The Young Gods: industrial alchemy from Switzerland

The Profile

The Young Gods are a Swiss industrial/experimental rock group formed in 1985 by Franz Treichler (vocals), Cesare Pizzi (samplers) and Frank Bagnoud (percussion). Pioneers of sampler-driven heavy music with live drums and a distinctive vocal style often in French, they released influential albums including The Young Gods, L’Eau Rouge, T.V. Sky and Only Heaven, and continued into the 21st century with Data Mirage Tangram.

Formed in Switzerland in 1985 by Franz Treichler, Cesare Pizzi and Frank Bagnoud. Renowned for replacing traditional guitars with samplers while retaining live percussion. Vocals are frequently in French. L’Eau Rouge was produced by Roli Mosimann. Notable releases include The Young Gods (debut), L’Eau Rouge (1989), T.V. Sky (1992), Only Heaven (1995), Super Ready / Fragmenté (2007) and Data Mirage Tangram (2019).

Swiss trio formed in 1985, celebrated for sampler-driven industrial/electronic rock with live drums and often French vocals. Reviews cover milestones from the debut and L’Eau Rouge through TV Sky and Only Heaven to Super Ready/Fragmenté and Data Mirage Tangram. Writers praise their evolution while retaining a distinctive identity. Noted production links (Roli Mosimann) and signature tracks like Kissing the Sun and Skinflowers recur.

Notable Quotes

❝ In "Tv Sky" (go dig it up, it's one of those 5-star albums unjustly consigned to oblivion) they were the first to overturn the traditional industrial formula: not electric guitars over sampled drumming but sampled guitars over 'live' drums.

❝ remember that they were the first to manage to deliver a certain power without a guitarist and a drummer but only with samples and a good dose of art;

❝ However, the confusion is magnificent; the sounds seem to be those of a real band, a true war machine on which the vocalist Franz Treichler's voice glides like over burning diesel..