I've just read about the recent death of the producer, and one of the founding members of Faust, Uwe Nettelbeck on Jan 17, so thought I'd pay a little tribute and spread some Faust love.
Uwe Nettelbeck, founder and mentor of Faust, died on January 17th. Jean-Hervé Peron made this statement about the passing of the man who first formed and inspired Faust and was a key creative force behind the group in their early years;
"Besides being a sharp-witted but yet charming and loving husband, father and grandfather, he was an outstanding cook, a writer who always generated deep emotions and interest, and a genius, selfless music producer. Thank you Uwe for all you have done for our music. Faust is your work, no doubt ! Your work will outlast all of us. May your soul rest in peace. My sincere sympathy to his family Petra, Anouchka, Sandra, Elisha and Elsa." more
Faust, along with bands like Can, Neu!, Kraftwerk and Amon Duul were spawned in Germany in the late 60's and early 70's in an uncoordinated 'movement' which soon coined the term, 'Krautrock'. Many members of these bands were initially studying 'serious' experimental music, (John Cage/Stockhausen et al) but eventually moved away to develop their own brand of rock and pop. Holgar Czuacky, lead figure of Can for instance, decided to knock the intellectual experimental studying (which wasn't paying his rent) after he heard the Beatles, Floyd, Velvets etc and decided that he wanted to sound like them.. needless to say, Can (
Communism/
Anarchy/
Nihilism) never did.
With the swinging (and revolutionary) sixties behind them, these bands forged a unique union between the avant garde and rock, with classically trained musicians briefed in musical theory, mixing with freeform jazz musicians and electronic noodlers to form one of Germany's most pioneering sound.
Repetition seemed to become a constant framework for much of the music coming out of Germany at this time - pre empting Loop in the 90's say, and I guess, trance and techno in general. Can were a major influence on Mark E Smith of The Fall of course.
Right noise.
We're gonna get real speedy
We're gonna wear black all the time
You're gonna make it on your own.
Cos we dig
Cos we dig
We dig
We dig repetition
We dig repetition
We dig repetition in the music
'Repetition' by The Fall.
I've never seen Can live, tho I have seen Faust, and it was an experience I'll never forget. It's gone down in legend apparently.. one of those gigs where people would say they were there but weren't kind of thing - but I was. It was played at the Garage in Highbury, London in 1996.. here's a flyer:
I had no pre-conceptions about what was going to take place at all. The only things I had under my belt were a few albums and a healthy dollop of Faust mythology, but nothing could have prepared me for this gig. I can't remember if there were any support acts - I don't think there was.
First thing you noticed as you walked in was an enormous great farming machine on the floor.. behind that, the whole of the stage, plus more of the floor, was blocked off by wire mesh.. behind that it looked like a junk yard, with intruments drowned in all sorts of shit. The place looked a bloody mess and it hadn't started. To the left was a temporary wall lined by what looked like a 100 blank 12" covers. More of that later.
They were on stage for a good hour and a half if memory serves, and dished up the most chaotic gigs I've ever known. Naked Germans running around throwing paint everywhere, whilst from the stage, the audience were doused in hot sparks, the farming machine on the floor intermittedly spraying out mud, grass and straw directly into the audience's faces nearly ripping the skin off you. Everyone was covered in this shit, and all the while these pounding rythyms, feedback, chanting, screeching and other wunderba going on around you. If you know the Garage.. that farming machine sprayed it's shit right into the back of the bar.. and if you were anywhere near it.. god help you.
Those white record covers housed a recent Peel Session of theirs and the records were sold for 20 quid each, covered with wet paint that the naked fella had thrown and daubed on them. It looked splendid. Wish I had a spare 20 quid on me, sadly I didn't. I wonder how much they'd go for now.
RIP Uwe Nettelbeck. And thanks.Turns out that after the band recorded their album IV for Virgin and had a somewhat chaotic tour, Richard Branson had his fill of their shenanigans and cut them loose once again in 1975. Although, at this point the band had gone ahead and run up some expensive hotel and studio bills at Giorgio Morodor's Araballe studios... It seems that Virgin did circulate a promo cassette of the sessions (which apparently contains material done in Wumme as well as at Morodor's place), and as far as actual Faust records go, it's not too shabby. Some trademark drones and freakouts, a very bizarre freeform track called "Jugger's Knot" built around fractured rhythms and junky guitar chords. WFMU.org
For those lost Faust tracks and info go
here.
Images from that Garage gig:
(Currently listening to Can's brilliant LP 'Delay 1968')