INDOOR LYFE (vinyl, maxi 45T)

Description

Founded in 1980 by SPATSZ (keyboards/electronics) - originally from Nancy - and MONA SOYOC (guitar, piano, vocals) - an American of Argentine descent - the duo quickly made a name for themselves in the French music scene. The KaS Product ‘sound’ challenged conventions with English songs and machines at a time when France only accepted its native language and the guitar/bass/drums triptych. The band made its first public appearance in May 1980 at the Musiques Nouvelles festival in Nancy and recorded their first self-produced EPs, Mind Seven and Play Loud, which were immediately noticed by the press and radio in France and England. - - Blending punk urgency, New Wave sound, and minimalism utilized by the duo configuration, KaS Product redefined the accepted limits of rock in France and beyond for nearly 10 years. Advocates of independent music, and driven by a desire for marginalization and opposition, the band achieved genuine critical acclaim, particularly from the foreign press, an unexpected recognition for their taste for audacity and risk. A raw expression at the expense of melody or musicality at all costs is particularly evident in their first two albums: Try Out, and By Pass. - - A third, more intimate album, Ego Eye, was released in '87. In 1988, the duo went on hiatus. In 1990, the New Rose label released Black & Noir, a compilation of their first two self-produced 45s and unreleased tracks from the 80s. Often considered precursors of the electro-clash movement, the band retained the energy infused by Punk, and above all influenced a large part of current French synth-pop. - - In 2005, KaS Product reformed for the Eurockéennes de Belfort festival and a few concerts in France before making a definitive return to the stage in 2012. While KaS Product was finalizing a new album, their first in 20 years, and preparing the release of a compilation for their 40th anniversary, Spatsz suddenly passed away on February 1, 2019. - - For Mona Soyoc, seeing these projects through was a given. Delayed by the health crisis, the compilation project was finalized in 2022. - - - -. When we see the formidable and convincing energy displayed on stage today by Mona Soyoc, most recently with Mellano Soyoc, we wish we had experienced the phenomenon at its inception.