Faust

Faust (English: "fist") are a German krautrock band. Formed in 1971 in Wümme, Germany, the group was originally composed of Werner "Zappi" Diermaier, Hans Joachim Irmler, Arnulf Meifert, Jean-Hervé Péron, Rudolf Sosna and Gunther Wüsthoff, working with record producer Uwe Nettelbeck and engineer Kurt Graupner. Faust became one of the first acts to sign to Richard Branson's Virgin Records, who embarked on a marketing campaign somewhat daring for its time, aimed at introducing Faust to British record-buyers. The Faust Tapes was a cut-and-paste album, which spliced together a large number of bits and pieces from their extensive collection of private recordings not originally intended for release. Virgin issued it at the then price of a single, 48 pence. The Faust Tapes reportedly sold over 100,000 copies but its low price tag rendered it ineligible for a chart placing.

Links To Peel
In the Disc & Music Echo magazine, published in February 1972, Peel describes how he discovered the group, which was also published on their Faust Tapes album:

"The first time I heard tell of Faust was when I saw their extraordinary first LP in its equally extraordinary sleeve and felt that, regardless of the music within, I had to acquire one. When the music turned out to be highly original and very exciting that was a welcome bonus. Their single It's a Bit Of a Pain occured during sessions for the second LP - which I've not yet heard - and will serve as an introduction to the band. I would advise you to hear the LP though because it must be one of the most important of the past few years. It's not often that you hear a band that is heading off in a totally new direction - and it's surprising that when you do many of those bands are from the Continent. It would be easy to say that Faust's music was Germanic and to let it go at that but I don't think that would be enough. It's really music born of a technological age in which there is neither time nor room for sentiment. Faust paint a bleak vision with music in much the way Leonard Cohen or Nico do with words. It is not easy to describe it in terms of what has gone before."

The group performed two sessions for Peel's show (1973 and 1998) and had the third longest gap between Peel Session appearances (25 years and 6 months). They also influenced many of Peel's favourite artists, including The Fall, who had a track called Faust Banana in their ninth session for his show.

Sessions
1. Recorded: 1973-05-22. Broadcast: 05 June 1973 2. Recorded: 1998-10-29. Broadcast: 12 January 1999
 * Just A Second / Ask The Cleaning Woman She Knows The Subtitle / Foam Rubber
 * What Really Happened To Faust Part 1 And II / Part 3

Other Shows Played

 * Faust - Meadow Meal
 * 22 December 1971: Meadow Meal (LP - Faust) Polydor
 * 1972
 * 08 February 1972: Meadow Meal (LP – Faust) Polydor
 * 15 February 1972: Why Don’t You Eat Carrots? (LP – Faust) Polydor
 * 21 March 1972: It's A Bit Of Pain (single b-side - So Far) Polydor
 * 06 June 1972: It’s A Bit Of A Pain (single – So Far b-side) Polydor
 * 04 July 1972: No Harm (LP – So Far) Polydor
 * 18 July 1972: It’s A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl (LP – So Far) Polydor
 * 25 July 1972: So Far (LP – So Far) Polydor
 * 08 August 1972: Mamie Is Blue (LP - So Far) Polydor
 * 05 September 1972: I've Got My Car And My TV (LP - So Far) Polydor
 * 1973
 * 20 March 1973: From The Side Of Man And Womankind (LP – Outside the Dream Syndicate) Caroline
 * 27 March 1973: So Far (LP – So Far) Polydor


 * 03 April 1973: Mamie Is Blue (LP – So Far) Polydor
 * 31 May 1973: Finnish Autumn (LP – Faust Tapes) Virgin
 * 21 June 1973: unknown (LP: The Faust Tapes) Virgin
 * 1980
 * 10 April 1980: Extract 4 (7" 'Extracts from Faust Party 3') Recommended
 * 1985
 * 04 March 1985: So Far
 * 1992
 * 24 October 1992: Just A Second (Starts Like That!) / Picnic On A Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableux (CD - Faust IV) Virgin
 * 1995
 * 31 March 1995: 'It's a Bit Of A Pain (7 inch-So Far)' (Polydor)


 * 08 April 1995 (BFBS): 'It's A Bit Of Pain (7"-So Far)' (Polydor)
 * 1997
 * 26 January 1997: ‘Eroberung Der Stille, Teil I (LP – Rein)’ Table Of The Elements
 * 02 September 1997: Spot
 * 1999
 * 17 March 1999: Carousel II (LP - Ravvivando) Klangbad
 * 18 March 1999: Take Care/Spiel/Dr Hanzil (album - Ravvivando) Recommended
 * March 1999 (FSK): Four Plus Seven Means Eleven (CD - Ravvivando) Klangbad
 * 01 April 1999 (Radio Eins): Carousel II (album - Ravvivando) Recommended
 * 01 April 1999 (Radio Eins): Take Care/Spiel/Dr. Hansl (album - Ravvivando) Recommended
 * 06 April 1999: Apokalypse (LP: Ravvivando) Klangbad
 * 2002
 * 18 April 2002: DIG (Kreidler remix) (LP – Freispeil) Klangbad