By the mid-80s I had turned into a Francophile due to the sad quality of the British music reaching my ears. I was terminally bored with House music and that’s all anyone and their pet ferrets were extruding in England’s green and pleasant land 40 years ago. I found that if I turned my attention across the English Channel I was getting some superb music in return. So for at least eight years I was soaking up a wide swath of French-language artists…at least until the French discovered Hip Hop.
Now that we’re fully in the DIY modern Bandcamp era, I’ve been happy to return to the shores of France once more with various French artists reaching my ears anew. This time with what feels to be an even better wave of material. Last Friday I was made aware of the duo Buzzkill; formed by bassist Ronan Gauderat and vocalist/keyboardist Nolwenn Boyet. Their second release follows on from November 2024’s “I” EP and I’ve been listening to it on a loop all day and why should I have all of the fun? Let’s get into it.
Buzzkill: Wasteland – FR – CD-R/DL [2026]
- Shout 03:58
- Deus Rex 03:28
- Nowhere 02:59
- Après la Pluie 03:50
- There Must Be A Place 03:51
- Wasteland 04:30
- Isolation 04:31
When I first sampled “Shout” I was met with frantic tempo drum machine and howls of Mr. Gauderat’s metallic bass abetted with minimal synth drones. I was immediately referencing the great Métal Urbain for the vibe. So far so good, but music can sometimes stand or fall on the caliber of its voices. There is a certain sort of clichéd delivery that can render even the most aggressive music depressingly neutered. Thrillingly, this was by no means the case with Buzzkill.
Instead the singing of Ms. Boyet was in direct opposition to the frenetic, jackhammer electro thrash of the music. Instead of hectoring our ears with shouted slogans [though there’s nothing especially wrong with that – it has its time and place, such as right now] we had the brain stimulating effect of staccato tempo music with vocals floating above it that were highly legato in delivery! Ms. Boyet actually sounded as if she had been plucked from within a Jazz or Ethereal band and had been placed into some hostile new sonic environment. And it had the effect of pulling me deeply into the music from the very start.
In terms of vibe, it also took me back to the great, early Eurythmics B-side, “4:4 In Leather.” With the difference that Ms. Boyet was much more relaxed in her phrasing than Annie Lennox. Her delivery was so slack that she seemed to resist clearly articulating the lyrics in a less-was-more fashion. The songs here are split fairly evenly between French and English, for example, and most of the time don’t even register as one or the other! Within the intense and frantic music bed the vocals were more accurately described as an oasis of calm within a highly turbulent sonic environment.
“Deus Rex” had a deceptively languid intro but soon snapped into rigorous tempo with the deep fuzztone bass engaging in dialogue with the synth drones before the frantic hi-hats kicked in and the tempo really took off. With the drum machine only dropping out for a breather in the middle eight and the song’s crystalline climax.
The wailing synths were a bit richer in “Nowhere” for a thicker, more cinematic feel but the grotesque bass distortions that led to the song’s cold ending were still shocking and abrupt. Cavernous bass led in “Aprés La Pluie” [“After The Rain”] and the tempo here was merely fast instead of frenetic. The stark, instrumental middle eight dripped with drama until the final drum machine fills carried Ms. Boyet back into the song.
Distorted drum machine and baleful synths immediately created a threatening environment in “There Must Be A Place.” Gut bucket bass and trebly synths vied for our attention until the vocals began. The one lyric that leapt out of the mix for the entire album for me was the evocative “this world is just mess” while surrounded by warning klaxon synths.
A change of pace happened with the title track where heraldic organ patch chords were met by deep snarls of bass guitar; almost suggesting a bullfight scenario in the first minute of the song. Then the pulsating synths were joined with the pitiless hammering of the drum machine to fray our nerves. Save for the slow and mournful vocals from Ms. Boyet.
The closing “Isolation” paired police siren synths with a relentless four-on-the-floor drum machine and the paradoxically insouciant vocals of Ms. Boyet to restate the stylistic imprint of this unique album. The song rushed headfirst into its climax where the rhythm dropped out entirely to allow the synths to become unmoored and to end up floating gently into the ether.
This had been a bracing, compulsive listen. And there exist several ways for it to reach our ears. The band themselves are releasing the music on DL with the 24/48 files yours for €7.00. Then for the tangible among us, they offer a CD [edition of 100] for €10.00. If that calls to you then DJ hit this button.
DL/CD-R | €7.00/€10.00
DL/WHITE CASSETTE | €7.00
Meanwhile, French cassette label Ganache Records are offering a white cassette tape version of the album on release on Saturday, January 17th, 2026. With DL or tape for €7.00. DJ hit that button!
DL/BLACK CASSETTE | €7.00
But wait…there’s more! If you want more black than white, there’s a second black tape available [with DL] from Couer Sur Toi, also with DL for €7.00 out on Saturday. And their Bandcamp store list 8 copies left to sell, so if you want it dark, DJ hit the other button!
No matter what colors or formats you choose, Buzzkill are definitely a band to watch going forward.
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Post-Punk Monk 