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"SO YOUNG BUT SO COLD: UNDERGROUND FRENCH MUSIC 1977-1983"
Tigersushi
This collection, highlighting obscure underground post-punk and newwave from France was released on Tigersushi Recordings, therecord-label arm of the Tigersushi website, devoted to cataloging andtracing obscure connections between underground, post-punk, dance andavant-garde music. Previous compilations from Tigersushi includedK.I.M.'s superlative Miyage CD, as well as No More G.D.M., which together contained more leftfield classics and unjustly obscure artists than anyone could shake a stick at. So Young But So Cold,compiled by Volga Select, is a bit less generous with its treasures.Perhaps the chosen time period and geographical area narrow the fieldtoo much, forcing Ivan Smagghe and Marc Collin to include many tracksthat have a hard time living up to "lost classic" status. However, thedisc still includes its share of tasty nuggets, chief among them a pairof stunning tracks by a group called The (Hypothetical) Prophets. Likemost people, I'd never heard of this early-80's French new-wave groupuntil this compilation. Their single "Person to Person" seems to havebeen influenced by The Human League, but takes off in its ownidiosyncratic trajectory, lyrically and musically. Male and femalesingers describe their romantic fantasies in a monotone, proto-HipHopstyle: "I want a middle-aged, plump and cuddly, distinguished,hairy-chested, double-breasted, gray-templed, tall attractive, rich andactive father figure." This against a minimal rhythm-box beat decoratedwith analog detritus and electronic drones, with occasional BeachBoys-esque expansions into vocal harmony. The Prophets' otherappearance, "Wallenberg," is a dark synthscape intertwining mutatedvocals narrating stories from World War II, with frequent blasts ofsaxophone, eerily evoking the later work of The Legendary Pink Dots.The first track on the compilation "Suis-Je Normale" ("I Am Normal")reminded me of Broadcast (or Broadcast's forerunner The United Statesof America), with its minimalist synths and Jane Birkin-esque vocaldelivery. Mathematiques Moderne's "Disco Rough" has a raucous beat, butits chorus is unfortunately reminiscent of Kenny Rogers and DollyParton's excruciating "Islands in the Stream." The Metal Boys were anoffshoot of underappreciated electro-punks Metal Urbain, but theirtrack "Carnivale" proves that the talent didn't come along for theride. Charles de Goal's "Synchro" bears an unmistakable resemblance toThe Vapors' hit "Turning Japanese." Was Moderne's "Switch On Bach"meant to be the French response to Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus"? It's hardto say, but at least this collection ends on a fairly strong note, witha row of Kraftwerkian space-rock and proto-techno tracks. Best amongthem is Nietzschean scholar Richard Pinhas' funereal, TangerineDream-influenced "Iceland," a densely atmospheric foray into theice-cold nether regions of arctic tundra. A more inconsistentcollection is not likely to be found, but Tigerushi's So Young But So Cold still has much to recommend.
This collection, highlighting obscure underground post-punk and newwave from France was released on Tigersushi Recordings, therecord-label arm of the Tigersushi website, devoted to cataloging andtracing obscure connections between underground, post-punk, dance andavant-garde music. Previous compilations from Tigersushi includedK.I.M.'s superlative Miyage CD, as well as No More G.D.M., which together contained more leftfield classics and unjustly obscure artists than anyone could shake a stick at. So Young But So Cold,compiled by Volga Select, is a bit less generous with its treasures.Perhaps the chosen time period and geographical area narrow the fieldtoo much, forcing Ivan Smagghe and Marc Collin to include many tracksthat have a hard time living up to "lost classic" status. However, thedisc still includes its share of tasty nuggets, chief among them a pairof stunning tracks by a group called The (Hypothetical) Prophets. Likemost people, I'd never heard of this early-80's French new-wave groupuntil this compilation. Their single "Person to Person" seems to havebeen influenced by The Human League, but takes off in its ownidiosyncratic trajectory, lyrically and musically. Male and femalesingers describe their romantic fantasies in a monotone, proto-HipHopstyle: "I want a middle-aged, plump and cuddly, distinguished,hairy-chested, double-breasted, gray-templed, tall attractive, rich andactive father figure." This against a minimal rhythm-box beat decoratedwith analog detritus and electronic drones, with occasional BeachBoys-esque expansions into vocal harmony. The Prophets' otherappearance, "Wallenberg," is a dark synthscape intertwining mutatedvocals narrating stories from World War II, with frequent blasts ofsaxophone, eerily evoking the later work of The Legendary Pink Dots.The first track on the compilation "Suis-Je Normale" ("I Am Normal")reminded me of Broadcast (or Broadcast's forerunner The United Statesof America), with its minimalist synths and Jane Birkin-esque vocaldelivery. Mathematiques Moderne's "Disco Rough" has a raucous beat, butits chorus is unfortunately reminiscent of Kenny Rogers and DollyParton's excruciating "Islands in the Stream." The Metal Boys were anoffshoot of underappreciated electro-punks Metal Urbain, but theirtrack "Carnivale" proves that the talent didn't come along for theride. Charles de Goal's "Synchro" bears an unmistakable resemblance toThe Vapors' hit "Turning Japanese." Was Moderne's "Switch On Bach"meant to be the French response to Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus"? It's hardto say, but at least this collection ends on a fairly strong note, witha row of Kraftwerkian space-rock and proto-techno tracks. Best amongthem is Nietzschean scholar Richard Pinhas' funereal, TangerineDream-influenced "Iceland," a densely atmospheric foray into theice-cold nether regions of arctic tundra. A more inconsistentcollection is not likely to be found, but Tigerushi's So Young But So Cold still has much to recommend. - Nini Raviolette - Suis-Je Normale
- The (Hypothetical) Girls - Person to Person
- Richard Pinhas - Iceland
