Faust – recorded at The Rainbow in Manchester on May 10, 2010.
Okay – before you start sending in hate mail and complaints I just want to say that this is what Past Daily is and has always been about; turning you on to things you may not be familiar with at all, may have avoided, missed or just forgot about. My job is to let you know what’s out there and what you might be inspired by, because as we all know, inspiration comes from all kinds of places under all kinds of circumstances. Music is vast, it’s timeless and it comes from everywhere – so if you aren’t familiar with Faust, give them five minutes at least.
The other thing – if you can; put yourself somewhere in 1971 – the gap between commercial (top 40) rock, FM Underground and Prog was getting wider and wider. There were still the two minute masterpieces but there was also the introduction and growth of the Experimental – that outlier community of rock which borrowed from Jazz, Experimental and Performance (as in Conceptual Art). In short, the whole scene was exploding and it was a lot to take in during the course of the average day. The experimental scene was gathering steam and getting huge in Europe, primarily in Germany where record labels were forming to just concentrate on fringe – the audience was always small, but it was growing and spreading – we had glimpses of it in the U.S. by way of imports. It was, even in 1971, not for everybody – but if you had curiosity and an open mind the rewards were handsome.
So along came Faust. Cut in much the same cloth as Can, Neu, Guru-Guru (their first incarnation) and the growing roster by way of Brain, Öhr and the growing scene of record labels devoted entirely to the experimental and arcane. Ironically, the first Faust album came out on Polydor, which was a much different label in Germany than it was even in the UK. Faust were a new experience – completely off-the-wall but totally engrossing. They were actively engaged in outrage and dissonance but were not without moments of pure beauty which captured the attention of many and contributed to a growing and loyal fanbase.
That was 1971 – by 2010, some 40 years after they got started, they were actively performing and recording, becoming something of wizened elders in the process. The fruits of their concepts and labor have made inroads and have become inspirations for a number of bands and artists over the years. They rubbed off on a lot of people. The first incarnation of Faust broke up in 1975. After a period shrouded in mystery they resurfaced in 1990 with largely a new lineup and have continued since
But Faust were Ground Zero for many and this is what they were all about – and what they were up to in 2010.
Have a listen – keep an open mind – you might become inspired.
