paris – A fiercely independent and politically charged rock scene flourished in France in the decade following the 1968 student protests, largely unknown outside the country, and ultimately faded by the early 1980s. Driven by socialist and communist ideals, bands prioritized live performance and direct engagement with audiences, frequently enough staging unconventional gigs – including in psychiatric hospitals – and embracing a deliberately ephemeral approach to their art.
The movement, documented in Ian Thompson’s new book Synths, Sax & Situationists: the French Musical Underground 1968-1978, arose from a desire to break with the dominance of Anglo-American music and forge a uniquely French sound. Limited media exposure – relying on magazines like Best and Rock & Folk, and the TV program Pop 2 – hampered commercial success, leading many bands to disband after releasing a single album.
Though,the scene’s impact resonated beyond its short lifespan. Thompson argues it “cleared the way for French rock music to take a decisive turn away from slavishly copying English and American musicians,” laying the groundwork for the international success of French artists like Daft Punk, Air, and Phoenix in the 1990s. bands like Komintern and Maajun even formed Flip (Force of Liberation and Pop Intervention) to further their politically motivated performances.
The bands were influenced by Situationist ideas, emphasizing the importance of the act of creation itself over lasting artistic products. Acts like Un Drame Musical Instantané exemplified this ethos. Thompson emphasizes that the revolution wasn’t about specific songs, but “the potential for true freedom of expression,” characterizing it as “a true experiment, not just a declaration.”
Synths, Sax & Situationists: The French Musical Underground 1968-1978 is published by Roundtable Books.
(Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly translated Le Chat Qui Pêche as “The Sinful Cat”, it is “The Fishing Cat”. This has been corrected.)
