…Faber uses original analogue synthesizers to create his sound, and they’ve long been a part of his life: he received his first synthesizer as a present from his parents when he was 15; and he’s gone on to master their use on both a technical and musical level. Some of the best elements of his music are his key changes; the subtle use of little ‘sound effects’ to enhance the atmosphere; and his ability to keep the listener engaged in a progressive musical experience – the trademark of his idol Klaus Schulze.

His new EP ‘Gropiusstadt’ takes its name from a housing estate district within Berlin, designed by the late German architect, Walter Gropius, who was the founder of the Bauhaus school…

Enter the cosmic world of Roland Sebastian Faber.

Audio-Podcast created by Ian J. Wilson, Australia.

Thank you Ian.

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Q: What is a Cybertamp?

A: Two musician/producers in the United States on a path leading into a mysterious, secret world of analogue synthesizer collectors, robots and back alley studios hidden away in the valley of a long forgotten rivertown.

S.M.W., the producer behind the project and H.M.A., a DJ with a knack for mixing 80’s heavy metal and italo, together create a sound that both recollects the bygone disco era, while holding tight to a vision of a future where man and machine can, at last, live as one.

With their debut Aube single, an upcoming Aube release, we not only get Cybertramp, but the wonderful Italo vocals of Mario (whom rumour has it, is one of Italy’s greatest Italo disco singers, back for an encore.)

Stay tuned for more…

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After releasing their remix of Starcusters Smoke & Mirrors featuring Marc Almond earlier this year, The Fascination Movement return with a debut EP of original music to be released this fall on Aube Records titled “0.5″

The 4 song EP mixes the echos of new wave and italo with an altogether contemporary sensibility and take on the genre. The underpinnings of melodic and melancholic vocals and guitars are set aside driving bass pumping drum machines and lush keyboards throughout.

Here is the first teaser track from the EP, “Radio”. Look for more to come soon…

The Fascination Movement – Radio

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Interview with Roland Sebastian Faber, June 2008

- Roland, tell us about your musical background, how came the inspiration to become a producer?

I’ve grown up in berlin with a lot of electronic music. I remember buying my first Klaus Schulze record with 12 years old. It turned out to be an adult movie sound track “bodylove” i was hooked.

My main influcences are, apart from all the other brilliant music in the eightees we used to listen to me and my friends: Klaus Schulze (the guru), Tangerine Dream, Ashra Tempel, Jean Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, Soft Cell, Human League, Vangelis, Isao Tomita, Giorgio Moroder, Cockteau Twins and Pink Floyd.

In 1989 I moved to london to get my foot into the door of music production and because it was at the time and still is the wildest city.

-Any good memories?

A lot of good memories like the first time I heard Klaus Schluze or Oxygene.
I was so young and I kept saying I like to have a synthesizer. For us the idea of a huge wall of knobs and cables was unaffordable.

And of course by the time I recieved from my mum and dad my first synth, a roland jx3p, I was 15 and I thouht I was the luckiest kid in the world. I still own it.

- How would you describe the evolution of the electronic music ?

Electronic music changed forever with the virtual laptop ipod generation.
It is a good thing that anyone at least is getting the chance to have a go at it.
My concern is that virtual synths do not even sound close to the power of analogue and that some younger kids might never know on what these colourfull virtual plug ins are based on.

- Which instruments are using for composing?

I’m using the mac with logic of course like others use cubase on pc. But most of the instruments I m using are classic rolands, moog, seqential, korg.
I’ m very fond of odd misfit synths aswell like the bizarre farfisa synths and strange presets hybrids but if its analogue I propably like it.

- Your new project is called Roland Sebastian Faber , tell us the story behind…

I made some music like berliner schule for myself for a long time. The berliner schule always had a special place in my heart. But to be honest I didn’t have an output for it. It wasn’t the right time. But my feeling changed and after so many years of house clubs and medioca pop bands we are now ready to revive it. Something different from the past but remixed for the future.

- How does the RSF project ´s future look like?

I am ultimatley working towards an album. Hopefully then my music will be used for differents purposes too. I can bring with this project across the initial exitement of an era when synths were big and had soul.

-You are working with an independent label aube.records, which future does this kind of label have ?

I met Michael when keen k /divider and I (Starcluster) remixed a track for him for clone records “we like moroder”. After a lot of talking I realised we are on the same wavelenght and they at aube.records have the same desire to revive these types of production. A good small label might offer something the bigger ones have over looked and before you know it the small becomes big.

- RSF live ?

Of course, it is a great challenge that to combine the old ways of analogue with the convenience of laptops and modern gadgets on stage

- Thank you!

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Emil Schult was born in Dessau, Germany. In 1968, after studying language and art history at Münster University, he enrolled at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in Diter Rot´s print graphics class. He also joined the paintings classes of Joseph Beuys and Gerhard Richter and so his venture into graphics began.

In the 1970s Emil Schult began to gain exposure in Berlin, Cologne, Paris, Reykjavík and beyond with his many productions including illustrated books, documentaries and writting.

Schult’s collaboration with the band Kraftwerk started in 1972 and lasted untill 1982. Beside co-writting lyrics, he created some of the iconic sleeve  art work and stage design for the band.

In his prolific career as a painter, producer and sculptor Emil Schult has worked on many projects. He has since focused his work in the painting behind glasses technique. His painting “Hommage an die Jugend Europas” has been used for Roland Sebastian Faber´s first maxi (aube002) and he has also illustrated RSF’s second maxi (aube005) “Wettkampf der Moleküle“ with a serigraph.

Emil Schult is currently living and working in Düsseldorf.

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Marc Brandenburg, born 1965, has become internationally known for his trademark pencil drawings. Since 1989, his works have been shown at numerous institutions and galleries.

Brandenburg´s work has been acquired by public collections such as the Berlin Kupferstichkabinett, the MoMA in New York, the Hamburg Kunsthalle, and the Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt.

One of his drawing illustrates Starcluster first EP (aube003)

He lives and works in Berlin and is represented by Contemporary Fine Arts in Berlin and the Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Salzburg.

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The transnational pop band starcluster is made up of kinky roland in London and keen k in Berlin. The two school friends have been working together since they were teenagers. The result of this Berlin-London axe is a cosmic – italo disco – new wave affair of analog bubble baselines and retro drum machines. They collaborated on “smoke and mirrors” with Marc Almond.

Starcluster feat. Marc Almond – Smoke and Mirrors (Promo Mix)

Starcluster – Winter of Ice

Live – somewhere in Berlin 2007

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Roland Sebastian Faber is a German producer living in London.

After being involved in the dance music scene for years and working with
big names under various pseudonyms, RSF is finally producing music under
his own name.

In his new project, Roland Sebastian Faber serves up interstellar, robotic
electro-disco. As a true synth freak and berliner schule´s addict, he is
working almost only with analogue instruments. His music is filled with
many rich and deep melodies and nostalgia-glazed points of reference. But much more
Faber has mastered a genre full of authenticity and sensitivity.

“Hommage an die Jugend Europas” (aube002) is the first RSF release to be followed by “Wettkampf der Moleküle”, his second opus. He
collaborated on both releases with cover artwork from Emil Schult (Kraftwerk).

RSF – Hommage I

Syd Brak was one of the most influential artists of the 1980s, perfecting an airbrush technique that allowed him to create some of the most iconic images of that decade.

Syd Brak was born in South Africa. His father was from Amsterdam, Holland and Mother from England, But after coming into conflict with the South African authorities during the Apartheid regime, he decided to emigrate to England.

After working as Creative Director of several advertising agencies in Johannesburg, Syd arrived in England in 1978 and, with the help of his advertising background, soon became one of Britain’s premier and most prolific airbrush artists.

Syd Brak has worked on major advertising accounts worldwide. Apart from his advertising work, Syd’s posters for Athena International are sold all over the world and his ‘Long Distance Kiss’ became a Number 1 bestseller around the world.

He has also produced award-winning record covers for the music industry for groups like ‘Police’, ‘Supertramp’ ‘Chris de Burgh’
‘Bill Wyman’ of the Rolling Stones and more. Syd has also created book covers for Wilbur Smith, John Gresham and Ken Follett.

The cover illustration of Jupiter Black feat. Fred Ventura “Hold me” (aube001), was done by Syd, aube.records first release.

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