At the dawn of the ’70s, in a country still reeling from the aftershocks of World War 2, an underground movement of rock musicians resolved to tear it all up and start again. Welcome to France, 1968.
Music fans in the English-speaking world are well-versed in the Krautrock scene springing up across the border in Germany, but they are almost totally unaware of the French musical underground. There the radicalism of May ’68 collided with the counterculture, post-psychedelic rock, and free jazz to produce some of the most distinctive and vital music made anywhere in the ’70s.
Synths, Sax & Situationists tells the story of more famous bands like Magma, Etron Fou Leloublan, and Gong alongside almost-forgotten groups like Cheval Fou, Fille Qui Mousse, and Barricade.
- Paperback
- 532 pages
- ISBN 978-0-6454928-0-4
- Dimensions: 229 x 152 x 27 mm
- Publisher: Roundtable Books
- Available: August 4, 2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction
Foreword: Jean-Jacques Birgé
Foreword: Steven Stapleton
PART ONE: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE FRENCH MUSICAL UNDERGROUND
1. Chanson, yé-yé & Teen Idols
2. May ’68: The Explosion
3. A Brief History Pt 1: 1968-69
4. October ’69: The Amougies Festival
5. A Brief History Pt 2: 1970
6. Summer ’70: L’été Pop
7. A Brief History Pt 3: 1971-73
8. The MJC Touring Circuit
9. A Brief History Pt 4: 1974-78
10. Independent Labels
PART TWO: THE EXCEPTION THAT PROVES THE RULE
11. Lard Free
PART THREE: THE POLITICAL UNDERGROUND
12. Introduction
13. Red Noise
14. Barricade
15. Maajun
16. Komintern
17. Fille Qui Mousse
18. Dagon
PART FOUR: THE LYSERGIC UNDERGROUND
19. Introduction
20. Bananamoon
21. Ame Son
22. Gong
23. Cheval Fou & Nyl
24. Crium Delirium
25. Clearlight (& Delired Cameleon Family)
PART FIVE: THE JAZZ UNDERGROUND
26. Introduction
27. Moving Gelatine Plates
28. Magma
29. Contrepoint
PART SIX: THE AVANT UNDERGROUND
30. Introduction
31. Camizole
32. Jac Berrocal
33. Etron Fou Leloublan
34. Birgé Gorgé Shiroc
PART SEVEN: THE ELECTRONIC UNDERGROUND
35. Introduction
36. Philippe Besombes
37. Heldon
38. Ilitch
Discography
Bibliography
Sources
Index
