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Rating: The Faun are five Teutonic knights capable of bringing to light one of the most obscure and fascinating musical traditions of their homeland, namely a typically pagan/medieval folk that is often translated into modern terms through evident darkwave influences. The quintet left us last year with "Totem," which vividly and accurately paints the portrait of this band at its peak of artistic maturity.
So, expect what evolution must inevitably bring forth from an artist's talent (in this case, artists): the search for new and curious sounds, the ability to blend them with their past, and the skill to revive what rigid tradition imposes without becoming fossilized in it.
Nevertheless, opening the show will be a track ("Rad") clean and immaculate, led by mysterious verses that invoke the raw pallor of mysterious times now lost, but that now come to life with the magic of dark guitar arpeggios and nimble melodic flourishes of a flute. A peculiarity that immediately stands out is the subtly tribal/danceable rhythm, to which it is not at all easy to resist.
The result of restrained but intense experimentation are "2 Falken" and "Zeit Nach Dem Sturm," much more "avant-garde" tracks given the considerable use of dreamy and veiled electronic sounds; the first track is simpler, more immediate, and catchy thanks to its blossoming and fairy-tale chorus where the singer (honestly, I can't remember if it's Sandra or Fiona) showcases her angelic voice while remaining modest and never intrusive.
"Zeit Nach Dem Sturm," on the other hand, prefers to involve the listener more emotionally with whirlwinds of epic and gentle nostalgia: alongside the synths are typical string instruments and a formidable duet by Oliver Sa Tyr and the singer; amid cascades of emotions and explosions of chills down the spine, the Faun demonstrate how important and effective it is to expand one's musical (and, who knows, even spiritual) horizons.
Decidedly "raw" and suitable to the tradition of medieval folk are "Sieben," almost a nursery rhyme thanks to its cadenced and disarming phrasings, the more medieval "Tinta," in which the singer and instruments blend perfectly into a rushing, gentle, and light dance with a fruity and lively flavor, and finally the splendid and lush "KaRuna", practically irresistible with a flute and bagpipes that delight the ears and melt the marble on resinous notes narrating ancient memories of legends scattered between the sands of history and the winds of time.
"Totem" is an unforgettable book of tales and myths that come to life in the music of the Faun, the quintessential bards of Germany who deserve endless applause and praise for having sculpted and planed a monument of the genre. Now, all I can do is invite you to listen and, if you don't mind, return blissfully to dreaming among the pages of this beautiful book.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 2 Falken (04:59)
Ich grub meiner liebe ein grünes Grab
ich senkte sie die farne hinab
zwei falken flogen drober her
der eine der traf den anderen geschwind
und rote tropfen fielen
und rote tropfen fielen
bis der schleier fällt
bis die stille bricht
bleib bei mir
bitte weck mich nicht
bis der winter geht
bis der tag anbricht
bleib bei mir
bitte weck mich nicht
ich traf meiner liebe die kommende nacht
im wald unter tieren war sie aufgewacht
2 falken führten uns beide im schlaf
und zogen uns weiter hinab
bis der schleier fällt
bis die stille bricht
bleib bei mir
bitte weck mich nicht
bis der winter geht
bis der tag anbricht
bleib bei mir
bitte weck mich nicht
bleib bei mir
bitte weck mich nicht
wir liegen zusammen am ende der nacht
die geister die wir riefen waren wir
wir stehen am abgrund und blicken hinab
die tiefe hält uns nicht mehr
bis der schleier fällt
bis der winter geht
bis die stille bricht
bleib bei mir
bis der schleier fällt
bis der winter geht
bis die stille bricht
bleib bei mir
bis der schleier fällt
bis der winter geht
bis die stille bricht
bleib bei mir
bitte weck mich nicht
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