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Gordon Lamb
think of Faust as a group that tours in support
of an album, their latest release is Cest Com...
Com...Compliqu6, released by label Bureau B
in March of this year.
For the uninitiated, even if you've never
heard Faust, you've heard them. Their influ
ence, particularly with regard to heavily
rhythmic, continually rolling and tuneful
structures, loose and open arrangements and
many other innovations have been heard
through artists as diverse as Stereolab and
Athens' own Japancakes. For the classical and
20th-century composer fan, Faust represents a
continuum that includes Terry Riley, Karlheinz
Stockhausen and Tod Dockstader, among many
others. > ,
Unique, perhaps, to this group, who coin
cidentally coined the term "Krautrock" on its
1974 album Faust IV, is its clearly populist
agenda. At least inasmuch as Faust has an
agenda at alL That is, this is not concert hall
music. It's meaty and sweaty. Neither, how
ever, is it a music that should be absorbed
only by its record-collecting fan base.
McIntosh concurs by saying, "I agree. A lot
of people are record snobs, but if you were to
go to a warehouse space or the 40 Watt you'd
find it a lot more inviting than a concert hall.
But it should be inviting for those who are
used to a concert hall, too. In theory, it's a
rock music show but performed by artists, for
lack of a better term." So much physicality
can be lost in a more traditional, formal set
ting, too. "The hands-folded style of seeing
a concert, I don't know, I like seeing shows
in traditional settings like concert halls, but
it's a bummer that the audience is lost a lot
of the time because of the somewhat sterile
environment."
McIntosh has intentionally kept ticket
prices very low in an effort to really reach the
population with this performance. It seems
she shares in a practical sense what Faust
presents in a musical one.
"In the end," she says, "that's kind of the
goal, to bring the music to the people."
-
Thursday Night
ALL ABSOLUT MARTINIS
*4.00
T here are certain groups whose names
fall reverently, effortlessly and equally
from the lips of both classically trained
musicians and forward-thinking rock
and rollers. Among the best of those is Faust.
The 38-year-old group has, through the course
of its recorded history and legendary status,
never ceased to be truly avant-garde. That is,
the group's work literally advances the art.
Although Faust's reputation as a "noise band"
is generally the first one we'll hear of them,
it's actually quite inaccurate. Although never
following standard pop structure, the group's
work is never grating or irritating. It remains
highly melodic, albeit in a sense that some
won't immediately recognize or appreciate.
The key behind Faust's visit to Athens
is local musician and AUX arts organization
founder Heather McIntosh. Her relationship
with Faust's music is a deep emotional bond,
and this event is the culmination of several
years of, for lack of a better term, wishful
thinking.
"I was thinking about doing stuff for AUX
for the festival, and I always have my wish list
of folks. I was concentrating on getting Tony
Conrad for the spring, and I had a friend who
knew his booking agent so I had that initial
contact," she says. 'Then, I found out that
Zach Gresham (Summer Hymns) was recording
with Faust's soundman. He told me Faust was
touring, so I got in touch with Faust's booking
agent, and it was the same person who books
Tony Conrad!" This visit is coming even sooner
than McIntosh had hoped. "Faust was always
on my big 'wish list' of bands, and I wanted
them for the fourth AUX Festival, but once I
found out this tour was happening I started
trying to get them here now."
In addition to the group's performance
at the 40 Watt, Faust will conduct a special
workshop in the lab of arthouse theater Cin6
the following day. Conceived as a sort of
casual master's class, the workshop is open to
approximately 30 musicians who want to play
with Faust. Ideally, McIntosh says, those cho
sen to participate will posses several different
levels of skill Td love it if someone only
knows how to play a kazoo but gets involved
because they love Faust," she explains. "It will
be selective, but there's more than just musi
cianship taken into consideration."
The lineup of Faust that will be in Athens
includes founding members Jean-Herv6 PSron
and Werner "Zappi" Diermaier joined by James
Johnston (Gallon Drunk, Lydia Lunch, Nick
Cave 8i the Bad Seeds) and visual/video artist
Geraldine Swayne. The group has only twice
before visited the U.S., briefly in 1994 and
1999. Although it's not really conscionable to
V 5M
Y;-V
WHO: Faust Circulatory System
WHERE: 40 Watt Club
WHEN: Saturday, Oct 10,9 p.m.
HOW MUCH: $10
OCTOBER 7,2009 • FLAGPOLE.COM 17