Neva – “Individu” review
Individu was the very first album, in France, to explore the first fusions of electronic tones with the energy of punk. In my opinion, Individu was a devilish pioneer, and, now it steps back from the abyss to deliver its message, a message that points the way for a whole generation.
Jacquy Bitch
At last, the witness of the early years of “Neva” is re-released. This first album actually can’t be called an album. It consists of two parts – the concert record of 1987 and the early studio records of “Neva” (1984-1986). Regarding to the history of the release, let’s give a word to the band’s leader, vocalist and bass player, Jacquy Bitch: “When Individu was released, it was just a tape. I made each original copy by myself, at home, before every Neva’s gigs. It was a «roots» and very rare material. Since a long time, people asked me to reissue it on a more long-lasting and remastered support. I did it for Neva’s fans and I also made it to show the new generation how Neva sounded live”.
But it must be said that “Individu” will be interesting not only for collectors. If compare its stuff with the stuff of the band’s first (and the only) “official” album, “Fausse Conscience”, a listener won’t find in “Individu” such “level skips” as they were in “Fausse Conscience”, mostly thanks to such “hit” songs as “Vision” and “Louchald”. All the stuff has approximately one level, and it is very high. The songs are very catchy, hit and filled with drive, even the ones which sound moderately. The sound of the stuff is quite rough and though the remastering is perfect, it still sounds very raw and reflects the atmosphere of the period it was recorded in. “Individu” also reflects Jacquy’s punk experience which he got playing in several punk bands before “Neva”. However, the band’s style on this release is their recognizable one – Batcave eccentricity mixed with deathrock attitude and image, punk/post-punk backgrounds and the line up, which is more typical for coldwave (bass and two synths).
“Neva” was the flash in the French post-punk music of the 80’s with its sound, expressivity and eccentricity. I don’t think that it will be a lie if I say that “Neva” is the only French deathrock-oriented band which inspired the entire contemporary French deathrock scene and this scene just couldn’t exist as it is now, without “Neva’s” forerunning. So, “Individu” is highly recommended for all the post-punky music lovers, no matter if they’ve heard the band or not. And it is also recommended for those ones who managed to find unmastered versions of the release, because the mastering of this re-release makes possible to have all the pleasure of listening to it.
Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy
Grave Jibes Fanzine
