Faust - Gugaruz (Curated By Zappi W. Diermaier) Faust

Werner ‘Zappi’ Diermaier has spent decades channeling spontaneity into a unique rhythmic language; a direct, instinctive and vital beat born from the creative freedom which has long defined the spirit of Faust. This same intuitive approach is at the heart of his new LP ‘Gugaruz’, created in collaboration with Dirk Dresselhaus (Schneider TM) and Elke Drapatz, a record which grew organically from shared experiences, chance encounters and the energy of collective interaction. The project’s unlikely starting point came in a Vietnamese restaurant, when Diermaier pointed to a piece of pickled baby corn and exclaimed “Gugaruz”, an Austrian dialect word for maize. That small moment triggered a chain reaction of ideas that would eventually shape the album’s imagery, titles and sound world. Popcorn cooking in a kitchen both became the source material for field recordings used on the opening track and inspired the cover artwork, establishing a process in which everyday sounds and environments became integral musical elements.

Throughout the album, Diermaier’s percussion serves as both foundation and driving force. His playing is entirely intuitive, developed in real time through improvisation and close interaction with the other musicians. Initial sessions as a trio, with Elke Drapatz operating the drum effects and trigger module and Dirk Dresselhaus on bass, were recorded in the latter’s ZONE studio in Berlin over a day and a half, before Uwe Bastiansen and Ilpo Väisänen added overdubs in Hamburg and Kuopio, Finland. The music captures moments as they happened, preserving the initial impulse rather than refining it into predetermined forms.

The titular “Gugaruz” introduces the album’s approach, transforming field recordings and percussion into a shifting landscape of metallic textures, resonant tones and atmospheric electronics. Next comes the expansive “Big Field”, inspired in part by the vast agricultural landscapes surrounding Diermaier’s home in Brandenburg. Built on a foundation of timpani-sized toms and metronomic cymbal, this fifteen minute psychedelic journey rides a hypnotic bassline through synth scree, languid guitar and reversed vocals, roaring into a crescendo before the melodic elements collapse in on themselves for the finale.

Elsewhere, “Saurer Regen” sees funky breaks and jazzy syncopation buried under an avalanche of guitar distortion and feedback, while “Space Agent” combines primal rhythmic drive with psychedelic and exploratory elements. The second half of the album moves into more spacious territory: “Yesterday’s Gift” and “Seeding” explore atmosphere and texture without abandoning the rhythmic sensibility that underpins the entire work.

Closing piece “Schleuse” returns to the album’s fascination with physical environments and found sound. Built from recordings made on the metal railings of a watergate near Diermaier’s home and expanded through additional harbour recordings, the track transforms elements of landscape and infrastructure into music.

‘Gugaruz’ stays true to the Faustian ideals, rejecting fixed structure in favour of a nonhierarchical musical collaboration built on listening and shared exploration. Shaped by the dialogue between Diermaier’s intuitive rhythmic approach, the interplay between Dresselhaus, Drapatz, Bastiansen and Väisänen and the use of the studio as an instrument, the album captures inspiration at its source, preserving the immediacy, energy and unpredictability of the moment in which it was created.