Faun

A German pagan folk band, Faun incorporate medieval instruments and themes along with a contemporary electronic musical sheen. Founded in 2002 in Munich, the band is comprised of Oliver Sa Tyr (vocals, nyckelharpa, Celtic harp, bouzouki, lute, percussion), Fiona Rüggeberg (vocals, bagpipes, dombra, rebab, oud, flutes, chalmeux, pommer), Sandra Elflein (vocals, violin, flute), Rüdiger Maul (darabouka, davul, bendir, tamborello, riq, berimbao, percussion), and Niel Mitra (programming, sampler, synthesizer); former members include Lisa Pawelke (vocals, hurdy-gurdy). The band made its recording debut in 2002 on the German pagan folk label Curzweyhl with Zaubersprüche (2002), followed by Licht (2004), Renaissance (2005), and Totem (2007), the latter of which was their first to break into the German Top 100 album chart. In addition to Faun's affiliation with Curzweyhl, the band was also affiliated with the American label Noir Records, which released Renaissance and Totem stateside. In 2008 the band released its first live album, Faun & the Pagan Folk Festival (2008), and welcomed Sandra Elflein into its ranks in the place of departed bandmember Lisa Pawelke. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi