Faust – Faust IV

With "Faust IV", the Krautrock formation released their most accessible and at the same time most contradictory work in 1973. After two radically experimental albums and the surreal "Faust Tapes" sampler, the band ventured into the professional studio - and yet remained true to their anarchic spirit. Created in Virgin Records' "The Manor" studio, the album combines new recordings with fragments of earlier sessions.

The opener "Krautrock" parodies the genre with a hypnotic motorik groove and sonic sophistication. "The Sad Skinhead" surprises with reggae echoes and ironic lyrics, while "Jennifer" is considered an early dream pop model - beautiful and disturbing at the same time. The second half of the album shows Faust in free form: Electronic experiments, jazzy improvisations and Dadaist sound collages alternate.

The closing track "It's A Bit Of A Pain" combines acoustic melancholy with electronic disruption - a symbol of Faust's creative contradictions. "Faust IV" is a multi-layered document of a band that never allowed itself to be pinned down.