Gunther Wüsthof

Jean-Hervé Péron

The Faust list, 21 Dec 2004

James (AubusMaus) said on the list: Isn't Wüsthoff also a famous brand of cutlery? *connections being made!!!*

Jean-Hervé replied: Yes there is a Wüsthof or Wüsthoff making fancy knifes and forks and trays and silvery things... Gunther is a fish if I remember well. He comes from friesland, a peculiar place where the people could never be tamed or subdued neither by the kings or invaders nor by the constant bad weather and the endless flat land.

He did not talk much, made dry jokes, was quietly brainy and carried a gun. He played guitar and knew loads of jazz chords. He started sax also, inventing a technique consisting mainly in numbers and maths rules; Gunther was 'cool' in the proper sense of the word. Not cold, not hot... cool. Not hilarious, not stern... cool. Not extroverted, not introverted, just cool. He played synth mainly in Faust, doing a few sax deliriums now and then. And he cut the tapes! Oh yes he did! I ran away when they started to seclude themselves in the regie-room and would splice and reverse and slow down and whatnot.... oh mama, gimme some fresh air, let me twist and shout, come on dog, let's go run... but Gunther could stay in there for days. He loved to play pinball on stage, leaving his synth doing what it wanted which sometimes made me nervous. He had a very warm smile.

And then he disappeared. Oh, I know he lives in Hamburg and I managed to find his phone number but he does not want to talk to me (or to anybody from Faust.) I dont know why. I must have done something terrible to him and I'd give a lot to know what.. no shit.

He frequented the Fine Art School in Hamburg and, after his Faust time, he did some painting actions: one was burying different sheets of metals in different places and dig them out 25 years later. I guess he has dug them out by now. He was very, very patient, with everybody and everything. His sax solo bit on Rainy Day will remain in the history of the musical understatement. He was contacted for the reunion but did not react, unfortunately.

ref: Faust Mailing List