hamburg Studio Sessions 2009'' (2009) – CDR of rehearsals, recorded February 2009
* ''Live in Oslo'' (2009) – CDR
* ''WFMU Fest in Brooklyn''
ive(2010) – recorded 1 October 2009
* ''Radical Mix'' (2012) – CDR, remix
Films
* ''Impressions'' (2006) – DVD
* ''Trial and Error'' (2007) – DVD, recorded 2005
* ''
Faust: Nobody Knows If It Ever Happened'' (2007) – DVD on
Ankst (live at The Garage, London, 1996)
* ''
Klangbad: Avant-garde in the Meadows'' (2010) – DVD on Play Loud! Productions, Hans Joachim Irmler's Faust
* ''
Faust: Live at Klangbad Festival'' (2010) – DVD on Play Loud! Productions, Hans Joachim Irmler's Faust
* ''
Faust: Where Roads Cross'' (2013) – DVD on
6ème Droite – (More info here: http://6emedroite.com/DVD-Faust-Where-Roads-Cross)
* ''
Romantic Warriors IV: Krautrock'' (2019)
Further reading
*''Faust: Stretch Out Time 1970–1975''. Andy Wilson. Mute / The Faust-Pages, 2006. .
*''
Krautrocksampler''.
Julian Cope
Julian David Cope (born 21 October 1957) is an English musician and author. He was the singer and songwriter in Liverpool post-punk band the Teardrop Explodes and has followed a solo career since 1983 in addition to working on musical side pro ...
. Head Heritage 1997
*The Wumme Years: 1970–1973 – accompanying booklet 2000
References
External links
The Faust Pagesjean-hervé péronzappi diermaierhans-joachim irmlerGunther Wüsthoff"Interview: Krautrock legends Faust" ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
'', 18 October 2021
{{Authority control
German experimental musical groups
Krautrock musical groups
Musical groups established in 1971
Virgin Records artists