Le Froguerock – was the northern French music genre that spanned from the early to late 1990s. Although in various forms its influences can still be seen – and in certain nooks and crannies le froguerock continues to blast out its pistonesque experimentation to this very day – it was nevertheless the 90s that saw it sweep across the country swallowing up all in its wake.
So, what was le froguerock? Well, in essence it was music! But, to leave it at that is similar to saying that ‘a cooker warms things up’. It was a polymorphic approach to sound that could only be arrived at through its intense relationships and reactions to the culture and society that in the 90s was pulling in a completely different direction. And, only in this sense can le froguerock truely be appreciated.That is to say,by understanding what it was coming out of, and what it was reacting to…If an approach to music could ever be seen as a form of protest, le froguerock was non-violent (very) direct action.
Hence, then, to understand fully le froguerock one has to understand what was occuring at the time. Of the many events that were swiling around in the currents of the 1990s,then, five of the most fundamental phenomenons that shaped le froguerock were :
(i) Chirac’s nuclear weapons testing, and everything that is explicit therein;
(ii) The very alarming rise of the new fascists in Europe. Le Penn in France, Haiden in Austria, etc.;
(iii)The manner in which capitalism was sweeping across the former Eastern Europe (see ‘Industrial Folk’ as a musical genre)eating away any hopes there may have been of creating truely egalitarian and non-exploitative systems;
(iv) The rampant unceasing Americanisation of the globe;
and,
(v) The deadhead apolitisisation of art and music, and music-listeners.
And, so evolved the explosion that became known as le froguerock.Three of the main protagonists of which were:
Dogger Fisheur German Bite; TOL; and, Panel Feçtoon… The music was raw, experimental, new and very exciting. And, although the 90s was its time, if one scratches under the surface le froguerock can still be found serging onwards into new spaces that it has forged out and burrowed apart – between the likes of sound and noise,and, rhythm and melody.A space and a gap that, prior to the emergence of le froguerock, noone was aware existed.
At present great parts of the froguerock beast might be hybernating, but do not be fooled, it is doing so with one eye firmly open…..............
Classic Froguerock tracks :-
Eat men mania – Panel Feçtoon
OV Power – Doggeur Fisheur German Bite
Space cow – Panel Feçtoon
Dogger Beast – TOL
Dentist Drill – Doggeur Fisheur German Bite
Amsterdam – Panel Feçtoon
Running Zone – Panel Feçtoon
Good Cooking Tonight – TOL
If you’re new to the sound of le froguerock…ENJOY.
(Jon Bonnin)
