BLICKWINKEL (CURATED BY ZAPPI DIERMAIER)

I honestly didn't expect them to make a new album this year. I thought after the series of archival releases after ,,Daumenbruch'', I figured that Faust was done for good. A band going for 50 years usually indicates that someday, they'll disband, and they'll be considered a legacy. However, Faust plays on unexpectations, and so it now seems like they're gonna still continue making new music, even if they're half a decade old at this point. It's exciting, and after listening to their newest effort of Blickwinkel, I can definitely say that Faust shows no sign of stopping their streak of great new music!

Much like its predecessor, Blickwinkel is very focused on a more post-rock adjacent sound to the krautrock. However, what I think really shines for this album, in retrospect, is that it uses that more post-rockish sound found on ,,Daumenbruch'', and merges it with that classic early 70s Faust sound. Each track has moments that remind me heavily of stuff off of So Far, or even their debut! Not only is this merging just a really fun time to experience, but it genuinely sounds good. My favorite track of Künstliche Intelligenz shows this extremely well, starting off as this super noisy, almost alien sounding track with minor jazz inflections, until after the half-way point where it becomes a more stylized track that feels like a more proper Faust song. Even after the half-way point, though, the song still continues some of the insanity that the first half showcased, and I think it is all incredibly well put together.

I also really like the jamming Faust showcases here. They have a level of playing etiquette that I very much enjoy, going through long sessions of strums and drumming to great a mix of intriguingly cryptic moods, as well as heavy atmospheres that really prove their worth for me. Kratie in particular is great at this, being the biggest track on here of course. At 13 minutes, Faust proves that they're still one of the best at making intricate and fun krautrock jams, 50 years after they proved it for the first time on Faust IV.

Though perhaps this album could be a bit better if it didn't also sound like a bit of a rehash from ,,Daumenbruch'' on certain points. Now, do not get me wrong, I love ,,Daumenbruch'', I think it is one of the best albums of the entire Faust discography, but at times Blickwinkel feels like they were just making another ,,Daumenbruch''. Now, I say 'at times' because I say the more ,,Daumenbruch'' focused elements are quite few, but even though they're small they're very noticeable. The first track of For Schlaghammer shows this kinda thing off the worst in my opinion. Still a good track but man it is definitely not a strong opener to showcase what kind of an album Blickwinkel is.

Despite that, though, Blickwinkel proves to be a smash hit to my ears! While a lot of the releases so far in the 2020s for Faust have been hit or miss, they still prove that they're a band to be a fan for with releases such as this. I hope one day they'll make a new studio effort that can rival, if not surpass their masterpiece. At this rate, and with what Blickwinkel shows, that prospect may be right around the corner soon.

Best tracks: Künstliche Intelligenz, Kratie

Worst track: For Schlaghammer