music: interview: Faust's Hans-Joachim Irmler
Hans-Joachim Irmler is one of the founding members of the semi-legendary Krautrock band Faust. And if you don't know what 'krautrock' means, neither did we - it's a term that was coined by an English journalist back in the time when Faust and their like were having their main success not in their homeland Germany, but in the UK. It was used to describe experimental bands with some art pretences (and a genuine claim as well) and maybe a faint odour of patchouli. All this had its height in the late 1960's and 70's.
And here we have a chat with Hans-Joachim. We had mixed results in trying to find out what they were about but maybe such things should rightfully remain a bit of an enigma.
These days, in addition to playing, Hans-Joachim runs his own record label as well as a much-loved summer festival, both named Klangbad (which could be translated into English as "sound bath"). www.klangbad.de
Maybe first we can spend a little time in the old days: Reading about early Faust gives the impression that being Faust was actually a lot of fun even though there seems a certain weightiness to being a follower of Stockhausen or a repudiator of American pop influences. Was that the case?
It was not so difficult to opt between these genres. The challenge was more about finding a passable way- one that seemed acceptable in everyday life and still matched our visions.
The early days of Faust corresponded with the social upheaval of the early 1970's including, in Germany, the Baader-Meinhof people. Was Faust political in any specific way?
Now and then. Can anyone be apolitical? Everyone is political and has to be taken seriously, even if he or she refuses to engage. Rather, it seems to me that people who are not able to comment on politics- or do not want to- are belied as nonexistent. And this, I think, is a kind of political abuse as well.
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The name Faust (for readers: Fist in English) actually suggests an active or even aggressive stance concerning something - Hand, for example, suggests something quite different. Where did the name Faust come from?
On the one hand it is an expression of combat. On the other hand it is a notion of mental effort, intellectual activity. It (the fist) appeared to be utterly appropriate for our purposes/intentions.
In an interview with Blow Upferrtig in 2004, you're quoted as saying that if people had listened more to the music and less to the lyrics of that time, then maybe the hopes people had for a different sort of society might have been realised. By this did you mean that the spirit of the thing was there in the textures and changes and could be realised at a level apart from the sensual?
Attention should more often be paid to the action rather than to words. All demagogues deluded the people with their words rather than with their deeds.
For some time now you've operated your label Klangbad and also are running a popular summer festival of the same name. Did the vision of Faust extend to the label in any way or is it more a personal vision of yours?
Am I a schizo? (Ed. there are other possibilities)
Perhaps you'd like to tell us what the vision is.
x
What are your latest releases?
I have been working on a Faust release, Taste Tribes. It is a co- operation with Alfred Harth and Guenter Mueller, The Nightingales, the Petty Thefts et al. I am really proud of the outcome of this liaison with the most diverse artists.
The Klangbad Festival for last summer had quite a line up of "Progressive" acts - people like Mouse on Mars, Pram, Moebius, not to mention Faust South, and yourself playing solo. Are you able to say anything yet about who will be there next summer?
Next summer, a fine selection of German, American and English bands can once more be seen and experienced
When you're playing solo, what things do you emphasize that don't necessarily fit in with Faust or is it about something different than difference!?
I scarcely play solo- except when I am playing for myself or for friends. I am rather into coming to grips with other individuals. This inspires, stirs and encourages me.
And lastly, a common caricature of band members is that the keyboard player will be the one with musical training who is likely to lecture the other members (or anyone else!) about scales, modes, and the like. This doesn't sound like a Faust thing at all, but is there any small truth there?!
Not really. Actually, I go for people contributing their distinctive worlds to a project. That's the faustian way.
Thanks a lot.
also big thanks to Wanda Kaufmann for translation, Jacob Schneikart for organisation, and Henning Kuepper for introductions.
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