FAUN A MUSICAL JOURNEY BACK TO NATURE

IN CONVERSATION WITH FAUN

In the relentless pace of the modern world, people often find themselves drifting into a kind of numbness—losing not only their sense of time, but also their connection to nature. A growing sense of estrangement takes hold. Yet certain forms of music—and art itself—have the power to reverse this disconnection, slowing time, reshaping its flow, and guiding the listener into an entirely different rhythm and mode of existence.

With narratives rooted in nature and myth, and with its mystical instruments and sonic textures, the German pagan folk band FAUN stands precisely at this intersection—rebuilding the bridge between past and present, ritual and stage, nature and human. Their music evokes the feeling of gathering around a fire under the open sky, returning to something deeply rooted. It is not merely something to be heard, but something to be experienced together.

Following the enchanting atmosphere of their 2023 Istanbul concert—where the boundary between stage and audience seemed to almost dissolve into a ritualistic experience—we spoke with FAUN’s founder Oliver Satyr about the essence of their music, the rediscovery of nature, and the transformation of cultural traces.

(Faun Turkey concerts, presented by Stagepass Live)

In 2026, you will mark your 25th year. Though Faun’s roots reach further back, when did this journey truly begin for you? And as you look back today, what transformation has shaped the band the most?

Oliver Satyr: For sure it started with writing the first songs and playing the first concerts. But since then so many things have changed. Still the core and essence of our music stayed the same. Some songs became good companions and are traveling with us for more than 20 years now.

(25 years of FAUN)

Your 2023 Istanbul concert impressions were featured on Metal Oda — that night, the boundary between stage and audience seemed to dissolve into something almost ritualistic. How does that evening live on in your memory?

Oliver Satyr: We really loved that night. We felt deeply understood by the audience in Istanbul and were blown away by the energy. It was nice to sing together, dance together and to meet the audience after the concert. We are very happy to be finally able to come back.

During that same concert, you performed Umay, your collaboration with Turkish rock artist Fatma Turgut. Does this piece carry a deeper, perhaps more personal meaning for you? And might the concerts in Türkiye hold a similar, unexpected moment?

Oliver Satyr: At this moment I cannot confirm if the surprises work out that we have in mind for our upcoming concerts. But the first time that I was in Istanbul I fell in love with the city and had long talks with Turkish friends about the origins of the Turkish mythology. Afterwards I started the research about old Göktürk songs and found this amazing love song called „Bağçalarda kestane“. Then we wrote our own version of this old folk song and sang it honoring the female archetype of the goddess, in this case called „Umay / Otygen“. We were really happy when Fatma Turgut joined us on the song and even guested at our concert in Istanbul later.

(In Turkic mythology, Umay — or Umay Ana — is a divine figure who protects children, infants, young animals, and pregnant women, and whose earliest traces can be found in the Orkhon Inscriptions.)

Your upcoming performances (May 9 & 10) will take place just after Hıdırellez — a traditional spring festival celebrated in Türkiye and the Balkans, marking the arrival of spring — at the threshold of the season. Could the concerts be seen as a kind of seasonal rite, a quiet celebration of renewal?

Oliver Satyr: It is really important to keep a good connection to nature and also to the seasons. It will simply help your actions if you do them in sync with nature. Also spring has such a nice uprising energy that we will use for a very enthusiastic evening for sure.

(The Fire of Hıdırellez)

(Hıdırellez, is a an ancient spring festival celebrated on the evening of May 5 and continues until the afternoon of May 6.)

(In the chaos of the modern world, FAUN’s music feels like a forgotten reminder of our connection to nature.)

How do you think performing in a vast, open-air venue like Harbiye Open-Air Theatre shapes the atmosphere of your music, and its dialogue with nature?

Oliver Satyr: Of course, it really changes the atmosphere a lot. Those are the concerts that we enjoy the most; maybe with stars in the sky and bonfires burning. This is where we feel most like home.

“We truly love Turkish music and culture.” Oliver Satyr

(Oliver Satyr, founder of FAUN)

Different languages in Faun’s music transcend mere words, becoming bridges between cultures.

Through the many languages woven into your songs, you build bridges between distant cultures. Turkish, too, has found a place in your repertoire. What does this connection mean to you? And might we hear this Turkish echo again in your future works?

Oliver Satyr: We really love the Turkish music and culture. Already two times we added old Turkish folk songs to our repertoire and for sure it will happen again.

In the pace of the modern world, people seem to be drifting further away from nature, yet at the same time longing to reconnect with it. In Faun’s music, especially through the use of mystical instruments and live performances, time seems to stretch, and the listener is carried into a different rhythm. Do you see your music as a way of reconnecting people with their lost bond to nature?

Oliver Satyr: Our world is getting more and more crazy. Fast paced, technological and digital. But luckily many people start to wake up and feel that this way of living is not making them happy. They have long hikes in nature or spend an evening at a bonfire and start to feel how important this connection is for our mental and physical health. And also on a deeper and more magical level there are techniques to use this connection for growth and happiness. We are very happy to be a part of this movement and to guide our listeners the way into those forests.

“Nature is alive and we are deeply connected to it.” Oliver Satyr

If your music could carry a single message, what would you wish to whisper to the listener about the bond between nature and humanity?

Oliver Satyr: Nature is alive and we are very much connected to it. The more we live in harmony with it and treat it well, the more we find happiness and fulfillment.

FAUN’s music reminds us of something lost within the noise of the modern world: our connection to nature. Perhaps this is why their upcoming concerts in Turkey, on the threshold of spring, will resonate not only on stage, but under the stars and within the hearts of their listeners.

Güzin Paksoylu

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