March 21, 1999

Ravvivanda

[a]Kreidler[/a] and [a]To Rococo Rot[/a], the new wave of German electronica, may be toasting the Krautrock legacy with sparse, austere readings of the genre, but it's good to know that there's still

7 / 10 Kreidler and To Rococo Rot, the new wave of German electronica, may be toasting the Krautrock legacy with sparse, austere readings of the genre, but it's good to know that there's still an old guard that aren't afraid to get their fingers dirty. With 'Ravvivanda', veterans Faust are wading through atonal layer after atonal layer, powered by the same perverse vision that found them together, improvising in an air-raid shelter under Hamburg nearly 30 years ago.

coverimg/FaustRavvc.jpg The formula is devilishly simple and maddeningly opaque; a harsh drumbeat stutters into motion and sinks low in the mix, crushed by a groan of distorted bass and the squeal of a... well, what the fuck is that, precisely? It could be an instrument, but those familiar with Faust's industrial stylings know that it's just as likely to be a powerdrill. Rhymeless and reasonless, 'Ravvivanda''s linear groove would become queasily circular, if it weren't for the playful Germanic nursery-rhymes of 'Dr' Hansl' that allow Faust their odd moment of self-mockery.

Closing with 'T-Electronique', though, 'Ravvivanda' proves that it's more than a historical document. A primeval glacial pulse, it snatches the experimental baton back from the hands of Tortoise with assured ease. Good to see that the teachers have still got a few unexpected tricks up their sleeves.

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