Faust - Freispiel
All titles taken from the original Faust album “Ravvivando” released 1999
Tracklisting:
01. T-électronique remixed by Mathias Schaffhäuser
02. Wir Brauchen Dich #6 remixed by Gel: Dave Ball (soft cell) & Ingo Vauk
03. Meltdown of T-électronique & Apocalypse remixed by sofa surfers
04. D.I.G. remixed by Surgeon
05. Du Weißt Schon remixed by Funkstörung
06. D.I.G. remixed by Kreidler
07. Carousel 2 remixed by Adriano Lanzi & Omar Sodano
08. Carousel 2 remixed by Trillian
09. Four Plus Seven Means Eleven remixed by Howie B.
10. Carousel 2 remixed by Sunroof (Daniel Miller & Gareth Jones)
11. T-électronique remixed by The Residents
12. Four Plus Seven Means Eleven remixed by Dax & Pieper
13. Du Weißt Schon remixed by Dead Voices On Air
If any band is ripe for some re-mixing, it is Faust. The elements that combine to form their music have already been through a process involving a stripping down, transformation and reformation both in the studio and in 'live' performance. To offer these elements to those who are influenced by and in sympathy with Faust's working methods seems an ideal situation for both translation and homage.
These remixes of some of the 1999 cd Ravvivando do revitalise an already powerful album and each remixer offers an idiosyncratic take which, in most cases, enhances the original. For example, there are three versions of T-Electronique and all show an affinity with the original whilst delivering something fresh. Mathias Schaffhauser's remix opens the album with a sinuous bass groove stretching the rhythm and shifting the textures of the percussion. It lopes along with some dabs of keyboard to remind you of the original. But it is a relaxed and flexible version. Sofa Surfers fuse it with Apokalypse and again construct a tight groove but also layer in some of the harshness of the keyboard. The Residents have an entirely different approach to the track and take it to places which obviously the band approve of.
Another popular choice, Carousel II, doesn't offer any great shift of perspective on Irmler's original giddy organ construction. All three versions are fine but I wondered why they hadn't chosen, perhaps, Ein Neuer Tag to work on instead.
Paul Donnelly, Tangents 2002
written and produced by Hans Joachim Irmler
© Klangbad 2002
Published by Freibank