The Young Gods

Swiss electro-noise terrorists the Young Gods traced their origins back to 1982, when Geneva-based frontman Franz Treichler, increasingly bored with his then-current new wave band, began experimenting with a small sampler. Influenced as well by the visceral power of punk and the grand drama of classical music, he began creating abrasive guitar and drum loops, and with sampler Cesare Pizzi and percussionist Frank Bagnoud, founded the Young Gods in 1985; named in an honor of a Swans composition, the trio debuted a year later with "Envoyé!," a brief, blistering single distilling their assaultive sound to its core. Produced by Swan Roli Mosimann, their self-titled debut LP followed in 1987, and was named Album of the Year by the British music weekly Melody Maker; by the time of the follow-up, 1989's L'Eau Rouge, drummer Use Heistand had replaced Bagnoud, and with the release of 1991's The Young Gods Play Kurt Weill, Pizzi was gone in favor of sampler Alain Monod. T.V. Sky followed in 1992, while 1995's Only Heaven flirted with ambient textures; two years later, the Young Gods (minus Heistand and with new drummer Bernard Trontin) returned with Heaven Deconstruction.