Often mentioned in the same breath as their Muséa contemporaries—Minimum Vital and Edhels—for some reason this 80s-90s French band has been forgotten. I think that’s a grievous mistake. Yes, they have that very “glassy” digital sound of their era, but they developed a unique musical language that transcended their poor production. They had a very adventurous and dark sound, obviously influenced by King Crimson and heavily leaning towards the avant-garde direction, loaded with dissonances and sharp twists and turns. In retrospect, I can see them being somewhat of an acquired taste, but a band this forward-thinking and original deserves canonization.
Of their first four albums, I’d say Parade is the most satisfying; all the songs are short, and their sound works best in bite-sized chunks, as opposed to the sprawling epics of Océan (which I still love). Espace fini, their official debut, is also worthy if you like their sound. Clône commits the error of adding vocals to the mix, but the lengthy instrumentals are Tiemko as we’ve come to know and love them.
Still haven’t heard the late Eric Delaunay’s debut solo album, the fiendishly rare Antagonisme! Nor have I heard the posthumous release, Ça tourne... Can anyone shed some light on those?
Any other fans out there of this underrated band?
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