Editions Gravats’ trilogy of unreleased Geins’t Naït material showcases the sexy swivel and unheimlich atmospheres that distinguished Thierry Merigout and Laurent Petitgrand’s band from the rest of the french industrial scene. Turning inspirations from the Surrealists and Situationists into a rawly fascinating mixture of slow, pendulous rhythms, chattering electronics and over-the-shoulder vocals, the results are evidently a prime fit for EG’s expanding catalogue of psychedelic, groove-driven oddities.
Picking up where Geins’t Naït’s ‘Make Dogs Sing’ compilation left us in 2018, ‘Archives 1/3’ volleys 11 examples of the art brut pair hewing at the coalface of industrial music, locating rich seams of rhythm-driven experimentation that still sound vital, over 30 years later. In the process, Editions Gravats highlight a tangible link between early industrial musick, its tribalist reference points, and the current state of play in dancehalls across the world, where everything from ragga to techno and noise are fair game.