Faust famously put an X-ray of a clenched fist on the front of their 1971 debut album and we're celebrating the group unleashing a barrage of exciting new music by refreshing this iconic image for the cover of this month's issue of Electronic Sound. We have a clear vinyl seven-inch EP from the ultimate freaktronic outfit to accompany the magazine too.
The krautrock giants have recently released no less than four albums on the same day, all of them credited to Faust but each recorded by one of the four surviving original members of the band working separately from the other three. Take a bow Jean-Hervé Péron, Hans Joachim Irmler, Gunther Wüsthoff and Werner “Zappi” Diermaier. It's a madcap idea, that's for sure, but then these guys are undoubtedly the weirdest and wildest of the early German experimentalists, as we point out to them in our cover story. Combining fractured melodies, bold rhythms, intense electronics and waves of noise to startling effect, the Faustian spirit is every bit as primeval and radical in 2026 as it was in 1971.
Our supporting cast to Faust includes mercurial polymath Saul Williams, whose terrific 'Leap Life' album will shortly be appearing in all the best end-of-year lists, and big beat big cheeses Lo Fidelity Allstars, who will be touring the UK in November after breaking a decade-long hiatus with a couple of shows a few months back. Maria Uzor, Globo, Fat Dog, Super Furry Animals and Nick Nicely are among our other interviews, while Mira Aroyo from Ladytron shares her influences. We also talk to Hard Corps, the cult 1980s band who gigged with Depeche Mode and recorded with Martin Rushent but split up before their debut album came out. Luckily for us all, it's just been reissued.
We're bundling this month's magazine with an exclusive Faust seven-inch EP, 'Four From Faust'. The record is a limited edition pressing on clear vinyl and it features four superb tracks, one from each of the group's new albums.
A1 'Yesterday's Gift' from 'Gugaruz'. Futuristic psychedelia crafted by Faust drumming legend Zappi Diermaier. Imagine if David Lynch had filmed The Velvet Underground locked inside a basement for a month, with Lou Reed writing ‘Metal Machine Music’ in the corner.
A2 'Zerfallen Teil II' from 'Ungebunden'. The freeform freakout vibe of classic Faust is effortlessly evoked by ace keyboardist Hans Joachim Irmler. The second half of the track slides into Radiophonic Workshop territory, but it sounds like the Russians are jamming the signal.
B1 'Sandra Tanzt' from 'Fliegen Lernen'. This is the work of Gunther Wüsthoff, who took care of the electronics in the original line-up of Faust. The velvety synth atmospheres are tethered by belly-rumbling bass tones and the resulting mood is almost Eno-esque.
B2 'Quinten & Quarten' from 'MOI'. The keening guitar and chaotic piano are unfettered by the usual rules of linear music and certainly by any notions of what krautrock should be. It's no surprise that Faust's de facto frontman Jean-Hervé Péron is at the controls here.
As with all their releases, this seven-inch is only available to readers of Electronic Sound. Magazine: 100 pages, 210 x 280 mm, soft touch cover.
