Faust

Experimental rock band Faust formed in Wümme, Bremen, Germany in 1971. The group’s mix of improvisation, dissonance, and experimental sounds – commonly referred to as krautrock - is now acknowledged as an early influence on ambient, industrial, and experimental music. Brought together by producer and music journalist Uwe Nettelbeck, the group was comprised of Werner ‘Zappi’ Diermaier, Jean-Hervé Péron, Rudolf Sosna, Hans Joachim Irmler, Gunther Wüsthoff, and Arnulf Meifert. The group released their self-titled debut album in 1971. Although it was a commercial failure, the album received many positive reviews. Their slightly more commercial sophomore album, Faust So Far, was released in 1972. Signing to Virgin Records in the UK, the label released The Faust Tapes in 1973, which was comprised of unreleased recordings that were creatively edited and mixed together. The album was a big success and introduced the group to a new audience. Faust IV (1973) was recorded in England and was met with more critical acclaim. However, when Virgin Records refused to release their next album, Faust V, in 1975, the band split up. Little was heard of the band members between 1975 and 1990, but their back catalog continued to grow in stature, attracting new generations of fans in the process. Werner ‘Zappi’ Diermaier, Jean-Hervé Péron, and Hans Joachim Irmler reunited in 1990 and 1992 for live performances. This new version of Faust toured the US for the first time in 1994. The group began recording again, releases albums such as Rien (1994), You Know FaUSt (1997), Faust Wakes Nosferatu (1997), and Ravvivando (1999). After more line-up changes, two different versions of Faust began to tour and record – one led by Hans Joachim Irmler and the other featuring Werner ‘Zappi’ Diermaier and Jean-Hervé Péron – which confused the band’s audience and cast a shadow on their legacy. In 2022, their previously unreleased album Faust V from 1975 was officially released as Punkt.

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