Faun

Formed in Munich during 2002, the German ensemble Faun blends archaic instrumentation and medieval-inspired motifs with a modern electronic gloss. Its current lineup features Oliver Sa Tyr handling vocals, nyckelharpa, Celtic harp, bouzouki, lute, and percussion; Fiona Rüggeberg on vocals, bagpipes, dombra, rebab, oud, flutes, chalmeux, and pommer; Sandra Elflein delivering vocals, violin, and flute; Rüdiger Maul playing darbuka, davul, bendir, tamborello, riq, berimbao, and additional percussion; and Niel Mitra managing programming, sampler, and synthesizer. Lisa Pawelke, who contributed vocals and hurdy-gurdy, previously belonged to the group. The band issued its first recording, Zaubersprüche, in 2002 through the German pagan-folk imprint Curzweyhl, then continued with Licht in 2004, Renaissance in 2005, and Totem in 2007—the last of these marking their initial entry onto the German Top 100 album chart. While remaining tied to Curzweyhl, Faun also partnered with the U.S. label Noir Records, which distributed Renaissance and Totem domestically. The year 2008 brought both their debut live collection, Faun & the Pagan Folk Festival, and the addition of Sandra Elflein, who took over the role vacated by Lisa Pawelke. A fully unamplified effort, Buch der Balladen, surfaced in 2009, followed two years later by Eden. In 2013 Faun moved to Universal Records and unveiled its seventh studio album, Von den Elben. Alongside original tracks, the release reworked several earlier compositions and introduced vocalist Katja Moslehner together with assorted guest singers. The album reached number seven on the German charts, establishing the band’s strongest commercial showing up to that point.