Oh baby, nothing will prepare you for the lo-fi goodness this record is dripping in. Somewhere between JOY DIVISION and FUGAZI with a hint of something garage like the GORIES, ELASTIC HEADS are the dark and crusty answer to your prayers. There’s a good balance between groovy soft tunes and gnarly riff-fests. Relentless, raw, sometimes beautiful.
Kinda gothy, at times this has an almost lo-fi feel to it, as well as being punchy and rocking. Like a spooky-sounding MARKED MEN almost, with less bounce and from France. I dig it.
So this compilation LP is apparently a tribute to the French fastcore band TEKKEN. I regret to announce I was not familiar with TEKKEN the band, but it looks as though they were around in the late ’90s and early ’00s, and with some video research, I have realized that they were pretty good! If you like to blast off with CHARLES BRONSON, SPAZZ, DAMNABLE EXCITE ZOMBIES, AGATHOCLES, or even FANTOMAS, or any bands that were forming when fastcore was really breaking into its stride, I have this recommendation for you! There’s also some really bizarre MIDI carnival music, which I must admit I am entertained by, if not perplexed.
What a pleasant surprise; I’m so glad ZONE INFINIE came into my orbit. Having not heard them before, I was expecting more of an icy post-punk style like fellow Frenchmen BLEAKNESS or SYNDROME 81. Instead, it sounds like a mix of the CLASH and the JAM with a sprinkle of CAMERA SILENS for good measure. I mean seriously, the singer sounds like Strummer or Weller, depending on the song. Checkout the final track “En Plan,” with one of the best hooks I’ve heard in a minute, accompanied by girl group handclaps and clean and crisp guitar leads. Excellent stuff.
