Various

A three CD box with excellent 56 page booklet dedicated to the music of France that was initially fueled by the Revolt of '68, with one CD dedicated to each decade since. Some material is commonly available, much of it is not; the first CD covers the seventies (1969-77) and features some pretty mind-blowing stuff from the peak years of free-rock cacophony.


The 1st CD features the following (an * indicates previously unreleased material, or least unavailable on CD): Jacques Dudon (*, classic freak out guitar mania from '69), Red Noise, Ame Son(*), Gong, Dashiell Hedayat, Catharsis, Contrepoint (*, primitive free jazz), Lard Free, Dagon(*, great progressive psych from 1972 by this undocumented & legendary group), Fille Qui Mousse (*, live track from 72!), Mahogany Brain, Majhun(*), Jac Berrocal & Musik Ensemble (*, brilliant space-improv alternate take from his debut album for Futura in 1973), Schizo (*, pre-Heldon group featuring Richard Pinhas, doing an early 7"-only version of 'Le Voyageur' -- historic psychedelic rock with spoken text by Gilles Deleuze), Oedipe (*, undocumented Canterbury style from '76)& Metal Urbain. The 2nd CD covers the eighties (1977-90) and a significant New Wave cadence starts to abound, featuring: Camizole (*, pretty wild associated of Etron Fou), Heldon(*, live from '78), Le Grand Nébuleux et ses Laveurs de Consciences (*, crazy electric jazz fusion from '78), Etron Fou, At et Technique (*), Jean-Marc Foussat (*, strange improv from '81), Vidéo Aventures, Kas Product, Fall of Saigon (*, YMG-ish synth pop pleasure from '81), Les I (*), Tanit (*), Pascal Comelade (*), Clair Obscure, Dazibao(*), Alto Bruit (*), Cosmic Wurst & Catalogue (*, live from '90). The third CD covers the nineties (1991-97) -- some okay stuff and some rather dire industrial rock material as well -- and features: Urban Sax, Jacques Dudon, M.K.B., Corman et Tuscadu, Francois Robert Lloyd, Vox Populi (*), Ulan Bator, Prime Time Victim Show, Alpes Patrice Moullet, Atta Sexden, Cape Fear, Ashtray Hearts, Viellistic Orchestra, Nicrik, Jean-Francoise Pauvros(*), Osaka Bondage (*) & Sun Plexus