First available as part of the box set
1971-1974,
Momentaufnahme II gathers non-album material recorded by German art rock legends
Faust during their original run. Mixing raw fragments with studio experiments and freewheeling jams, both
Momentaufnahme volumes are closer in spirit to the logic-defying collage of
The Faust Tapes than the band's other albums from the time period, offering a peek behind the curtain at the group's creative process while functioning as stand-alone artistic statements. "Gegensprechanlage" laces a broken jazz-rock groove with brittle, fizzling electronics that eventually take over the track, though the rhythm faintly bleeds through in the background. "Tete-a-Tete im Schredder" starts out as heavy and abrasive psych-rock, then shifts reality with proto-dub studio trickery. The guitars melt away, leaving only the pounding drums, then flanging effects produce a thick, mind-blurring swirl as traces of guitar are re-introduced into the mix. "Arrampicarsi Sul Vesuvio" is a suspenseful, chaotic chase that abruptly ends with a howl, as if prey has been captured by a predator. "The Fear of Missing Out" is another emotionally intense ride, expressing deep alienation during its trippy, noise-saturated beginning, then gradually shifting to panic, as urgent guitar riffs and alarming synths chase cathartic shouting. "As-tu Vu Mon Ombre?" feels like the final scene of an epic tragedy, with mournful, chanson-like vocals emerging from overpoweringly rich waves of fuzzed-out, droning guitars and synths. ~ Paul Simpson
