FAUST

German for "fist", Faust were one of the first bands to use the recording studio as an instrument. Since 2004 two different bands carrying the name Faust are active. Here it's Jean-Hervé Peron and Werner "Zappi" Diermaier pulling the cart, along with Geraldine Swayne, James Hodson and James Johnston (the present Bad Seeds guitarist).

They float anywhere between Nowave ("Tell The Bitch To Go Home" and "Something Dirty"), Krautrock ("Invisible Mending, Dampfauslass 1-2") and Progrock ("Lost The Signal"). They add some weird electronics and avant-garde elements and it's a miracle they don't end up with a huge cacophony of sound.

Best song is probably "Lost The Signal", an epic song with Lydia Lunch/PJ Harvey-like vocals developing into an apocalyptic psychedelic climax. Remember "The End" (The Doors).

 

They use a whole lot of cool instruments like a toy-vibraphone, flamethrower (!), Korg MS-10, theramin and whatever a psalterion is. I would prefer using the flamethrower, although I can't quite pinpoint where they used that thing...

 

As with most of Bureau-B's output, recommended!

Chris KONINGS
14/02/2012