In 1998, when Matmatah released their first album, "La Ouache," the young Brest band had no idea that the train was just starting and that once it picked up full speed, stops would be few and far between. Against all expectations, the Matmatah phenomenon quickly spread beyond Brittany, and the band established itself as a stronghold of French rock: records sold at a frantic pace, and tours were sold out. "Lambé An Dro," "Emma," "Derrière ton dos," and "L'apologie" were all new anthems for a generation not yet fully hit by the crisis. In 2001 came "Rebelote," brimming with classic rock influences. Artistically, the band took a radical turn and embraced it. Matmatah evolved, like the world around it. Benoît Fournier replaced Fanch on drums in 2003. The third album, "Archie Kramer," marked Matmatah's coming of age. After enjoying the carefree nature of their early years, the band now delivered more concerned messages. "The decadence of an America to contemplate on Fox" mentioned in Alzheimer still resonates strangely today... Matmatah continued its momentum with a fourth album, "La Cerise," released in 2007. But the long tour that followed exacerbated tensions, and the band bowed out in 2008. Fade to black. On the occasion of Matmatah's twentieth anniversary, Eric, Benoît, and Tristan looked back fondly and released the "Antaology" box set in 2015, offering many unreleased tracks, demos, and live versions. The idea of a reunion then took shape. But for them, it wasn't just about going on the road to play old songs. They had things to say. It was time to write again. Emmanuel Baroux, who had already accompanied Tristan Nihouarn on his solo tour, took over from Sammy on guitar. Matmatah embarked for England in August 2016, accompanied by Bruno Green, who was in charge of producing a new album. Within a few weeks, the automatisms returned, the sense of urgency sprang from the rhythm section, still consisting of Eric Digaire and Benoît Fournier. Tristan Nihouarn's voice, sometimes sharp, sometimes moving, hadn't changed. Quickly, eleven new tracks were recorded. As they officially announced their return to the stage in September, concert tickets sold out before they even had time to mention a new album. It seems they were highly anticipated... "Plates coutures" was mixed in October 2016 at ICP, Brussels, then mastered at Abbey Road, London. The result? A huge breath of fresh air at a time when the general atmosphere was full of tension. In this deleterious atmosphere of permanent end-of-the-world, Matmatah responded to ills with words.
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