This pioneering experimental outfit originates from Geneva, Switzerland. Their fusion of hard electronic rock and heavily-sampled rhythms, though highly influential on 90s industrial bands such as Trent Reznor's hugely successful band Nine Inch Nails, was treated with a mixture of bewilderment and revulsion by the late 80s rock scene. Chief architect Franz Treichler (vocals) and his original collaborators, Cesare Pizzi (keyboards/samples) and Patrice "Frank" Bagnoud (d. June 2005; drums), found an audience throughout Europe via the premier outlet for "difficult" music, Play It Again Sam Records. Notable among their early releases, sung mainly in French, were "L'Armourir", a version of Gary Glitter's "Did You Miss Me?", and the 1991 full-length Play Kurt Weill, which stemmed from a commission to provide a tribute performance of the composer's works. By this point, Treichler had been joined by keyboardist Alain Monod aka Al Comet and drummer Urs "šse' Hiestand. They had already been awarded a French Government Arts grant to tour the USA in 1987, where they maintain cult popularity. 1992's T.V. Sky was sung entirely in English, but three years later Only Heaven"s ambient direction was a disappointing sidetrack.

Listen to The Young Gods at Finetune.

• Envoye

• KMFDM
• Nine Inch Nails
• The Prodigy
• Foetus
• Sonic Youth
• Dead Can Dance
• Ministry
• Nirvana
• System of a Down
• Korn
• Massive Attack
• Soundgarden
• Iggy Pop
• Jane's Addiction
• The Pixies
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• The Cure
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• The Fall

• buzzcock
• Robocop87
• fiveherb
• derhay
• bennybhr
• hoogax