Heldon - Electronique Guerilla. 1974 France

Heldon - Electronique Guerilla. 1974 Disjuncta.

Reissue LP: 2009 Wah Wah (Spain)

+++ Reissue: 2005 Captain Trip (Japan mini-LP. Fully licensed from Cuneiform). I also have the original LP. Heldon are a special band for me, one of the first underground groups I began to collect - going as far back as 1985.

All the Heldon albums are special, and the first is no exception. It's more raw and primitive, and that's part of its charm. Moog synths with searing electric guitar work define the album. An anarchic left wing vibe gives it a radical student atmosphere, befitting Professor Pinhas' role.

I found some unpublished notes that I wrote in 2006 about Heldon's early albums: "A proper discussion of French electronic music cannot be had without at least a passing mention of Heldon. Lead by the mercurial Richard Pinhas, a professor of Philosophy at Le Sorbonne, and master of electronics and guitar. The early albums, generally accepted as the first 3, exude the feeling of the underground - a true rebellion to all things that are commonly accepted. Subversive. One can only wonder what role Pinhas would’ve had in the French Revolution, but I get the impression he would’ve made the history books. And, in some ways, he has made the history books, even if the subject in question are more for connoisseurs than the general public."

Originally reissued by Spalax in 1991 and Cuneiform in 1993 (the latter along with the third "It's Always Rock'N'Roll"). Since I'm in possession of all the original 7 Heldon albums on LP, and have so since the 1980s, I had to splurge and buy the Japanese mini LPs of all and replace the jewel case CDs. These presses were licensed by Cuneiform, and in fact, I bought all of them direct from Wayside.