Midgard by Faun

“Gorgeous female vocals intertwine here much like Celtic knots.”

: World Music at Its Best

Reviewed By: Helena Domenic

The music of Faun is hard to place into just one category, especially for those who may not be familiar with their music. Their sound can be described variously as Pagan Folk, Dark Wave, Neo-Medieval, and/or Folk Rock. Learning a bit about their membership can also provide a window into the band’s sound. The musical lineup of Faun and its performers is a lesson in world music education and instruments in and of itself. Read their names and the instruments they play, and you will learn many musical instruments you may not have heard of. For this album, the lineup is:

Oliver Sa Tyr – vocals, bouzouki, nyckelharpa, Celtic harp, jaw harp

Fiona Rüggeberg – vocals, recorders, whistles, bagpipes, seljefloyte (willow flute)

Rüdiger Maul – tar (Turkish single-headed frame drum), riq (Iraqi tambourine), davul (large double headed drum), panriqello (a percussion instrument), darabukka (goblet drum), timbau, gaxixi (a kind of shaker), and many other percussion instruments

Niel Mitra – sequencer, sampler, synthesizer, FL Studio, Buzz, Logic Audio, tascam us 224, boss dr 202, Korg Alpha, granular synthesis, folder synthesis, feedbacks, sounds taken from nature and everyday life

Stephan Groth – vocals, hurdy-gurdy (a stringed instrument similar to a violin) flutes, cittern

Katja Moslehner – vocals, percussion instruments

All of the songs on this album are sung in the band’s native tongue of German. It is not necessary to understand German in order to love this music; however appreciation of Nordic and Celtic myths as well as folk music from those regions definitely helps. I found looking up the album’s lyrics on genius.com and then using Google Translate was very helpful as I was writing this review. (I often will do this when listening to World Music).

The album opens with “Midgard Prolog”, which begins with the sounds of ravens cawing and a large horn blowing, setting the mood for the rest of the album. Many of the songs contain lyrics referring to fogs and mists, and one can imagine a Viking longship appearing through parting mists through the sounds on this track. Throughout the album’s songs, there are also many references to birds. The second track, “Federkleid”, means “Feather Dress” or “Feather Clad.” Although the Goddess Freya is not explicitly mentioned, the song reminds me of the lore around her feathered cape.

There are several songs containing Celtic references, such as “Sonnenreigen”, which is about the Irish festival Lughnasadh, and which in German says, “High up on Bergshohn/ To look into Lugh’s eye/ Let us celebrate this time/ the summer is ready.” Gorgeous female vocals intertwine here much like Celtic knots. The song “Brandan” sings of Brendan the Navigator, “Tell me, tell me Mac Lir/ Where is the next wind blowing?/ On the seven islands I tied my boat/ And the years go by.”   The song “MacBeth” has the interesting Pagan intertwining of the tale of witches, and of the Scottish king MacBeth. Although sung in the band’s native German, the song is beguilingly Celtic in sound.

The song “Odin” is of course about the Norse wandering God Odin. Of special interest to fans of Nordic music, “Odin” is a collaboration with the Norwegian band Wardruna (perhaps best known here in the States for their work on the History Channel’s Vikings series). In this tale, we hear words from The Havamal, telling the story of Odin sacrificing himself on the World Tree to find the Runes, specifically verses 138, 139, and 144. “Nacht des Norden”, “Night of the North”, refers also to a wanderer in the lyrics, “Bring me away you wise man/ Go to the country I dream of.” The women’s vocals on this one remind me greatly of other great Nordic groups in the women’s vocals, calling to mind Suzanne Rosenberg and Vartina.

In summary, Faun’s Midgard is a beautiful, sometimes eerie, and highly evocative journey into Pagan sounds modern, medieval, and ancient, traversing across the European and Northern Asian continents through music and sound. Whether you are new to their music, or a fan of many years, this album is full of rich, resonant music sure to satisfy anyone searching for an unusual fusion of folk, electronic and acoustic sounds.

Faun Tour info: http://www.eventim.de/faun-midgard-tour-2017-Tickets.html?affiliate=EVE&doc=artistPages%2Ftickets&fun=artist&action=tickets&erid=1510833

Helena Domenic is an Associate Professor of Art History and Fine Art at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. She teaches various courses on African Art and art history as well as several studio courses in drawing and painting. Helena holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont, and an MA in Art Education from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Helena is also an Elder in the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, and has lectured at numerous venues throughout the country, including Pantheacon, Sacred Space, Free Spirit Gathering, Ecumenicon, and many others. She is also an accomplished professional artist and has shown her artwork at a variety of galleries in the United States and abroad, in addition to having published a Tarot deck and book, The Fellowship of the Fool. Helena’s artwork may be viewed at http://www.mythandwonder.com.