Faust (band)

Faust
Faust at Wümme, 1971; back from left: Zappi, Péron, Sosna, Wüsthoff, Irmler, Meifert; front from left: Nettelbeck (producer), Graupner (engineer)
Background information
Origin	Wümme, Germany
Genres	Experimental rock, krautrock
Years active	1971–75; 1990–present
Labels	Art-errorist, Klangbad, Recommended, Virgin, Polydor
Associated acts	Slapp Happy, Ulan Bator
Website	The Faust Pages
Members	Werner "Zappi" Diermaier Jean-Hervé Péron
Past members	Hans Joachim Irmler Rudolf Sosna Gunther Wüsthoff Arnulf Meifert

Faust (English: "fist") are a German krautrock band. Formed in 1971 in Wümme, 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 formed in 1971 in the rural setting of Wümme. They secured a recording contract with Polydor and soon began recording their debut, Faust, which sold poorly but received critical acclaim for its innovative approach and established a devoted fanbase. After Meifert was sacked, the band recorded its second, slightly more accessible album So Far. Faust became one of the premier bands in the international appreciation of the genre that would eventually be known as krautrock.

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.

After collaborating with Tony Conrad on the album Outside the Dream Syndicate, Faust recorded Faust IV at Virgin's studios in England. The band broke up in 1975 after Virgin rejected its fifth album (some of the recordings later appeared on the Munich and Elsewhere album), but reissues of their recordings and various additional material through Chris Cutler's Recommended Records maintained a level of interest.