Young Gods

The Young Gods are a Swiss industrial rock band from Fribourg, formed in 1985. The original lineup of the band featured singer Franz Treichler, sampler player Cesare Pizzi and drummer Frank Bagnoud. For most of their history, the band maintained a trio format with a singer, a sampler player and a drummer, albeit with multiple line-up changes. Treichler is the band's sole consistent member; the current line-up also features Pizzi and drummer Bernard Trontin. During their career, the band have extensively collaborated with producer Roli Mosimann.

The band's music is largely based on sampling and sound manipulation; the tracks are constructed from various samples, such as distorted guitar riffs and string sections. Their later releases have incorporated elements from ambient and electronic music. Their sample-based approach to rock music influenced numerous musicians such as David Bowie, The Edge and Mike Patton.

History

Formation, ''The Young Gods'' and ''L'eau rouge'' (1985–1991)

Circa 1984, Fribourg-native guitarist Franz Treichler relocated to Geneva and started experimenting with sound collages on his 4-track recorder, following the dissolution of his punk band Jof & The Ram, previously known as Johnny Furgler & the Raclette Machine. Inspired by the sampling synthesizer E-mu Emulator, he started composing songs from these sound collages in early 1985 and introduced his roommate, former the Raclette Machine bassist Cesare Pizzi, to the sampler. The band started rehearsing with the addition of drummer Frank Bagnoud, who previously played in the same band as Pizzi.

The band took their name from the track "Young God" from Swans's 1984 EP of the same name; Treichler was exposed to the track after booking the band for a performance in Switzerland in 1984. The band made their live debut in the late 1985. Their early performances were mostly guerrilla gigs, in which the band played at squats, factories and occupied public places illegally. In these very early performances, Pizzi operated the samples through tape-playing keyboards and a loop pedal; the samples were stored in cassettes and taped through an answering machine. While they were able to obtain an Akai sampler after 10 performances, their debut single "Envoyé" was produced with this setup. The band signed to Belgian Play It Again Sam record label after the release of "Envoyé" on Organik and Wax Trax! Records in 1986. A music video for the track was also produced. The single cover art featured the band's logo carved onto Treichler's chest; in 2005, he stated that the scar "disappeared after five or six years." For their debut album, the band started working with former Swans member Roli Mosimann, who went on to become a long-time studio collaborator. The band's self-titled debut was released in 1987 to critical acclaim in the United Kingdom: the record was named as the best album of 1987 by music magazine ''Melody Maker''. " Did You Miss Me?", a Gary Glitter cover from the album, was released as an accompanying single. During this period, the band regularly relocated to London.

Bagnoud left the band in 1987. Drummer Urs Hiestand then joined the band and the band began working on the follow-up album with Mosimann. The drumming duties were first offered to Bernard Trontin, a friend of Treichler and band's then-future drummer; he refused due to his conflicting touring schedule. ''L'eau rouge'' was released in 1989 on Play It Again Sam, with non-album track "L'Amourir" and "Longue route" as singles. Like its predecessor, the record ranked among the year's best on ''Melody Maker''. Pizzi departed the band following the release of the album and was replaced by Alain Monod, who performed on the subsequent tour. The tour featured the band's first performances in the United States. Kurt Weill's "September Song" became a staple of the band's live set; they subsequently performed covers of Weill's compositions on Switzerland's Festival du Bois de la Bâtie. The studio versions of the tracks were released as ''The Young Gods Play Kurt Weill'' in 1991.

''T.V. Sky'', ''Only Heaven'' and ''Heaven Deconstruction'' (1992–1997)

For the recording of the band's fourth album with Mosimann, Treichler located to New York, where he subsequently lived for a couple of years; other members joined them for six months. The band's first English-language album, ''T.V. Sky'', was released in 1992, with the single "Skinflowers" becoming an underground hit. North American leg of the accompanying tour was documented on the television documentary ''TV-Sky - The Young Gods US Tour 92''. The band's 1992 live performance in Australia was released as the live album '' Live Sky Tour'' in 1993.

Amidst the commercial success of acts such as Nine Inch Nails, the band signed to Interscope Records. As a part of the label's request, the band worked with a sample clearance expert. The band's ambient-influenced record, ''Only Heaven'', was released in 1995. Music video for the album's lead single, "Kissing the Sun", was directed by Eric Zimmerman of H-Gun, who is known for his work on Nine Inch Nails's "Head Like a Hole" and Soundgarden's "Jesus Christ Pose." To support ''Only Heaven'', the band joined Ministry's 1996 tour, touring extensively for two years. Hiestand, feeling that the touring lifestyle was tiring, left the band in 1996. Treichler and Monod, then living in New York, regarded his departure as a sign and relocated back to Switzerland. To fill in for drumming duties, Bernard Trontin joined the band in 1997.

A companion record to ''Only Heaven'', titled '' Heaven Deconstruction'', was independently released in 1996. The instrumental album featured fully-ambient compositions and soundscapes produced during ''Only Heaven'' recording sessions. Treichler originally anticipated ''Only Heaven'' to be a double album featuring those outtakes; nevertheless, Interscope vetoed the idea. Towards the end of the decade, the label dropped the band, citing low commercial performance. During this time, the band entered a lawsuit with their former label, Play It Again Sam, regarding their contract.

''Second Nature'', ''Super Ready/Fragmenté'' and ''Everybody Knows'' (1998–2011)

In 2000, the band released their electronic music-influenced seventh album, '' Second Nature''. Citing the past problems with major labels such as Play It Again Sam, the band sought to release their album on their manager's label, Intoxygene, which Treichler subsequently regretted. The track "Lucidogen" was also released as a single in that year. Following the release of the 2001 live album '' Live Noumatrouff, 1997'', the band was commissioned to compose instrumentals for Swiss Federal Office of Public Health at Expo.02; these compositions were later reinterpreted and released under the name '' Music for Artificial Clouds'' in 2004. The record was later performed live as a part of which was a collaboration with anthropologist Jeremy Narby. In 2003, Ipecac Recordings issued ''Second Nature'' in North America.

Between 2003 and 2004, the band was left without a manager and a label. In 2005, the band started working on new material and released the compilation album '' XXY: 20 Years (1985-2005)'', featuring career highlights and rarities. The album was released on Play It Again Sam with a new track, titled "Secret", as a promotional single. In that year, the band played their anniversary shows in Montreux Jazz Festival and Willisau

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