FAUST

Whilst C'est com... com... compliqué was more of a back to basics for Faust, Something Dirty pushed things into a much heavier direction, implementing noise rock, psychedelia, and an almost Legendary Pink Dots sort of feeling resonating throughout each track, creating a very mystical, and, as the title suggests, dirty atmosphere that feels as though I am walking through a sandstorm with nothing but goggles upon me to protect my eyes.

This is also probably the first Faust record since Faust Wakes Nosferatu to have most of the tracks listed here to be consistently good in my opinion. The actual songs here feel both fractured, yet still consistently delivering, with nothing in the way to make things too egregious. I especially like the track of Lost the Signal. It is a nearly 9 minute piece of sound that has this super cool and foreboding atmosphere, one that reminds me of some of the songs off of Swans' Soundtracks for the Blind, but as the song progresses it turns more into a track that you'd see Faust make in their heyday, with dissonant guitars, lots of flavorful textures, and just some personal love for the entire album that makes this song a pretty masterful experience, especially in regards to the album as a whole.

Sure some tracks, particularly two of Thoughts Of The Dead and Save The Last One, aren't good, but they aren't all that bad comparatively to other lacking tracks the band has made. In fact, they are probably the best of the best in terms of bad Faust tracks. Thoughts of the Dead is pretty creepy, with speeches that give me ideas of some of David Tibet's more atmospheric workings, and while Save the Last One is very short, it is a fine little acoustic jingle to warm up for the last track. Still wouldn't say these tracks are all that stellar, but still they are pretty interesting to me.

Speaking of speeches, this certainly has some of the best vocals ever since Faust IV. Faust have never really been a band that likes to sing, but they did manage to get some good vocal numbers here and there with the help of British painter Geraldine Swayne, who's voice works quite well with the dissonant sounds that the band provides in my opinion, creating an extra unique layer that makes Something Dirty all the more special.

While it may not be as recognized as THE Faust album like Faust IV or The Faust Tapes, nor is it my personal all time favorite like Faust Wakes Nosferatu, Something Dirty still captures a joy that does get pretty close to being the best of the best. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I certainly don't mind its noisy, dissonant rock elements at all, and see it as the next best step from both C'est com... com... compliqué, and Faust Is Last. Definitely listen to it if you have time.

Best tracks: Something Dirty, Lost the Signal, Dampfauslass 1, La sole dorée

Worst tracks: Thoughts of the Dead, Save the Last One

This is easily the longest Faust record yet, containing an hour and a half worth of music, with 22 tracks to boot. The album is split into two CDs, Faust A and Faust Z, both being kind of their own albums in their own right.

Faust A is a lot more related to their krautrock jams within their industrial era, and probably some of the best tracks the album has to offer. I think there is quite a bit to enjoy on this first CD, having tracks that range from the more quiet and smooth laden Rien, to the intense meltdown that was Ravvivando. This dynamic makes every track feel quite unique from each other, which I enjoy quite a lot. My favorite tracks off this CD are probably Nachtfahrt, as it contains an intensity that feels quite similar in vein to the rock in opposition sound of the 70s, I Don't Buy Your Shit No More since it has a very classic psych rock sound that I think is fun, and Day Out, since it reminds me of Jennifer, but for piano instead of guitar.

While I may think Faust A is the better CD, I still do think it is a little bit too long. Some moments like Brumm Und Blech and Cluster Fur Cluster just do not need to be there, and with every track kind of having this weird echo effect makes things feel a little too spaced out for me.

Faust Z is a lot more industrial than Faust A, though it is a lot more in the same vein as the kind of industrial music Throbbing Gristle and Coil has made. While it is considerably shorter than Faust A, Faust Z does prove itself to pack a punch, having this creepy atmosphere that persists through layers of drone and noise, only dabbling in a few moments of krautrockiness here and there. It almost has an aura to that of what David Sylvian would try after the 90s, particularly on Blemish and Died In The Wool. As a fan of some drone, I think Faust Z showcases some pretty amazing stuff, especially on tracks like Ozean and Ghostrain, both I think are probably Faust's most haunting songs ever.

Even then, it has one thing keeping it from being the best, and that being the last two tracks of Vorubergehen and Primitivelona. They are pretty rough, being these long winded sound collages that offer quite a lot of atmosphere and ambience, though a bit too late on the record, and maybe a bit too long to. I do wish I could like what they did on these tracks, but they don't really catch my attention, and feel inferior to all the tracks that came before, aside from some tracks on Faust A.

I also noticed on Faust A that some tracks are meant to go into one another in like a suite fashion, though before they could they stop at the last second before moving to the next song. I do not know how it is on other versions that aren't from streaming services, but it kind of makes Faust A feel glitchy, and not in a good way mind you. Kind of hope Faust Is Last gets some remix in the future, so these problems in the production on the first CD don't persist.

I think Faust Is Last is pretty underrated, though I can see why some may not fully enjoy it. I personally do like it quite a bit, but the more I hear it, the more the faults kind of become apparent. Still, I think it can be worth your time, just make sure to be ready for a pretty long record.

Best tracks: Nachtfahrt, I Don't Buy Your Shit No More, Day Out, Ozean, GhosTrain

Worst tracks: Brumm Und Blech, Cluster Fur Cluster, Vorubergehen, Primitivelona

Their 2009 release of C'est com...com...compliqué is, in my opinion, one of their best releases since Faust Wakes Nosferatu. While they have released a lot of pretty great records since then, they never quite reached to that same top that Nosferatu gave, and while this still doesn't quite give me that same particular high, it does get pretty close.

For starters, I really enjoy the more classic krautrock style on here. While Faust is known for moving forward, I think the more neutral stylings here suit it quite well, a possible revitalization, to show a younger generation a good step into the world that Faust had built within their 30+ year existence. You get some of the longer jams such as Kundalini Tremolos and the title track, as well as some of the band's more groovy (and personal favorite) tracks like Accroché à tes lèvres and En veux-tu des effets, en voilà. This album has a good mix of great songs that show off what Faust can truly do, even without the more standard of them trying a lot of new things.

Still, even though they are moving backwards in direction, they still continue on, as this album has a neat, more post-rock adjacent mood. I wouldn't say it is of the same vein as Mogwai or This Will Destroy You when it comes to post rock music, but I can certainly hear fascinations of Tortoise and Slint here and there, which Faust incorporates quite amazingly on here, giving the whole experience a bit more of a modern feeling.

Also this record includes some beats and moments that were originally recorded for Disconnected, like Lass Mich. To be honest, the album is much better without the introduction of Nurse With Wound. It feels a lot more fulfilling to be honest, and while I may prefer the longer version of Lass Mich off of Disconnected, this original version of the song does create a nice, comfy atmosphere that I feel was needed after a couple great jams.

The only real downside of this album is Stimmen, the fourth track. It kind of wouldn't be a Faust album without a track that is pretty bad, and while it doesn't at all ruin this amazing record, it does grind my gears a bit with how annoying it is. Do yourself a favor and skip this song, as the album is honestly much healthier without it.

The moving away from industrial music, while sad, was a healthy step in the right direction for our German friends, and quite frankly C'est com...com...compliqué proves it tenfold by still introducing a fun, more modern incarnation of the krautrock sound that blends the classical sides of Faust IV and The Faust Tapes, with new generational twists and turns. Highly recommend checking this one out. Hell I'd say listen to it for the cover alone. I like the kitties :3

Best tracks: Accroché à tes lèvres, En veux-tu des effets, en voilà, C'est com...com...compliqué

Worst tracks: Stimmen

This time they collabed with Nurse With Wound (or NWW). Nurse With Wound is a group I haven't heard much of, admittedly only one record being A Sucked Orange, and also this as well. Formed in 1978, they have developed the industrial and noise scenes ever since, being next to greats like the disturbing oldies of Throbbing Gristle, the foreboding Einstürzende Neubauten, the chaotic Foetus, and the oddly sensual Coil. They even helped out on releases for my all time favorite neofolk group of Current 93. They have quite the repertoire of releases, about 91 in total according to RYM, so they clearly are the ideal group if you want help with any bizarro noise works, which Faust seemed to desire within the year of 2007.

This would be their last record in their more industrial time period as they would go for a more straight edged krautrock sound on their next, but this is certainly a good one to cap off an intriguing and noisy era from this wonderful band. We get 4 songs, each over 10 minutes in length. Each song on here has quite a lot of lovely textures and noises to go around, a speciality with NWW. I think this record has probably some of the best it has to offer when it comes to the sound production, as I can really feel each weird drone that the songs occupy. From the disoriented pulses of the title track, to the bassy grinds of It Will Take Time, I can really feel the music on here, and I really dig that. There are some records that I love that have elements such as this, namely those within post rock, so to hear a more quiet, droning album that has this much weight and girth really brings me some delight.

I do also wanna point out my love for the drum work here, namely on Lass Mich and Tu M'Entends, both having these sharp and grooving drum lines, with Tu M'Entends building up to the anxiety and horrific tension that the track has within most of its near 15 minute run. Werner Diermeier certainly proved to be quite the master drummer, no matter the context. Makes sense since he has been with the band since their debut, so he had a lot of time perfecting his craft.

Despite all this, though, this album suffers the same problem as Derbe Respect, Alder...but in the reverse now. This time it feels like Faust is in the back, with Nurse With Wound being on center stage. In fact, I'd say the band themselves get less time to shine than dälek, weirdly enough. Sure they show up from time to time, especially Werner, but after their time in a shared spotlight with Lass Mich, they give NWW a chokehold on the songs after the fact, creating less of a balance than what their previous album even did, and it is basically worse for it in my opinion. I mentioned this before, but the best collaboration is within a shared spotlight, not with one artist in the sun while the other is in their shadow. This does not feel like Faust WITH Nurse With Wound, or Nurse With Wound WITH Faust. This feels more like Nurse With Wound having Faust in their back pocket if they need them. Because of this, really only Lass Mich I can say is the best track on here since it does have both of these talented groups share the center stage. Afterwards though, you might as well count it more as a Nurse With Wound album.

This record is good, but certainly not great, and it was probably a message to Faust that they aren't quite shaped up for the world of collaborations. They would still work on occasion with some notable artists later down the line, such as with Keiji Haino on 2022's 这条路是正确的 This Is the Right Path, but the artists are more for features than collabs. This is certainly an interesting album, especially for the end of Faust's industrial zone, so I'd say it is a good listen if you can manage to find it, but I cannot quite rank it on the same tier as Ravvivando or The Last LP.

Best track: Lass Mich

Worst tracks: Disconnected, Tu M'Entends, It Will Take Time

You can only do so much of these albums before you kind of run out of juice, that's why this is probably one of the only Momentaufnahme records that I consider to be 'mid'. Not bad like the first one, but this certainly doesn't end this little saga of albums with a bang.

A lot of the songs here are pretty alright. I wouldn't say any of them are too bad, aside from Schwindebek III and Beglückte Schlagbohrmaschine, but also there is nothing I'd call stellar. I think 25 Yellow Doors and Das Meer might be a bit better than most of the tracks here, mainly because they are a bit interesting compared to the rest of the record. We Are The Hollow Men is also neat, almost having this proto-hip hop beat and rhythm, which I think is pretty funny since years later they would actually make a rap album. There are certainly no boring songs on here, but I do not think I quite like them as much as other songs that Faust has made.

Apologies for the more negative review, it's just I think the band is running the well dry here, and I kind of want to see more actual new recordings from them, rather than stuff that was put on shelves 50 years ago. At least this year they did release a live version of Border River off of ,,Daumenbruch'', which is pretty neat.

Best tracks: 25 Yellow Doors, Das Meer, We Are The Hollow Men

Worst tracks: Schwindebek III, Beglückte Schlagbohrmaschine

Compared to the second Momentaufnahme, this quite the improved collection of archived songs from the 70s. It's a lot longer than the prior releases, being nearly 50 minutes, as opposed to the 30 minutes that was shown before. It makes the album have a bit more meat on its bones than before, which I quite like, especially since a lot of the tracks here are quite great.

These are tracks from 71 Minutes, and some BBC sessions that the band recorded, so this isn't gonna be the most original release, especially for die hard Faust enthusiasts, but what is here works, and listening to some of these more rarer tracks in some nice quality is quite appreciated. I especially like Psalter and Baby, both quite groovy tracks, with Baby in particular reminding me a bit of the noisy, proto-punk sound of The Stooges. Guess Faust was punk before it was cool.

I also quite like the BBC sessions. They are pretty high quality, and feature three pretty good songs. However, I noticed Krautrock is a bit muddy in the drones, where you can barely hear the drums and guitars. Not a big problem, since Faust was known for doing stuff like that, and the original did something similar, so it's not the end of the world. Probably just noticed it now on that particular version.

There is still the issue of some tracks just not being good, at all, but it certainly has been toned down as opposed to I and II. There are only 3 tracks that I don't like, but that is only out of 9 other songs that I do enjoy, and they are very short so I don't really even pay attention to them. Still an issue, but certainly better than before.

A lot more quality is on here, so this is one of the better of these series of Momentaufnahme releases, at least to me. There are some great krautrock on here, and while it may not reach the heights of Faust IV or Ravvivando, I don't see the harm in seeing this as a great archival from a 50 year old band.

Best tracks: Psalter, Baby, Geister, die wir riefen (BBC Session), Stretch Out Time (BBC Session)

Worst tracks: Schwindebeck I, Schwindebeck II, Zwölf Meter unter der Oberfläche

dälek is most known for their 2002 album From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots, and if you've heard that album, like I have, you can certainly see a clear inspiration from the more unconventional side of krautrock that Faust rules with an iron fist, particular from the tracks of Spiritual Healing and Forever Close My Eyes. It also should be mentioned that Faust was very high on their industrial inspired train, and with dälek being very much a group situated in the industrial zone, it was basically a match made in heaven for both groups.

In some respects I kind of prefer this over Ravvivando, mainly because I feel it does the more long, track splitted suite better than what their previous 1999 effort did. The tracks flow better between one and another, and the effort of making this not a full on jam works wonders in its direction, especially in regards to the rapping that dälek contributes. Obviously I certainly love the jams that Faust can deliver, but having them take a back seat for more rhythmic ideals that krautrock is known for creates quite the interesting aura on the whole project.

I also find the blending of hip hop works very well with krautrock, to some extent. Krautrock has always been more of a beat heavy genre (I mean listen to Yoo Doo Right by Can), so combining rap with the genre is a pretty logical step to take for Faust, and I think they have no better output in that department than choosing dälek to be their head honcho in the hip hop ideals. Will Brooks' style of odd lyricism that blends the lines of consciousness, mystery, and humanity is quite the best puzzle piece when it comes to the musical direction that Faust was going towards in their works. It also works well due to Oktopus' production work, making each drum beat, each sample, and each element of Will's voice have a lot of weight within a stream of noise and grit. It's a sound that I very much enjoy, and a part of me wishes to hear more collabs with Faust and a variety of other experimental hip hop groups. I know for a fact that Faust and Death Grips would be an amazing combo, especially Zach Hill's drums, but I digress.

Though, there are two things that keeps this album back a bit, and firstly is that I feel like this more of a Faust album first, and a dälek album second. To me, it sounds less like a clear collaboration with both parties in the studio, and more as though dälek are merely rapping over select Faust instrumentals that they were also tasked to mix and produce. I love collaboration works when both parties can truly go hand and hand. For example, last year's collab project between JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown, Scaring the Hoes, showcases a very wonderful collaborative effort from both parties, with Peggy's rapping and production skills merging very well with the ideals that Danny Brown produces on his own records, creating a still extremely good effort, even after a year later. But here with Derbe Respect, Alder I find both parties, while certainly merging well, do not feel as if they are in brotherly arms as much as I wish they could've been, and so the effort ends up feeling one sided.

There are also just some odd decisions when it comes to tracks. I don't really get why Remnants or Erratic Thoughts are on here as they just feel like placeholders for much bigger tracks, and the whole rapping that Will does being quite muddied in most of the tracks doesn't quite help in my assumption of this being more of a Faust album then a full on combo. As much as this album shows the full potential that krautrock and hip hop can apply to both, some aspects of this feel quite missed, and I honestly believe that if the two groups strived to make this the best collaboration record in their respective discographies, than I wouldn't mind having this be a near, if not full on masterpiece, but as it stands I don't quite see it being upon the same threshold as other albums.

A great, but certainly imbalanced release from both Faust and dälek, but it is a very nice effort if you wanna see a genre fusion such as this. If you wanna hear a mix of industrial, krautrock, and hip hop, then I'd say this record is the best you're gonna get.

Best tracks: Hungry for Now, Bullets Need Violence, T-electronique

Worst tracks: Remnants, Erratic Thoughts

This record would show a stylistic direction that the group would go through into the 21st century. Their 90s output had been a lot more industrial, most likely due to the golden age industrial music seemed to garner within the late 80s through 90s, though they felt more like experimentations that had a slight industrial backing. Here, though with Ravvivando, we get a full deep dive into the more industrial Faust sound that was slightly explored within Rien and You Know FaUSt. Imagine, if you will, if Na Sowas was an entire album.

This album is a nearly hour long jam of industrialized proportions, with each song going into each other in what I think to be rather seamless fashions, sort of making this a bit of Faust's late answer to The Dark Side Of The Moon, being this one massive epic of psychedelia, noise, and raw catharsis.

I feel like where You Know FaUSt suffered with the noise, Ravvivando truly enjoys it, creating this lo-fi soundscape of drones and climatic industrialization. While it is certainly loud, I never find myself fully out of sync with the music, as the tracks just have this edge that makes this entire workout feel a lot more right within its noisiness. The production work also helps I think, having this lo-fi aura around it that makes the noise rock of this record feel a lot more sublime, and certainly innovative as I could see some parallels from this to something of the caliber of more modern day slacker rock groups like Car Seat Headrest and The Microphones. Probably not to the same degree as those groups, but the parallels a lot of Faust records seem to have in modern experimental music is quite staggering.

The atmosphere of this album is also exciting too. A lot of Faust albums have this aura of mystery and intrigue to them, keeping you second guessing what the band might do next (aside from You Know FaUSt). Ravvivando, I feel like, flips this mysterious feeling on its head, having the mystery be less on what this crazy band might do from track to track, but rather what they'll do within the storm, and I find it to be really awesome as it allows the group to experiment in a more real time effort, much more than with prior albums, even in respects to my all time favorite of Faust Wakes Nosferatu.

However, there is one thing I think draws this album back and that is I find the more suite-like nature of this album to not be for the best. I certainly enjoy it when a band or group decides to make a full work that is one long song, but I find Faust to not really handle that idea properly to the same degree. I find when Faust does make a jam that is rather long, they're best marks are usually within the 20 minute marks, so having an album that is essentially one massive jam is exciting, but certainly after a while does start to feel tiring a bit.

I also think there is some fat on this album that might need to be trimmed. Carousel is honestly quite unnecessary, and the combo of Spiel and Dr' Hansl just doesn't quite work for me. They feel more like unnecessary gimmicks for this record, rather than playing within the overall experience.

However, the tail end of Livin' Tokyo and T-Electronique does make up for this record's shortcomings, as those are some of the better industrial Faust songs they have released within the 90s due to their rather mystical aura.

Overall, Ravvivando is one of the best Faust releases they made from their comeback in the 90s, and certainly one of the best since Faust IV and The Last LP. It is a bit on the bigger side, for better and for worse, but the experience is overall very positive. Certainly recommended for fans of more abrasive music, and for fans of the noise rock scene of the 20th century.

Best tracks: Wir brauchen dich #6, Livin' Tokyo, T-Électronique

Worst tracks: Carousel, Spiel, Dr' Hansl

While technically a live album, I consider Faust Wakes Nosferatu to be so original and obtuse from the Faust lineage that it deserves to be recognized as an official 8th helping of Faust's glorious music. There are two versions of this album, a CD and vinyl version. I will be talking about the CD release that is on most streaming platforms, and the one most people know about.

I know it is quite an unpopular opinion, but I just absolutely love Faust Wakes Nosferatu. It showcases Faust at not only their most vigorous moments recorded, but also a level of delicacy that I savor a ton, crafting this practical suite live, soundtracking a movie that was released 102 years ago. If anyone could do it, it's Faust (and I guess Art Zoyd too but we don't talk about that album).

There are a lot of reasons I love this album, mainly the dynamics shown here. The band really plays into their more droney paces here, having more quieter moments that are very ambient; subdued with something to hide, a mystery within the expansive musical landscape. However, the band also finds time to play these very avant-garde krautrock numbers that are loud, bombastic, and even scary. Both moments I adore, as they just show who Faust really are without sacrificing their experimental ideals in favor of what had already been done. Essentially speaking this is the biggest glow up for Faust, going away from the dry feeling of You Know FaUSt, to something such as Faust Wakes Nosferatu. While it certainly isn't for everyone, you gotta admit this is a breath of fresh air for Faust's music.

I also really dig the production here. In my You Know FaUSt review I mentioned that the album suffered from a very strong loudness. The loudness does show up here too, however it's a lot less overbearing, and it actually works this time in my opinion. The noise this album can bring is a bit sparse and glitchy, but perfectly sets the mood for the creepy rock music the band is playing. You can really feel the krautrock jams here, the more intricate post rock textures, and the droning atmosphere, more so than probably any other album in their discography. For that, I think it all works so very well.

I think the star tracks here are the two big epics of Aufbruch nach Rumänien and Verwirrung. Aufbruch nach Rumänien is a bit less avant-garde, admittedly, but it does a great job at exploring the moods that the band wants to go for here, comprising pieces of steller jamming with intricate drones that I very much love. It ends also very wonderfully, having this beautiful rock outro to cap the song off.

Verwirrung, though, is where the band see themselves going full throttle, putting together pieces of noise, rock, ambience, and even some small doses of silence that all work together to create 18 minutes of pure catharsis. This is where they get their most horror focused as well, even having a bit of a jumpscare near the middle of the track. It all blends into this wall of staticy noise at the end, with light twiddling of rock music faintly playing in the back. It is as beautiful as it is mysterious, and so I believe this to be Faust's best epic.

The only real issue I have with the album is that I know this will not be for everyone, heck maybe not for most Faust fans. If you look at any score this has on music sites like RYM or ProgArchives it is rated quite low. I certainly can acknowledge that this record may not be for everyone around the bends, but I implore you too please check this one out if you are willing to see where Faust at their most daring can take you. I hope someday more people will see this album for its bonafide brilliance, like how I can see it as such. This is the overlooked Faust masterpiece.

Best tracks: Aufbruch nach Rumänien, Verwirrung

Worst tracks: N/A

You Know FaUSt is in many similarities with its predecessor of Rien, being a mix of more industrial rock workings mixed with krautrock, however it plays a more Faust Tapes swing of things, as opposed to Rien's more debut feel. I say this as less of an optimistic point of light, as I find this album to be very dissatisfactory.

Starters, there are a lot of filler tracks that muddies up this album. Whilst Faust Tapes were forgivable in that regard as it was practically a compilation of demos and tracks Faust made, I find You Know FaUSt to be very much less forgiving in that department since now these short snippets of noise are here as a deliberate choice from the band, and not by some company. I have said this before, but I dislike the more musique concrète side of Faust, unless the musique concrète is utilized within a song without muddying it up too much, like what they did on the first LP. I personally prefer the actual krautrock stuff, the interesting jams, and the psychedelic affairs; the stuff that makes Faust such a strong krautrock band for me. Whilst you do certainly get such, you are more likely to encounter these short winded experiments before you get into the real meat and potatoes this album may hold.

Speaking of such, the meat and potatoes here are pretty weak. If you do not count the short experiments, you get 10 whole tracks to go through, and each of them are certainly good but a bit?by numbers, which is very odd for Faust. While they may be a bit newer in scope as they now have a more industrial, and sometimes more shoegaze type feel, they feel just like stuff they have been doing for a long time now, to where I feel like they are a bit washed up. For example, the big jam on here, Na Sowas, is a pretty good track, but it feels kind of like a carbon copy of Listen To The Fish rather than an actual original song. A loud krautrock jam that dips into droning ambience, but without really the style and grace that Listen To The Fish gave.

Additionally some of the faults of the tracks may be due to the mixing, as the mixes on these tracks are a bit too loud and noisy. The 90s marked the start of records in rock being a lot noisier, and not in a noise rock kind of way. This loudness war, as people dubbed it, only really peaked in the early 2000s with groups like Rush getting a bit of a short end of the stick in regards to the volume of the mixes. Faust here definitely got that short stick too, as each song feels like they should not be so noisy. I mean, listen to Teutentango for example, it is just very poorly mixed and so noisy that I can barely think. Each song here feels like they shouldn't be so loud, but they simply just are for no real reason other than loud?rocking albums were pretty hot at the time with nu metal and grunge being at an all time high. There is a remedy to this though, and it is Cendre, which is a pretty great track on here. You never quite hear an acoustic song on a Faust album, so having one, even here, is a nice change of pace. Plus I think it's a pretty song.

Honestly if this album was just a tad worse I might be willing to give it a 1.5 or lower, but even with noise complaints most of the actual songs are pretty good. The title certainly doesn't lie, I do know Faust with this record, and that is the problem. I do not want to know Faust when I listen to an album of theirs. I want to hear something new that they've been cooking up, and not repeats of stuff they know how to cook up. I don't want to know Faust, I want to experience Faust, and You Know FaUSt doesn't give me the true Faust experience I am looking for. Certainly, Faust must've felt the same way, as later records prove they themselves don't want to know Faust. I definitely advise skipping this one if you are interested in Faust's 90s catalog, as their other works that decade are a lot better.

Best tracks: Cendre, Liebeswehen 2, Hurricane

Worst tracks: Irons, Elektron 2, L'Oiseau