Lost and Found 8: the best from the west

A selection of four records from the deep west of Europe

When, for one reason or another, I find myself for an extended period of time in a new place, be it in Italy or abroad, one of the first things that come naturally to me is to search for local music; if I also manage to find something punk-related I get really pumped.
Why this premise? I spent the last few months in France, in Bordeaux, and I was inevitably thunderstruck by French punk. Not only that, one day wandering around the narrow streets of the city center, on my way back from the Saint-Michel district to a tram A station, I came across the Total Heaven record shop (coincidence or clever use of google maps?). Within 5 minutes I had already figured out where to look, within 10 minutes I was doing the maths so as not to remain poor. It was a complicated choice, but in the end I left with 4 records, the ones I will tell you about in this Lost and Found namely: Camera Silens – Réalité, Bérurier Noir – Concerto pour détraqués, Parabellum – Gratuit: 2 en moins, Negu Gorriak – Negu Gorriak.
Ah yes, on the tram home, a boy recognized one of the records, the Negu Gorriak one. I think he said something nice to me in French but my response was just a dumbfounded expression and a random ‘Merci mec‘. So I take advantage of this article to say ‘Dear punk-loving friend wandering around Bordeaux, I’m sorry, even if I had known better French I would have made a poor impression, I don’t know how to interact decently with people‘.

Camera Silens – Réalité

Let’s start with a bang, as soon as I saw this vinyl I grabbed it without letting go, I was afraid it might be bought by someone else, even though in the shop there was me, Rémi (the ‘unfortunate’ friend who was with me) and the shop owner. Camera Silens, a punk band right from Bordeaux, if you don’t know them go and study now, the record in question is Réalité, get it here. The cover is a photo taken right in the streets of Bordeaux. A 1985 record, a landmark record for the group, there is not a disappointing track. Lyrics are full of everything, aggressive guitars, and edgy vocals. But there is more about this group to know, one thing that makes it all the tastier. The story of the singer, Gilles Bertin. Maybe you’ve heard this name before, maybe you’ve read this old article of ours, if not, I’ll tell you on the fly.
1986, Gilles breaks away from the group, something is going on in his head, and he has ideas that don’t keep him calm.
1988, Gilles takes part in a robbery in a silver depository in Toulouse, 12 million francs is the loot. For Gilles, the time has come to escape; he will live in hiding for 28 years before turning himself into the French authorities. An eventful life to say the least, which he would later recount in a book, unfortunately for now only available in French.
Here is a short video of the group, just to make you curious, I know you haven’t listened to the album yet!

Bérurier Noir – Concerto pour détraqués

OK, so this vinyl was an easy buy too, how can you not have a record by the iconic French punk band Bérurier Noir?
This also I think is one of their best records, with tracks that made the history of the genre such as ‘Porcherie’, from which the line ‘”La jeunesse emmerde le Front national” is taken.
If all that I am saying is new to you, I won’t judge you but you should catch up with the record here now.
A record that doesn’t bore, nice rhythmic, rudimentary punk, that raw that you like, with some new touches, like the sax that appears every now and then.
Nothing to add, Bérurier Noir doesn’t need much rambling. Ah, I’ll put up a video of one of their live shows. Just so you know what they were.

Parabellum – Gratuit: 2 en moins

This was the record I was secretly hoping to find, mainly because of one song: Cayenne. So now you get the rant on this song, then trust that the rest of the record rocks too, you can find it here.
Cayenne is a song from the early 20th century, of anarchist origin, it was sung in the prisons of Guyana, the real author is not certain, some say it is a certain Aristide Bunting but no one is really convinced and, frankly, I like it that way. This popular song was brought back to French stages by Parabellum, in 1986, they did a cover of it which is on this record. After Parabellum, many other artists did different covers of this song, from folk versions to ska.

Impossible after a few listens not to start humming the refrain: ‘ Mort aux vaches, mort aux condés / Vive les enfants d’Cayenne, à bas ceux d’la sûreté’ : “Death to the cows*, death to the cops/ Long live the children of Cayenne, down with those of the security” (* slang for cops).
Fun fact: the notes of Cayenne (the original) were taken up and reworked in Corsica, the title of this version is ‘Mort aux vaches’, the lyrics are slightly different but the common origin is noticeable, I suggest you give that one a listen too, it’s not punk but it deserves a lot.
Well, this track alone was enough to excite me, consider that all the other tracks on the album are punk of very good quality, 23 minutes of enjoyment. It was inevitable to take the record home. Oh yeah, one tidbit, the record is produced by the Bérurier Noir label hehe.

Negu Gorriak – Negu Gorriak

OK, I know, they are not French. In any case, the Basque Country is not far from Bordeaux, and I don’t have to justify myself. When I saw this record, it simply jumped into my hand, I couldn’t say no. Although I also found it a week later in Donostia (San Sebastian), it was the right time to pick it up.
Negu Gorriak, Red Winter in Basque, is a group formed by Fermin Muguruza and other ex-members of Kortatu (another Basque group that you have to catch up with if you don’t know it).
Negu Gorriak mixes different genres, from more or less hardcore punk to ska, reggae, hip hop… Ah, they only sing in Euskara (Basque language) by political choice. So, if you want to understand the lyrics you have to struggle a bit, but it’s worth it.
The group has a very interesting history, in constant open confrontation with the Guardia Civil and the authorities, they represent the first case of a complaint by the post-Franco Spanish government against a form of expression. The charges against the group were only dropped in 2001.
Returning to the music, here you can listen to the record, you will never get bored given the different styles that keep your attention. Enjoy and à la prochaine!

Article written and translated by Max

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