FAUN - Von den Elben (Interview zum Album)

Das Interview mit Faun zum neuen Album "Von den Elben".

Medieval Music - Pagan Folk - Celtic Folk - Nordic Folk

[copernicus]

I can listen Fiona Rüggeberg for 100 hours non-stop without understanding a single word. Just look at her. Who wouldn't like this woman ?

[jonw]

Fiona’s voice is so beautiful. Just hearing her talk is a pleasure — her singing is out of this world!

[DafniNkk]

*Translation of the interview, made by a friend:*

*What's behind the name Faun?*
*Fiona:* So, the name Faun comes from the forest, the forest of old mythologies. For example in ancient Greece, everybody knows the god Pan. Actually, Faun is the Roman name for the god Pan and the fauns are his followers, the protectors of the forest. You say for example, that the fauns live in the trees and there are many beautiful anecdotes about fauns how they protect the animals of the forest, for example they play a certain tone with the panpipes to warn the animals, when they're in danger. There are many metaphorical stories about the protector of nature, Faun. 

*When and how did the founding of Faun happen?*
*Oliver:* The medieval scene is often a bit rough oder totally focused on the old music, and we thought that there is a certain vacuum, so the space between wasn't really covered. There were either loud bagpipes and drums or the really authentic stuff. We rather wanted to do something with singing, something lyrical and to tell stories, we wanted to focus more on the fantastic and to tell and sing the people a lot of ballads. That's how we started out with three people at that time, very few instruments, mainly singing. And it seems like we've hit the nerve of the time because the demand was very great and more and more people came to see it. And very fast, we brought in Niel and Rüdiger. Rüdiger with percussion, and Niel with electronic surfaces that made the concert events possible. We could get the people enthusiastic about dancing and we somehow had rhythmical dances and we could put the ballads in a bigger context. But this main component of Fiona, me, Rüdiger and Niel, we've been doing this for more than ten years now together. 

*When did the first album of Faun come out?*
*Oliver:* The first album, the first CD was called "Zaubersprüche" and we brought it out in 2001, I think, so many years ago and this was in a very small scale, we were still 3. We mainly focused on quiet ballads, singing, harp bouzouki. And Niel was a guest musician at that time. He composed one song with his beats and big drums, which we really liked and it seems like forever ago. 

*Why is medieval music so successful?*
 *Fiona:* I think it's the need to live out dreams in a kind of romantic world that has a lot to do with archaic values of the human being. There are a lot of archetypes in this medieval scene in which one can put oneself, for example the princess or the strong knight, the nobleman, the witch. These are archetypical figures that have always been fascinating the people, in old fairy-tales. And I think that it sometimes is like step out of day to day live, to play in oneself. I always see it like a playground for adults and of course for children, as well that should be taken quite seriously because it really has a depth. 
*Oliver:* The world gets more and more unreal, a bit further, more and more cruel, more digital and then it's often a variation, you can briefly dip into it and a fair with all its scents and herb sellers and you sit beside the fire at night and listen to the music that's still handmade and that is what has a realness that has been missing for a lot of people and that really catches them. Especially this experience, to sit by the fire for a whole weekend, to be in the open air, is something that a lot of people dip into and realize: wow, that's something that has been missing in me. That's the same thing with our music, we often sing about nature, about naturalness and we also have the feedback that a lot of people go into nature and take walks and who rediscover that which actually is a an important aspect for us, that we can move something there. I think that's the case with he whole medieval scene. 

*What's the special thing about medieval music?* 
*Fiona:* On the one hand the instruments that are from the Middle Ages are really special, for example the flutes, the harp, the bouzouki, the hurdy gurdy, these are instruments that we use as well. And then the harmonies in the Middle Ages were different that developed over time. Back then, there only was the harmonic series that has been revolutionized by the circulating temper which has been "discovered" in the 18th century. The music of the Middle Ages sounded entirely different that today's medieval music, so it's an incrementalism. There are certain similarities but we didn't come to reproduce the exact music but to find an echo. 

*Which unusual instruments do you play?* 
*Oliver:* Well, we have a lot of different instruments, for example the hurdy gurdy (then he says how the hurdy works), the nyckelharpa, a Swedish violin with keys, the bagpipes, the celtic harp, irish bouzouki, percussion, there are many unusual instruments. But the important thing is that these are acoustic instruments, except for the electronic of course, that we add then. But that these instruments generate a tone acoustically, that kind of opens its own world and that has an acoustic colour that at the same time provokes inner images. For us, it's a really big task to find the right instruments, to play them for a long time to find the right stringing. We don't go to a normal music store and get some kind of Gibson guitar but rather we work together with instrument builders that try to adjust them to requirements and it often is a long search. There are a lot of instruments that are dropped because they don't really harmonize with oneself. But that's also one of our strengths, that we have a field of instruments that has to fit together in the end. And precisely this irish bouzouki, with the hurdy gurdy, with the flutes and percussion, that's a spectrum where really everything is covered and where you have the feeling that it has the drive of modern music, that has the same power, but still the acoustic colours are very, very unusual and that contains a lot of images. 

*Why is the new album called "Von den Elben"?* 
*Fiona:* The title of the album indicates that our music, our songs and our whole repertoire always dips into the circle of legendary figures again. We have many songs about water sprites, sirens, nymphs, forest creatures, witches, all those legendary figures. And the title already foretells that. 

*What makes your new album special?* 
*Oliver:* Well, until now, we made everything ourselves as a family enterprise, which had advantages but also huge disadvantages, for example you had to do a lot of stuff yourself and we are not the most structured people that make all the applications optically. We are musicians and it has an advantage but also a disadvantage when you are boss. Partly, we got tangled up in our own melodies. It took 4 years until the last album was finished, because we had songs that were seven minutes long, with solos here and several levels. This has an insane quality but one of the consequences is that you don't have any other levels, no views from the outside on your own work. And this was pretty thrilling because we've been working with producers for the first time who said: "Listen, viewed from the outside, does one really need this solo, do you have to repeat this. Can't you come to the point here? Think about this thing again." And also with the great know how, we created an album, which I think is crispier and that puts the thing straight and which opens an easier entry for people that are not as deeply in the medieval scene and in our progress that we've been in for 10 years now. 

*How did the collaboration with Subway to Sally happen?* 
*Fiona:* Subway to Sally has been with me for many years now. When I was a teenager myself, I already thought that they were really great. And I never thought that I would ever work together with Subway. I admire what they do. For me, "Minne" is one of the most beautiful songs they've ever written and it's a great honor that they continued the Minne story with us. 

*How did the collaboration with Björn from Santiano happen?* 
*Oliver:* The song is a drinking song and the topic drinking song wide-spread in the Middle Ages and there are many many traditional drinking songs. That is a topic which we haven't really addressed until now, because we moved in the mythical area. But when the wish had been presented to us, we kind of had the problem that we said that Stephan and me could hardly sing the male part because we sing rather lyrical. But then the label had the idea to bring in Björn with Santiano. And then everybody put their thumbs up and said that he's the perfect man for the scene because he really gets the message across and I think it turned out pretty well. 

*What is the new single "Diese kalte Nacht" about?* 
*Fiona:* The story of the song "Diese kalte Nacht" is actually a very typical love story from the medieval range of motives. It's about a girl who's inside and her father is watching her of course and outside is her beloved one who wants to go inside. In this song, it is beautiful because it is really cold outside, he would freeze to death, so at the end of the song she is almost forced to let him inside, so he doesn't die. So the end of the song is quite happy. 
*Oliver:* And what's always nice is that the wind is always the evil one and he says "evil, cold wind" and at the end he lays in bed with her says that the wind helped him and they end up together... 

*What is the story behind the bagpipes?* 
*Fiona:* The bagpipes have been on a long journey. Originally, they're from North Africa. You always think that it's a typical instrument for Ireland and Scotland but actually they're from the north of Africa and in former times, they've been played a lot in Germany & Austria aswell in the old folk music. And when I heard the bagpipes for the first time in my life, it got goosebumps and since then, I wanted to learn how to learn it. It's just a really great sound that really touches the people, like I always notice. 
*Oliver:* And for us, you have to say, the bagpipes that Fiona plays, is our electronical guitar. Where other bands have the electronical guitar that has the power, we have the bagpipe solo. It's an instrument with unbelievable power and she also plays it divinely in the solos. So, if you translated it into rock language, it would be the lead guitar. 

*What can the viewer expect from your live-concerts?* 
*Oliver:* Well, live we try to find the right mixture, so that you can say there are those interesting instruments, the hurdy gurdy, the harp, the bouzouki, the bagpipes and nonetheless we try to translate it for a contemporary audience. That means that Rüdiger has a lot of drums, partly those oversized japanese drums. Then Niel has beats that are usually based on our real instruments, so that he doesn't sound like a techno DJ who works with other instruments, but very organic and acoustic but still like there are 20 drummers who play their drums at the same time. And that's how we translate our songs and how we tell party german stories also international songs from different origins. And we do this with a power where you say " Wow, this is a concert where you can dance" but still it has a content and something lyric. 

*What's the difference between your acoustic tour and your "normal" tours?* 
*Fiona:* Well, the acoustic tour that we'll go on this March and April continues a series of tours that we've already been doing in the past. They always have a very special atmosphere since you can really hear the softest note and there are always very prayerful locations like churches and they're also filled with chairs which means that you have the most attentive audience that you could wish for. And there will be the time to tell ballads and to really dip into stories. Of course, there are some danceable pieces where you have to keep the people on the chairs. But it almost has the quality of a classical, cultural concert. 
*Oliver:* On the one hand, because the acoustic shows are very different from our summer concerts. The summer concerts contain loud drums for dancing and acoustically, we play some very different songs because there's really room for that. The people are sitting, you can take a lot more time, tell a lot more stories, we bring other instruments, harps and things like that which don't really have a place in the loud concerts. We have a different repertoire, it's about the topic of courtely love and love in general, so we tell a lot of romantic ballads on this tour and certain songs from the new CD which is very romantic aswell, will be performed there.

[sveingrimstad]

I understand very little, but just watching Fiona Rüggeberg is true bliss. She's so beautiful, I get lost in her smile :-) Sie ist so schön!

[PortuguesewithCarlos]

Ich bin Brasilianerin und liebe es, Deutsch zu lernen! Eine Melodie

[ArwenUndomiel]

Fiona's voice it's cute <3
I've studied German at school, now I study again English and learning Chinese..but their music it's amazing, and I've started to read and try to translate German thanks to them :D

[Frank-rhvh]

Sie verdingen sich ihr Auskommen weil sie es können, und voll dahinter stehen! seit 17 Jahren...und wir können uns auch Heute AD 2018 an deren Musik und Geschichten erfreuen!!! DANKE

[Riverbambi]

One falls in love with the German language when one hears Fiona speak <3

[majon]

Ich bin Irland eigentlich müsste man... Nichts dazu sagen weiter so.Glück auf aus Gelsenkirchen!!!!❤

[sweetgrayart]

:3 don't understand a simple word but Fiona's voice is so adorable to change the video  

[ren.batista]

Just can't stop looking to Fiona... she's so adorable.

[mrsmith]

Sehr schön. In solchen Zeiten brauchen wir Sagen und Geschichten und Räume zum träumen um wieder Kraft zu schöpfen

[AngelTheVampire]

Wunderschönes Interview mit Hintergrundwissen, wie ich es liebe.. Danke für die richtigen Fragen und die wundervollen Antworten .-)

[Coolwaaky]

Ich habe gedacht das nächste Album nach dem "Von den Elben" würde wieder freier sein... jetzt sehe ich das "Best of".... und teils habe ich schon das Gefühl das ihr auf den Cds sehr "auf das Mittelmass" gegangen seit (was dann eben vielen gefällt)... ich wünsche mir die langen Geschichten und Reisen zurück.... ist eben so ein Traum von mir!

[Geccobaer]

Ich habe Faun vor ein paar Jahren zufällig live gehört und fand die Musik wundervoll. Auch mir bekannte Lieder wie König von Thule oder Tanz über die Brücke haben mich im Herzen berührt. Die Klänge dieser Lieder habe ich an Faun geliebt, aber sie sind irgendwo im neuen Album verloren gegangen. Das neue Album ist auch schön, aber ein anderes Faun, vielleicht ja eher Pan.

[jenessawillett]

Such a bewitchingly lovely accent! I love it <3

[reginawudke]

Ihr seit so toll ich höre eure Musik so gerne sie Verzaubert mich total. Wenn ich immer eure Musik höre vergesse ich alles was mich negative beeinflusst ich mache eure Musik an schließe meine Augen und fliege in eure wunder schöne Welt. Bleibt so wie ihr seit ihr seit richtig super ich drücke euch ganz dolle die daumen das ihr uns noch sehr lange erhalten bleibt ganz liebe grüsse und ein dicken bussi an euch allen eure Regina

[maasikakitty]

Den letzten Satz unterschreibe ich. Fiona hat nicht nur eine angenehme Stimme, sondern ist auch eine supersympathische Person. Hab die Band vor 6 Jahren live erlebt und auch mit Fiona gequatscht. Unvergesslich!!! ♥

[nyotaxsmx]

ich könnte fionas stimme ewig zuhören.. *---* <333

[BlackKitty]

Richtig sympathisch und authentisch. Ihr macht so traumhaft schöne Musik. Danke dafür :)