The Story of The Young Gods

The ONLY HEAVEN Biography by Jonathan Selzer

The Story by Bernt Rostad

Intro
The Early Gods
The New Sonic Architects
Side Projects
Selling Out

Miscellaneous

Only Heaven

The Young Gods are back with their fourth full-length studio LP, their richest, most fluid record to date. Only Heaven doesn't cut across generic boundaries so much as rise above them, drawing on the same elemental romanticism of PJ Harvey, the universality of Ambient, the rimitivism of the New Wave, and forging them into a seamless visionary hole, incalculably more than the sum of its parts.

No other band has utilised the sampler with quite the same precision, taking only the essence from their sources casting off their historical baggage and recreating them anew. While many bands have been drawn to the contexts of their influences, to now obsolete details and reference points, The Young Gods have always liberated the actual properties of their sound, the ways in which they directly affect the body, the heart, the mind. Theirs is the very matter of revelation.

The Young Gods's own vision started developing in Geneva in 1982. Franz was becoming disillusioned with his own New Wave band, then five years old. The punk ideals he'd grown up amongst, of exploiting what resources you have while remaining uncontrived, prevailed, but now the scene was losing its sense of vitality and challenge. Experimenting at home with a small sampler, he'd play around with drum rolls and guitar sounds, creating effects that would otherwise have been beyond his financial means. But the effects he was really after were the moments of magic, the moments that resonated beyond their specific times and places.

Franz picks up the story : "I used to like The Stooges' `Funhouse' kind of guitar sound, so I was trying to get bits of intros here and there and recreate the riff on my own but with the same sound, because sound is something you cannot really control. Even then they couldn't get it twice. It was another studio, another atmosphere, a magical state or not, and I was trying to put different moments like that together, wherever they were from - putting Jimi Hendrix on top of Mozart, that kind of fun idea. I wanted to place myself at the space where they connect."

Meanwhile, Franz's childhood friend, Cezare Pizzi, moved to Geneva from their hometown of Fribourg, and ended up sharing a flat. Drummer Frank Bagnoud was found, and the rest was... the future, quite frankly.

The Young Gods eponymous debut Lp, released in 1987, seemed to come out of nowhere, unleashing an energy that made immediate sense of the moment, even as it left you for lost, an unprecipated rush. Classical sample fused with Heavy Metal, all mined for a disproportionate amount of power, in a volatile panorama of sound. So many possibilities were bursting forth that it was unable to conduct itself in a proper manner. Yet in Treichler's sky-razoring howl, they found the perfect embodiment. This really was the sound of the future, in its very first throes. Melody Maker made it album of the year.

Bagnoud was replaced by Use for the next LP, L'Eau Rouge, which now seemed to command its own eco-system, a Fantasia for global hedonists with its dramas of invocation and surrender. "L'Eau Rouge" not only expanded their vision, it led the way to further developments. The theatricality of tracks like "Charlotte" recycled themselves into their later tribute to Kurt Weill (the last time they were to use classical samples), and in their gorgeous cover of "September Song", they discovered an ambience that was to impregnate itself into their sound from now on.

Cezare left the band in between "L'Eau Rouge" and "Kurt Weill' to be replaced by their sound engineer Al Comet, and by the time of TV Sky, The Young Gods response to the misuse of their elemental imagery by American TV, the sound was now more stripped down, more recognisably rock. It was helped along by the fact that Franz was singing in English, rather than his customary French. But while much of "TV Sky" turned Metal's tight-assed postures into an ecstatic convulsion, "She Rains" and "Summer Eyes" stood out - the first a suspended wash cut loose from a rhythm, the second an epic, 20-minute travelogue that was in part a homage to The Doors. The Young Gods had learned the art of space, to draw their sound out, to prolong the moment of anticipation.

And now there's "Only Heaven", still coursing with a velocity that's very much The Young Gods' own, but with its sights expanded yet more, as though a point of tension has finally been breached. The title of the opening track says it all, "Outside".

"Only Heaven" is very much a follow-on from "TV Sky" says Franz, But it's also a return to the experimentalism of the first LP. It was partly influenced by the Ambient scene, with many layers of sound, but the main idea was a bit like "TV Sky". "TV Sky" had a metal plane on the cover, and this one is like after the TV Sky, when you take off and pass the clouds. This one is after the clouds.

Awash with dream imagery, with a hunger for an all-embracing communion, "Only Heaven" ends with the melancholic fable, "Child In A Tree", based on the true story of a man who died from an overdose in a tree whilst hiding from Zurich's police.

Franz : "In a way this song is to wish him a good trip, and to try to make something positive out of this myself. That's the only thing that was inspired by something different, but I tried to integrate it in a dreamy way. I just want to show my way to react to it, and to show it in a poetic way ; this is not a political album but to sing or scream for me is like a political act in itself, to take a feeling like this and to uplift, and surf on the sensation up there".

"We always wanted to leave a question mark, musically, lyrically or in the attitude. I think basically that is what rock music is about, questioning things more than accepting and closing your eyes."

The Young Gods are still wide open, still one of the most affirmative band in the world, still belonging utterly. Outside! Now!

Jonathan Selzer

The Story by Bernt Rostad

Intro

Once upon a time, around 1984-85, a young lad by the name of Franz worked as a sound engineer at a small club called "Frison Venue" in his hometown Fribourg, located in the mysterious country known as Switzerland. Young Franz was a skilled boy, he played guitars for various bands while working at the club, one band was called JOF AND THE RAM. But little did people know that Franz was destined to become a rock star.

Together with his mate, Cesare, Franz formed THE YOUNG GODS, in Geneva 1985. The name of the band comes from the song YOUNG GOD which appeared on THE SWANS' Raping A Slave EP' in 1984. During a SWANS concert in Switzerland Franz got the chance to chat with the drummer ROLI MOSIMANN, a friendship was in the making. Later that fall Franz met Roli again, this time in a Swiss record studio where Roli was producing a local band. Again Franz was very impressed with what Roli achieved.

Then TYG recorded a 3 track demo, but they needed someone to mix it. There was only one man Franz wanted for this job: Roli Mosimann! So TYG went to London where Roli was working at the time. Franz said in an interview that when they met Roli "It was like meeting an old friend".
They played the demo for Roli. He liked it, infact he found their sound so interesting that he has stayed with the band ever since - as their producer!

The Early Gods

The first line-up of TYG included Franz Treichler (vocals), Cesare Pizzi (samplers) and Frank Bagnoud (drums). As one can see TYG didn't have a guitar-player. This was, and still is, very unusual for a rock-related band. Even though he's a good guitarist Franz wanted to concentrate on the singing, so TYG had to sample all their guitars! This was almost revolutionary at the time and it gave them a unique sound which soon would give them headlines in the European music press.
The 3 track demo was released, after mixing, in May 1986 as an EP called Envoye!. On the sleeve there's a picture of the text "THE YOUNG GODS" carved into human skin, this skin happens to belong to Franz!!!

Even though the lyrics were entirely in french TYG managed to get the attention of the british music press and the label MUTE. A loosely connected subsidiary of Mute, PRODUCT INC, invited TYG to do an EP for them. So TYG went in studio and recorded their version of the Gary Glitter melody Did you miss me?. They put this song on side A of the EP that was released on Product Inc early in the spring 1987. Papers like New Musical Express (NME) and Melody Maker (MM) were thrilled by this new band, MM even chose the EP as their "Single Of The Week"!

TYG spent the rest of the spring recording and mixing material for the coming debut album, and in May 1987 they relased The Young Gods. The album shows a band combining hard and heavy guitar samples in weird "french chanson"-like melodies. The music ranges from the fast and noisy "Jimmy" to the moody "Fais la mouette". The production is pretty rough on this album compared to their later releases. Still MM chose "The Young Gods" to be their "Album Of The Year" in 1987!!!

In 1988 TYG signed to the Belgian EBM/New Beat-label PLAY IT AGAIN SAM, RECORDS. Their first release for PIAS was an EP called L'Amourir during the summer 1988, by then Frank had already left the band and Use Hiestand had taken over the drumsticks. The EP was well received and MM ranked it as their 6th best "Single Of The Year" in 1988.

The New Sonic Architects

1989 was going to be a great year for TYG. During the winter 1988/89 they recorded material for a follow-up album. But at the beginning of 1989 Cesare decided to leave the band. Infact he left music completely, and today he works at a Tele-communication Company as a computer-specialist!
The new album was released in September 1989, and the title was L'Eau Rouge - Red Water. It is just as powerfull as the debut, but the sound was not as rough (the production is better). The music ranges from the agressive Longue Route to the melodic french chanson-like "Charlotte" and the album can easily be described as a masterpiece, which many critics did!
Several music papers refered to TYG as the "New Sonic Architects" and one paper wrote that their roots were in punk, hardcore and classical music!!! The Observer (UK) wrote "...It starts as a Brel/Piaf chanson, spirals off into Wagerian pyro technics before culminating in a noise inferno...".
Even though Cesare had left TYG embarked on a world tour before they successfully entered the stage at the Reading Festival, in England, in August. Both NME and MM gave them good reviews.
In Switzerland TYG were invited to play a Kurt Weill tribute-concert at the "Festival La Batie" in September. They played their versions of famous Kurt Weill melodies, like "Mackie messer" and "September song". TYG later went in studio to record the Kurt Weill-songs they had performed live...
Before continuing the world tour the band wanted a replacement for Cesare: His name was Alain Monod. Cesare and Franz were both old Kraftwerk fans, this was not the case with Al. Al was into 60s and 70s rock music, especially Jimi Hendrix. So when Al replaced Cesare one could expect a change in their sound.
After some rehearsal, to give Al a chance to learn their songs, TYG went on the L'EAU ROUGE TOUR 1989/90. The tour, also known as THE RED WATER TOUR, brought them around most of Europe, Canada, Israel and to the US for the first time. Two songs recorded live at this tour, "Crier les chiens" and "L'eau rouge", appeared on the album Trans Europa Volume 2 (Swiss-Italian Techno-Crossover) released on 150 BPM Records in 1993.

Side Projects

After the tour in 1990 TYG decided to take a break. The members went separate ways for a while, the only releases from TYG for two years were the Longue Route Remix EP in 1990 and the album with Kurt Weill melodies called The Young Gods Play Kurt Weill in 1991. Nothing new.

Franz moved to New York, but he spent some time with the band TREPONEM PAL, from Paris. He has produced two of their releases so far, the debut from 1988 "Treponem Pal" with Cesare Pizzi and the 1993 album "Excess & Overdrive" which sounds very much like TYG on T.V. Sky. However TREPONEM PAL's 1991 album "Aggravation" was not produced by Franz, instead Roli Mosimann stepped in. That album includes a weird version of the Kraftwerk-classic "Radioactivity".
Franz also produced BERURIER NOIR (a french band), and a couple of Swiss bands like SLOW/THE FASTER. He even remixed a song for THAT PETROL EMOTION!

With some help from Bertrand Siffert, The Young Gods' live-sound technician, Al formed AL COMET. They released a single called "L.A.D." on 150 BPM Records in 1990, and in October and November the same year they went on THE PIRAT TOUR in Germany and Switzerland. A live album, Europ Pirat Tour, recorded during this tour was released on 150 BPM Records in 1991.
Al also produced some Swiss bands, like MANIACS from Geneva, THE LIVING SONS from Bulle and GOD'S FEMALE SLAVES from Fribourg.

Selling Out?

In the fall 1991 TYG finally started to record a new album, and in February 1992 T.V. Sky was released. This album is quite different from their previous releases:

The cabaret influence had been faded down, dominated by an Anglo-American rock style inspired by 60s and 70s rock music: The Doors is an obvious influence on "Summer eyes". The lyrics also marks a change for TYG. Most of their older material were written in french, the new album entirely in english!

Since Franz' native language is french there were a lot of talk about selling out, some fans and critics wanted Franz to sing in french otherwise it would simply not be TYG!! In an interview with Lisa Ridley (printed in Dave Thompson's "Industrial Revolution") Franz partly agrees with the "selling out"-accusations: He wanted TYG to reach a wider audience. But he also say in the interview that he found it more natural to write the songs in english because he was living in New York at the time (1990-91).
Anyway, most critics seemed to love the album, and we're not talking underground or indie musicpapers anymore. No, this time even the biggest newspapers made space available for a review of the album. And TYG certainly picked up a great number of new fans, but as Franz admitted in an interview with Dave Stein: They probably lost some old fans as well.
As soon as the album came out TYG went on the LIVE SKY TOUR that took them to America in the spring, Australia and the far east during the summer and to Europe in the fall. They stayed 4 days in Japan, but they didn't play there!!!!

The US leg of the tour received great reviews in music magazines. In Australia they recorded their Melbourne-concert on May 30 1992, this material was released on PIAS in July 1993 as the Live Sky Tour album.

Bernt Rostad

The Young Gods in Russia

In October 1996 The Young Gods, "industrial" group from Switzerland visited Russia for the first time during a promotional tour for their "Only Heaven" release. First they played in Siberia - Chelyabinsk, Barnaul, Academgorodok - later, on October 11 in Moscow "Gorbushka" club - and the last concert was in Saint-Petersbourg.
The tour was successfull - not in the commercial sense - but by the way the audience both in Siberia and in the capitals received them. The Young Gods for the last five years are known and beloved in Russia as one of the cult "industrial" bands between numerous partisans of radical rock and techno musical trends through TYG previous recordings. Audience reacted enthousiastically and took TYG music "close to heart" as they say in Russian (though the live sound in Moscow "Gorbushka" wasn't the best, but at least enough loud and energetic).
The concerts gave a strong impression for those Russians who wanted to hear. The Russian tour of The Young Gods was organised by FEELEE promotion and Nick Hobbs - the ardent agents of musical enlightment in Russia, with a little help of the friends.
Franz Treichler, the leader of The Young Gods, gave an interview in Moscow, Oct.10, evening in B.B.King club specially for the russian magazine "OM", where only a part of it was published in the last issue in russian translation. With the kind permission of "OM" magazine we publish a more extensive version in english.
(The same day Artiom Troitsky recorded an interview with The Young Gods for his late evening programm "Cafe Oblomov" in NTV channel of russian television.).

TOURING RUSSIA. INTERVIEW WITH FRANZ TREICHLER BY IGOR VORONA AND ANDREI BOUKHARIN IN MOSCOW OCT. 10 1996.
Q- The name of your group is connected with the title of Swans song. But Swans music had a kind of occult feeling?
A- Yeah I know what you mean I was a big fan of Swans in 84-85 when they were very pure - only bass guitar drums and vocal - and that time everybody was doing fast music - and they were doing so slow - it was really very earthy. They were beyond good or bad they were not occult they were just massive kind of strange internal exorcism - from the singer's personality - they had something strange and fascinating and that's why I really liked Swans. I'm not such a big fan anymore -it's a bit depressing for me now - they have kind of sadness inside - I expected something different - I don't really follow what they do- but it's not so important
Q- But at the beginning Swans had big influence to you?
A- Oh yes First time I met Swans they were live I was sound engineer in a little club and Swans played and I really liked the sound and stuff and it was a title Young Gods in setlist - and I took the name - after, because that time I had no band - it just sticked in my mind I Think the name is good - The Young Gods - it's works like a mirror if you have a strong sense of humour you gonna laugh you gonna think it's funny It's very pretentious name and I like that. And for me it's just a methafora for any human being -everybody is a Young God. All of us - we will never be Gods. We aspire something more spiritual but will never get there That' basically the idea.
Q- There is an opinion that you are one of the leading groups of industrial music in Europe. Do you consider yourself like this?
A- I don't like this definition very much. It's a cliche' now. And when you imagine industrial it must be a drummashines distortedvocals and lot of angerangeranger. I think we are violent but not agressive. It's violence of feelings of situation - we deal with electricity - The Yong Gods are like volcano -it's a lot of energy and you don't know what to do with it. But I don't mind - somebody calls us industrial, others - power, ambient, whatever - that's not important.
Q- Now you live in the US?
A- No now I'm back to Switzerland. I want to live in Switzerland at least next six or eight month. I lived in America 94-95 roughly.
Q- Some musicians in the US had a great opinion about your music, Jorganson from Ministry and others. What's your connection with American music?
A- When we first came to the United States in 1989, Jorganson was a first person to welcome us in Chicago, he really liked the band and so on and he was always very friendly - that time he wasn't so big as he is now - he always wanted us to tour together - and it finally happened this year - we are just in touch - they're going in their direction - we in a bit other one. Music is a kind of thing to reflect your personality, I think they are very talented. We have played about 22 concerts with them in April and May this year and I think they are very good on stage very good [... about American lifestile ...problems with drugs and politics in Switzerland ...drugs in itself and as a mean of provocation...].
Q- You came from Switzerland and Switzerland has an image of a quiet and peacefull country but your music is little bit different?
A- That's mayby why it is Because it's too quiet and too organised and you want to have your different chaotic way Switzerland is tricky ...
Q- What's your impression of playing in Siberia?
A- I liked very much siberian people, Moscow had a different feeling for me. But we had a really good time in Siberia. People were really generous openminded.
Q- What was the difference between what you expected from Sibiria and Russia and what you experience here?
A- I had an image of people having a hard time here. But - I think - they don't let depression to go too deep. They have a lot of energy which keep them together. When they are not very drunk they are very nice. Too much vodkas bring you to devil [...about The Doors influence and other musical influences...]
Q- What do you think about the reunion of Sex Pistols?
A- First I thought it was very bad. Because Sex Pistols they were - No Future - and when you see them twenty years after singing same song... I thought it is the end really end of punk music and than I thought: What's the fuck? Why not! These guys they did it once in a great time and now they pretend to do it just for money but I'm sure they are making it for fun. They don't care they're just do it again. It's a rock-n-roll circus [circle-?]
Q- Do you think there exists a kind of problem with age in rock music?
A- I think the age influences creativity a lot. When you are 19-20 you need a strong confirmation of your personality and so you look for specific identification and you are in revolt. When you grow older you shift to different things. That's normal. Yeah, age is something. But I think we still have a lot of energy. We wanted to discover some different feelings in our music - Only Heaven - it's about insights dreams sometimes shamanism sometimes magic.
Q- Yes, and about magic - somehow it seems that in music the darker is magic the stronger is message.
A- In and Ian' - these eastern symbols are normal they are in all of us. What's important is how you use it I know I can be a dark person but I don't want to put this in front. Young Gods are like volcano, it can be destructive, it's fire, it's life, it's energy, I hope our music is not depressive. I hope our music is just energy. Sometimes people misunderstand dark and deep. Deep is deep inside yourself and sometime people are afraid of their own feelings and they think it's dark. But it's not dark it's just intense Intensity [...sales in America and in Europe...] [...change of language: French to English - "It was just a question of survival"...]
Q- What's your connection with K.Weill-B.Brecht?
A- K.Weill together with B.Brecht were making maybe the first pop music. It was for the people - popular - it was theater they were talking about prostitutes murderers priests people from the streets and it was avant-garde music also - not belle canto - and also it was political statements - in a country of growing nazi. After 3-penny Opera they were declared public enemies no 1 by the nazi. K.Weill decided to go away and Brecht to stay and hide. Different destinies.
Q- Brecht and Weill had some connection with the communist ideology. There was a kind of western leftist tradition to come to the USSR to find a kind of anticapitalist alternative - country of myth?
A- It's my first visit to Russia. The ideology of communism is still something very interesting as true communism. Just the results wasn't true - I believe As a westerner I looked at what happened - It was a huge power involved in controlling people in masses - and closed elite - and no freedom for people - It would be better to ask you what it was I can't say capitalism is good I would say that the vision of base of communism is very interesting. Of course it was too much of abuse and corruption - as anywhere in history. But I think that Brecht had a strong vision of basic things - full of hopes in communism
Q- As an alternative for capitalism?
A- System based on competition isn't good I think. From school you have to be better than others - marks, levels, scales and competition. Motivation - you have to be better than him and than you have been yesterday. It's always that feeling. And than it comes up to MTV rewards.
Q- So you are more leftists than rightists?
A- Definitely. But at some points to go there or there it's the same - on extremes. Important thing is respect - for others and selfrespect. My filosophy is taoism - expiriencing things to happen and ability to follow the flow of life - and always respect for all living beings
Q- Kind of stupid question, what do you prefer Blur or Oasis?
A- I don't like Blur. I don't like Oasis. I like more the Orb, the Underworlds, it's more interesting than pop competition - as for England.
Q- Do you have your audience in England?
A- Yes good audience.
Q- Why are you against the definition of your music as industrial?
A- Let me say something, I like a kind of industrial feeling in music representing a kind of madness. How many people lives in Moscow - About 10 millions - And so there is electricity transport system interactivity organized with great potentuality. There is an industrial feeling. In that sense, I like industrial. But now if you say industrial band it means drummachine toungtoung-poum and distorted vocal uuagh and a lot of angeranger. That's why I'm tired of industrial bands. Though there are some good industrial bands till now
Q- What's your opinion about techno, rave and other electronic modern trends in music?
A- I think their influence is very positive. It's very flexible not heavy like old bands. New projects new perspectives playing here playing there. New ideas. No words what fascinates me I'm a man of words I like words. It's a way to abstraction without words .Techno is the sign of our time People don't want to receive information any more. They want to escape. Music as a way to escape - as it was with punks before I thing we need it now - but both - and simple songs with words and wordless techno - with no competition.
Q- Techno is a product of computer machines so it may have a big future?
A- As long as we have electricity.
Q- Once more about your impressions of playing in Siberia?
A- I had seen very lot of faces in my life. I think I learned little bit to read on them I can tell when people are too or they are not too. My experience in Syberia was that people are very too very down in the ground. You understand when they like you or not -and it's impossible to pretend. It was really good time - three concerts - Chelyabinsk Barnaul and Academgorod.
Q- You played with russian bands?
A- Russian bands were more like pop bands. They were ok. Not very modern but good musicians. The Airplanes (Chetyre samoliota -?) - they played ska and made people going on It was a strange but very good concert. Now we have our last two shows And then it will be time to wright some new music.

You can contact with the authors in Moscow by e-mail: mariatsan@glasnet.ru

Mail your comments to: dominique.javet@theyounggods.com