Etron Fou Leloublan
Encyclopedia
Etron Fou Leloublan, also known as EFL, were a French avant-rock band
founded in 1973 by actor
and saxophonist
Chris Chanet. They recorded five studio albums between 1976 and 1985, and released a live album, En Public Aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique recorded during a tour of the United States
in 1979. Etron Fou Leloublan were best known as one of the five original Rock in Opposition
(RIO) bands that performed at the first RIO festival in London
in March 1978.
Etron Fou Leloublan's music has been described as a blend of punk rock, jazz, French music hall, comedy satire and "avant-garde mayhem".
comprising vocalist and saxophonist Chris Chanet (real name Eulalie Ruynat), Ferdinand Richard
(bass guitar) and Guigou Chenevier (drums, percussion). Their first concert was on 27 December 1973 when they opened for the French progressive rock
band, Magma
. Etron Fou then went on to produce a "viable, musical alternative to both French rock'n'roll and French free jazz", which had stagnated at the time. In November 1976 they changed their name to Etron Fou Leloublan and recorded their first album, Batelages (1977). Chanet left the band before the album was released.
Towards the end of 1977 Francis Grand replaced Chanet on saxophone and the trio recorded their second album, Les Trois Fous Perdégagnent (Au Pays Des...). In March 1978, at the invitation of English
avant-rock group
Henry Cow
, Etron Fou Leloublan joined Rock in Opposition
(RIO) and performed at the first RIO festival in London
with four other groups. They also played at the second RIO festival in Milan
in April 1979, organised by RIO's Italian
representative, Stormy Six
. In November 1979 Etron Fou Leloublan toured the United States
, and performances at the Squat Club in New York City
and Trinity College
in Hartford, Connecticut
were recorded and released on a live album, En Public aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique.
Etron Fou Leloublan became a quartet
in 1980 with Bernard Mathieu replacing Grand on saxophone, and the addition of multi-instrumentalist and singer Jo Thirion. In mid-1980 the band recorded with former Henry Cow guitarist Fred Frith
in France and Switzerland
, and appeared on one side of Frith's 1981 solo LP
, Speechless
. Frith produced Etron Fou Leloublan's next album, Les Poumons Gonflés (1982), on which he also guested on two of the tracks, playing violin and guitar. For their fifth album, Les Sillons de la Terre (1984) the saxophonist changed again with Bruno Meillier replacing Mathieu.
Etron Fou Leloublan recorded their last album, Face Aux Éléments Déchaînés in August 1985 as a trio of Richard, Thirion and Chenevier, not bothering to fill the recurring vacant saxophone position. Frith produced the album and guested on four of the tracks. The band broke up in 1986.
from the French to "Crazy Shit, the White Wolf" or "Mad Shit, the White Wolf". The literal translation
of the name is "a lump of excrement" (Etron) "mad" (Fou) "the White Wolf" (Leloublan, which is a contraction of Le Loup Blanc).
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
founded in 1973 by actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and saxophonist
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
Chris Chanet. They recorded five studio albums between 1976 and 1985, and released a live album, En Public Aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique recorded during a tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1979. Etron Fou Leloublan were best known as one of the five original Rock in Opposition
Rock in Opposition
Rock in Opposition or RIO was a movement representing a collective of progressive bands in the late 1970s united in their opposition to the music industry that refused to recognise their music...
(RIO) bands that performed at the first RIO festival in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in March 1978.
Etron Fou Leloublan's music has been described as a blend of punk rock, jazz, French music hall, comedy satire and "avant-garde mayhem".
History
Etron Fou Leloublan were originally called Etron Fou, a trioTrio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
comprising vocalist and saxophonist Chris Chanet (real name Eulalie Ruynat), Ferdinand Richard
Ferdinand Richard
Hervé Richard , better known as Ferdinand Richard, is a French avant-rock bass guitarist and composer.Richard was a founding member of the French avant-rock group Etron Fou Leloublan in 1973, and remained with them until they broke up in 1986...
(bass guitar) and Guigou Chenevier (drums, percussion). Their first concert was on 27 December 1973 when they opened for the French progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band, Magma
Magma (band)
Magma is a French progressive rock band founded in Paris in 1969 by classically trained drummer Christian Vander, who claimed as his inspiration a "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future" that profoundly disturbed him. In the course of their first album, the band tells the story of a...
. Etron Fou then went on to produce a "viable, musical alternative to both French rock'n'roll and French free jazz", which had stagnated at the time. In November 1976 they changed their name to Etron Fou Leloublan and recorded their first album, Batelages (1977). Chanet left the band before the album was released.
Towards the end of 1977 Francis Grand replaced Chanet on saxophone and the trio recorded their second album, Les Trois Fous Perdégagnent (Au Pays Des...). In March 1978, at the invitation of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
avant-rock group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Henry Cow
Henry Cow
Henry Cow were an English avant-rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer Chris Cutler and bassoonist/oboist Lindsay Cooper were important long-term members...
, Etron Fou Leloublan joined Rock in Opposition
Rock in Opposition
Rock in Opposition or RIO was a movement representing a collective of progressive bands in the late 1970s united in their opposition to the music industry that refused to recognise their music...
(RIO) and performed at the first RIO festival in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with four other groups. They also played at the second RIO festival in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in April 1979, organised by RIO's Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
representative, Stormy Six
Stormy Six
Stormy Six were an Italian progressive and folk rock band founded in Milan in 1966. They performed and recorded until 1983, mostly as a sextet but occasionally as a quartet, a quintet and a septet. Although their line-up changed considerably over the years, founding member Franco Fabbri remained...
. In November 1979 Etron Fou Leloublan toured the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and performances at the Squat Club in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Trinity College
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
were recorded and released on a live album, En Public aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique.
Etron Fou Leloublan became a quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
in 1980 with Bernard Mathieu replacing Grand on saxophone, and the addition of multi-instrumentalist and singer Jo Thirion. In mid-1980 the band recorded with former Henry Cow guitarist Fred Frith
Fred Frith
Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
in France and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and appeared on one side of Frith's 1981 solo LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, Speechless
Speechless (Fred Frith album)
Speechless is a 1981 solo album by English guitarist, composer and improviser Fred Frith of the group Henry Cow. It was Frith's third solo album, and was originally released in the United States on LP record on The Residents' Ralph record label...
. Frith produced Etron Fou Leloublan's next album, Les Poumons Gonflés (1982), on which he also guested on two of the tracks, playing violin and guitar. For their fifth album, Les Sillons de la Terre (1984) the saxophonist changed again with Bruno Meillier replacing Mathieu.
Etron Fou Leloublan recorded their last album, Face Aux Éléments Déchaînés in August 1985 as a trio of Richard, Thirion and Chenevier, not bothering to fill the recurring vacant saxophone position. Frith produced the album and guested on four of the tracks. The band broke up in 1986.
Name
The band's name, "Etron Fou Leloublan" has been generally roughly translatedTranslation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
from the French to "Crazy Shit, the White Wolf" or "Mad Shit, the White Wolf". The literal translation
Literal translation
Literal translation, or direct translation, is the rendering of text from one language to another "word-for-word" rather than conveying the sense of the original...
of the name is "a lump of excrement" (Etron) "mad" (Fou) "the White Wolf" (Leloublan, which is a contraction of Le Loup Blanc).
Members
- Ferdinand RichardFerdinand RichardHervé Richard , better known as Ferdinand Richard, is a French avant-rock bass guitarist and composer.Richard was a founding member of the French avant-rock group Etron Fou Leloublan in 1973, and remained with them until they broke up in 1986...
– bass guitar, vocals - Guigou Chenevier – drums, percussion
- Chris Chanet (Eulalie Ruynat) (1973–1976) – saxophone, vocals
- Francis Grand (1976) – saxophone
- Bernard Mathieu (1979–1982) – saxophone
- Jo Thirion (1980–1985) – organ, piano, trumpet
- Bruno Meillier (1982) – saxophone
Albums
- Batelages (1977, LP, Gratte-Ciel)
- Les Trois Fous Perdégagnent (Au Pays Des...) (1978, LP, Tapioca)
- En Public aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique (live) (1979, LP, Celluloid RecordsCelluloid RecordsCelluloid Records, a French/American record label, founded by Jean Georgakarakos operated from 1976 to 1989 in New York, and produced a series of eclectic and ground-breaking releases, particularly in the early to late 1980s, largely under the auspices of de facto in-house producer Bill...
) - Les Poumons Gonflés (1982, LP, Turbo)
- Les Sillons de la Terre (1984, LP, Le Chant du Monde)
- Face Aux Éléments Déchaînés (1985, LP, RecRec MusicRecRec MusicRecRec Music was a Swiss independent record label created in 1983 by Daniel Waldner. The label was modeled on, and affiliated to, the British independent record label Recommended Records, but remained financially independent...
) - À Prague (live) (2010, CD, Gazul)
Compilations
- 43 Songs43 Songs43 Songs is a three-CD box set by French avant-rock band Etron Fou Leloublan . It contains all tracks from the band's five studio albums, Batelages , Les Trois Fous Perdégagnent , Les Poumons Gonflés , Les Sillons de la Terre and Face Aux Éléments Déchaînés...
(1991, 3xCD box set, Baillemont) – comprises all the studio albums
Appears on
- SpeechlessSpeechless (Fred Frith album)Speechless is a 1981 solo album by English guitarist, composer and improviser Fred Frith of the group Henry Cow. It was Frith's third solo album, and was originally released in the United States on LP record on The Residents' Ralph record label...
by Fred FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
(1981, LP, Ralph RecordsRalph RecordsRalph Records was The Residents' original record label, the name coming from the somewhat colorful phrase "calling Ralph on the porcelain telephone."...
)
External links
.- Etron Fou Leloublan at Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
. - Etron Fou Leloublan. at New Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock.
- Etron Fou Leloublan. at ProgArchives.
- Etron Fou Leloublan. at Gnosis.
- Etron Fou Leloublan discography.