T.C. Matic - L'Apache

Name: T.C. Matic

Album: L'Apache

Year: 1982

Style: EuroRock, Industrial, Post-Pumk

Similar Bands: Killing Joke, Gang Of Four, KMFDM, Borghesia, 

One Word Review: Barren Aggressive Propaganda Machines. 

Based Out Of: Brussels, Belgium

Label: EMI Belgium

 L'Apache - Cover, Sleeve, Record

L'Apache - Back, Sleeve, Record

L'Apache (1982)

1. Middle Class and Blue Eyes 3:16
2. Que Pasa 2:45
3. Touch Me 2:59
4. Rip-Off Poppoff 2:40
5. Mon Ami Louis 2:23
6. Just Another Joke 2:50
7. Le Java 3:30
8. I'm Not Gonna Listen 3:46
9. Les Zazous 2:53
10. Stay Scared Stay Alive 3:04
11. La-Bas 3:31

Album Rating (1-10): 5.5

Members & Other Bands:
Danny Willems - Cover

Jan Bultheel  Cover

Jean-Marie Aerts - Executive Producer, Writer, Guitar (Jo Lemaire, Urban Dance Squad, Plastic Bertrand, Big Bill, Johan Verminnen, Sonia Dufour, The Neon Judgement, Arno)

Arno Hintjens - Writer, Vox (Tjens-Couter, Freckleface, Sonia Dufour, Charels and the European White Trash Blues Connection, Machiavel)

Ferre Baelen  - Bass (Tjens-Couter, Sonia Dufour, The Neon Judgement, Arno)

Rudy Cloet- Drums (Tjens-Couter, Sonia Dufour, Arno, Yasmine)

Serge Feys - Keys (Tjens-Couter, Sonia Dufour, Arno, Noordkaap, The Candy Men, The Bollock Brothers)

Christian Ramon - Engineer

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of this band...or is it one artist? Not sure. Picked it up, and hopefully will not regret it, as it looks like it might be tedious jazzy lite-rock, with overproduced synths and an uber-smooth sheen. I probably should have left this to sit in the bin, but since I was just starting out (this is an early record I picked up) and I'd never heard of it, I bought it for a dollar or so.

Album Review: TC Matic was a band from Brussles, Belgium, and experimented in an odd mix of styles and genres from American rock and new wave to industrial, blues and avant garde styles. They made four albums from 1980-1986, and some minor hits came from other albums, but not this one. Singer Arno has gone one to be quite the prolific solo artist, usually joined by one or more TC Matic members. His stage presence has been known to be intense and diverse, since he sung in English, French, Dutch, Italian German, and his Ostend dialect.

“Middle Class and Blue Eyes” has a synthetic, nervous pulsing bass and keyboard beat. Then the Gang of Four style guitar plays its hook of individual notes. The vocal cadence has a bit of a German or industrial monotone authoritarian speech. The instrumental breakdown has a prog-like, perhaps a little Middle Eastern guitar section.

“Que Pasa” is sparse, a bit like a Tom Waits song at first. Just individual bass notes and skittering drums. The vocals are very declarative, and still follow the stern declaration. It is quite industrial in production

“Touch Me” has a bit of a Gang Of Four, chugging, shuffling tempo, with a little Clash as well. It features a weird squeaky synth effect, and odd off-note chime effect as the vocals yearn as they shout the title during the chorus.

“Rip-Off Poppoff” feels like a post apocalypse theme. It is barren, cold, and features drum machine claps and power chords that resemble metal grinding machines rather than a guitar. The vocals shout again, like propaganda brainwashing.

“Mon Ami Louis” starts with crystalline synth effects, and what it would sound like if KMFDM covered Clash songs with grinding guitars, simple drum machine style beat, and other new wave melodies. The chorus is brainwashingly repetitive.

“Just Another Joke” begins with tinkling on the upper ends of the guitar, and bombastic drums. The shouting, broken vocals begin over an almost hipster-island guitar melody. But the chorus is bolder, and makes me think of a Rocky 4 Russian training montage. For the instrumental breakdown, the sunny guitar line is layered under sizzling electric vibrations.

“Le Java” has a driving deep bass rhythm driving the song, with bold drums and mockery style vocals. The guitar is more poppy for this song, almost sounding like a Nintendo/Mega Man level

“I'm Not Gonna Listen” is heavy and complex, with off-note chords and angry shouting vocals. The vocals and a sparkly synth trade focus for the chorus. The vocals sound like they are just devolving into reactionary noises. Soaring guitars drag the song along, but do not cross paths with the vocals.

“Les Zazous” is a combination of classical/chamber rock with post punk drum and bass. The vocals are trying to maintain a grasp on control, like Einar from the Sugarcubes. In the instrumental section near the end, a piano plays a familiar-yet-suspicious melody

“Stay Scared Stay Alive” has a drum machine like beat to start the song off, and whiny “wakka” guitar. The vocals are not as brash and chaotic as before, and here remind me a little of Rodney A. from the Dead Milkmen, particularly in the chorus.

“La-Bas” is motivated along by an alarm/metronome marching beat and rumbling guitars. The song is dark, with the way the guitars echo, as if played in a dark, empty warehouse. The vocals are strained as they try to reach the microphone aggressively. Maybe a little like some of Nine Inch Nails material, maybe? 

Stand Out Track - Touch Me

Links:
Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic

Music Map

Rate Your Music