Faust Overview

Faust formed in 1971 and located themselves in the rural setting of Wumme. They secured a lucrative record deal with Polydor and soon began recording their debut, Faust, which sold poorly but received critical acclaim for its innovative approach and established... [more]

Faust formed in 1971 and located themselves in the rural setting of Wumme. They secured a lucrative record deal with Polydor and soon began recording their debut, Faust, which sold poorly but received critical acclaim for its innovative approach and established a devoted fanbase. Faust became one of the premier bands in the international appreciation of the genre that would eventually be known as krautrock. Faust became one of the first acts to sign to Richard Branson's Virgin Records, who embarked on a marketing campaign somewhat daring for its time, aimed at introducing Faust to UK record-buyers in as big a way as possible. 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, but widely regarded today as their finest work. Virgin issued it at the then price of a single, 48 UK pence (they did the same the following year with Gong's Camembert Electrique album except that by then the price of a single had gone up to 59 pence). The Faust Tapes reportedly sold over 100,000 copies but its low price tag rendered it ineligible for a chart placing. Faust broke up in 1975 after Virgin had rejected their 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's Recommended Records maintained a level of interest. After Faust's breakup, the group's whereabouts were unknown; the Recommended Records catalogues talked about the group's "disappearance". The official website lists three concerts during the 1980's, and the "Patchwork" album, a compilation of outtakes, feature three snippets that were recorded in the 80's, but apart from that, the groups' activities between 1975 and 1990 remain shrouded in mystery. In 1990, members Irmler, Diermaier and Peron reunited for performances . 1994, Peron and Diermaier toured the United States for the first time, assisted by Steven Wray Lobdell. They have continued to perform in various combinations and with various additional musicians ever since. In the booklet for The Wumme Years box set, Peron announced that Sosna had died on November the 10th 1996. Gunter Wusthoff has not taken part in any of the reunions. Diermaier has always been behind the drum kit. Irmler was present, but contributed little to the reunited groups' first concerts, and 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" album. In 1996, Diermaier and Peron meet Olivier Manchion and Amaury Cambuzat (Ulan Bator). They performed for the first time together as "Collectif Met(z)" in November 1996 (this quartet is the basis of an actual Faust line-up and this concert is part of a 2005 release). Few days after, Faust performs at the Garage in London and at the Transmusicales de Rennes, featuring Chris Cutler. Great return, ovation. Diermaier and "art-errorist" Peron rejoined in 2004 by immediately recording "Trial and Error", DVD to be released 2007 by Fuenfundvierzig Label. Zappi proposed to Peron to start a "new" Faust together with Olivier Manchion and Amaury Cambuzat from Ulan Bator. Diermaier/Peron's new Faust did their premiere at Art-Errorist Avant Garde festival (Schiphorst, Germany), presenting in the same time a new release entitled "Collectif Met(z)", a collection of live, new and unreleased songs. A new album has also been recorded by Diermaier, Peron and Cambuzat and is produced and mixed by Steven Stapleton and Colin Potter of Nurse With Wound. It will be released in the first half of 2007. Faust now exists in two completely different incarnations, both active and each reflecting different aspects of the original group. Uwe Nettelbeck, Faust's creator and producer, died 17 January 2007. [show less]