Includes liner notes by David Ilic. Widely acknowledged as one of Faust's finest works, IV finds these ground-breaking German proggies strutting their collective Euro-stuff on a collection of songs more varied and lighthearted than their previous releases. Starting off with the genre-defining "Krautrock," the band sets up sheets of electronic sound that bounce off each other endlessly, creating a kaleidoscopic feel, while the insistent beat conjures up images of great drooling beasts jumping incessantly up and down. The band steps outside of its comfort zone on "The Sad Skinhead," a loopy reggae sendup. Elsewhere there are quiet, acoustic moments amid the electronic frenzy. "Jennifer" and "It's A Bit Of A Pain," while maintaining the deconstructed feel of the other tunes, are downright poignant.

• Genre: Pop
• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 11/03/2009