Vagina Dentata Organ

Emerging from the experimental underground that developed around the British punk and industrial scenes of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Vagina Dentata Organ (VDO) is the uncompromising audio and visual project of Catalan artist Jordi Valls. Born in Barcelona, Valls moved to London in the late 1970s, where he became involved with the developing industrial music network, establishing connections with groups such as Throbbing Gristle, Whitehouse and Psychic TV. Before starting his own recording project, he was already active as a promoter, organiser and intermediary, helping bring some of the most challenging acts of the British underground to wider audiences.

 
The official beginning of VDO dates back to 1983, when Valls established his own label, WSNS (World Satanic Network System), later renamed World Surrealist Network System. Although the project is essentially a one-man operation, with most of its material conceived, selected or assembled by Valls, there were a few exceptions during its early years. Glenn Michael Wallis, the British musician associated with Konstruktivists, was allowed to use the Vagina Dentata Organ name for a handful of recordings in the early 1980s. This makes the project slightly more complicated than a conventional solo discography might suggest. 

 
Rather than working with traditional compositions or conventional instrumentation, Valls developed a distinctive approach based on found sounds, field recordings, documentary material and carefully selected audio fragments. His first LP, 'Music For The Hashishins: In Memoriam Of Hasan Sabbah' (1983), was built around recordings of growling and barking dogs, processed and arranged into an unsettling sound document. The following releases pushed the concept further. 'The Last Supper' (1983), a picture-disc LP, incorporated recordings connected with the final hours of the People's Temple community at Jonestown, including the voice of its leader Jim Jones. The original edition was limited to 912 numbered copies, corresponding to the number of victims who died there in November 1978. 

 
The third major release, 'The Triumph Of The Flesh' (1984), featured recordings of the famous Easter drum celebrations in Calanda, Aragón. Some specially prepared copies incorporated Valls's own blood into the picture-disc presentation. This combination of sound, physical objects, provocative imagery and symbolic gestures became central to the VDO identity. The subsequent 'Cold Meat' explored another subject through recordings of human orgasms, accompanied by deliberately disturbing visual material. The records were conceived as complete artistic objects rather than simply collections of tracks.

 
Valls also maintained close links with the British industrial scene. He managed Whitehouse during the early 1980s and provided the Catalan spoken introductions heard throughout their 'Psychopathia Sexualis' LP (1982). He also contributed to Psychic TV's 'Dreams Less Sweet' (1983), appearing on the track "Catalan". His association with Throbbing Gristle went back to the late 1970s, when he helped organise one of the group's early Barcelona appearances. These connections placed VDO within the same underground network as some of the most influential figures in early industrial and power electronics. 

 
In 1984, VDO appeared on Spanish television in the cultural programme La Edad De Oro, where a controversial performance involving the destruction of three paintings provoked considerable reaction. The project continued with occasional releases, including 'Un Chien Catalan' (1994), featuring recordings of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and 'The Perpignan Killings' (2002). 'The Great Masturbator' (2004), dedicated to Salvador Dalí, and 'Music For The Blind' (2007) extended Valls's interest in surrealism, visual art and unusual sound sources. 

 
The project also attracted attention outside the record-collecting world. In 1997, the arts and culture magazine Life Without Sex devoted an entire issue to VDO, while filmmaker Julian Alvarez produced a documentary about the first three WSNS albums. Valls eventually returned to Barcelona in 2008 after spending several decades in London, continuing his activities in visual art, painting and occasional musical performances. 

 

UB40

Coming out of Birmingham's working-class neighbourhood of Moseley, UB40 began taking shape in the summer of 1978, when a group of friends with a shared interest in Jamaican reggae started rehearsing together. The original nucleus included brothers Ali Campbell (vocals, guitar) and Robin Campbell (guitar, vocals), Earl Falconer (bass), Brian Travers (saxophone), James 'Jimmy' Brown (drums) and Norman Hassan (percussion). After some initial personnel changes, Michael 'Mickey' Virtue (keyboards) and Terence Wilson, better known as Astro (vocals, percussion), joined the group, completing the classic eight-piece line-up in early 1979. Their name came from the British government's "Unemployment Benefit Form 40", a reference to the circumstances many of the members were experiencing at the time. Their political awareness and working-class background would become important elements of their identity, alongside the multicultural influences of the city in which they grew up.

 
After spending much of their first year rehearsing and learning their instruments, the band made their live debut on 9 February 1979 at the Hare & Hounds pub in Kings Heath, Birmingham. They gradually developed a sound combining Jamaican roots reggae and dub with elements of British pop and ska, featuring prominent bass lines, keyboards, saxophone arrangements and Ali Campbell's distinctive vocals. Their first major break came towards the end of 1979, when Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders saw them performing in London and invited them to support her group on its 1980 tour.

 
Their recording career began in 1980 with the release of their debut single, 'King' / 'Food For Thought', on the independent Graduate Records. Released in March, it reached number four in the UK singles chart, an impressive result for a debut by a relatively unknown band. Their first album, 'Signing Off', followed in September 1980. Recorded with producer Bob Lamb, it combined original reggae compositions with dub passages and socially conscious lyrics addressing unemployment, racism and the political climate of Britain under Margaret Thatcher. The sleeve reproduced the design of an unemployment benefit card, reinforcing the group's background and political identity. The album reached number two in the UK charts and remained there for 72 weeks. 

 
At the end of 1980, the eight members ended their association with Graduate Records and established their own record company, DEP International, with equal ownership among the band members. They subsequently signed a licensing and distribution agreement with CBS, allowing them to retain greater creative and financial control. Their second album, 'Present Arms', appeared in June 1981 on DEP International and continued their mixture of politically charged songwriting and accessible reggae rhythms. It included "One In Ten", a song about unemployment and social exclusion that became one of their best-known early compositions. In October 1981, they released 'Present Arms In Dub', which became the first dub album to enter the UK Top 40. 

 
The following year brought 'UB44', recorded in Dublin and released in September 1982. The album reached number four in the UK charts, although its singles failed to match the success of their earlier hits. During this period, the band also toured Australia and Zimbabwe. Following the end of their distribution arrangement with CBS, they negotiated a new deal with Virgin Records. They also opened their own recording studio, The Abattoir, in Birmingham, giving them greater independence over their recording activities. 

 
A major change in direction came with 'Labour Of Love', released in September 1983 through DEP International. Rather than concentrating on original compositions, the album was dedicated to the Jamaican reggae artists and songs that had influenced the group. Their interpretations included Eric Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby", Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers To Cross" and Al Green's "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)". Their version of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine" became a massive international hit, reaching number one in Britain and, following its American reissue in 1988, topping the US Billboard Hot 100. The album itself became their first UK number one.

 
The commercial success continued throughout the second half of the 1980s. 'Geffery Morgan' (1984) and 'Baggariddim' (1985) explored different approaches, with the latter featuring collaborations with several reggae singers and DJs, including Afrika Bambaataa on "Reckless". Their version of Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe", recorded with Chrissie Hynde in 1985, also reached number one in Britain. Further success followed with 'Rat In The Kitchen' (1986), which included "Sing Our Own Song", written in support of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. In 1986, they became one of the first major Western bands to tour the Soviet Union, with their performances in Moscow later documented on the live album 'UB40 CCCP', released in 1987.

 
In 1988, the group released the self-titled album 'UB40', featuring "Breakfast In Bed", another collaboration with Chrissie Hynde. They also appeared at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert at Wembley Stadium that year. Their next album, 'Labour Of Love II', arrived in 1989, continuing their exploration of Jamaican reggae classics with versions of "Kingston Town", "Homely Girl" and "The Way You Do The Things You Do".

 
The band maintained their chart presence during the 1990s with albums including 'Promises And Lies' (1993), which reached number one in Britain and featured their internationally successful interpretation of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love". 'Labour Of Love III' followed in 1998, continuing the series of reggae covers that had become an important part of their catalogue.

 
After three decades together, the original line-up began to change. Ali Campbell left in 2008 following disagreements within the group, with his brother Duncan Campbell taking over as lead vocalist. The remaining members continued recording and touring, releasing 'Labour Of Love IV' in February 2010, the first album in the series to feature Duncan on lead vocals. That same year, they celebrated the 30th anniversary of 'Signing Off' with a remastered edition and a UK tour during which they performed the album in its entirety. 

 
Astro left the group in 2013 and subsequently joined Ali Campbell and Mickey Virtue in a separate UB40-related project. Brian Travers died in August 2021, followed by Astro in November of the same year. Duncan Campbell retired from touring in 2021 for health reasons and was replaced as lead vocalist by Matt Doyle. In 2024, the group celebrated their 45th anniversary with the release of 'UB45', an album featuring new recordings and guest appearances.  

 

Tableau Noir

Coming from the French minimal synth and new-wave underground, Tableau Noir released a single album, 'Correspondances', a privately issued record that has remained a fairly obscure entry in the French electronic music scene. The group brought together Yasmine on backing vocals, Patrick Ambulante on bass, Thierry Cordier on guitar and vocals, Bernard Mikaélian on keyboards, and David Girardi on vocals and drum programming. 

 
The album takes its inspiration from the poetry of Charles Baudelaire, drawing on texts from "Les Fleurs Du Mal" and setting them to music sung entirely in French. Its literary approach gives the record a distinctive atmosphere, with lyrics that retain much of Baudelaire's dark romanticism, melancholy and imagery. David Girardi's fragile, expressive vocal delivery has something of Daniel Darc's characteristic style, adding an intimate and slightly haunted quality to the songs.

 
Musically, 'Correspondances' moves between stripped-down minimal synth arrangements and more developed new-wave passages, with synthesizers providing much of the atmosphere alongside bass, guitar and programmed rhythms. There are noticeable echoes of Taxi Girl's 'Seppuku', particularly in the combination of restrained electronic textures, sombre melodies and understated post-punk instrumentation. Bernard Mikaélian handled the keyboards and co-produced the album with Jacques Pinon, shaping its sound around the contrast between electronic minimalism and more conventional band arrangements. 

 

 

Stormtroopers Of Death

New York City's thriving underground metal and hardcore scenes provided the setting for the creation of Stormtroopers Of Death (S.O.D.) in 1985. Conceived as a side project bringing together musicians from both worlds, the group combined the speed and aggression of hardcore punk with the heavy riffs and rhythmic intensity of thrash metal, helping establish what became known as crossover thrash.

 
The original line-up reunited three musicians associated with Anthrax: Scott Ian (guitar), Charlie Benante (drums) and Dan Lilker (bass), alongside vocalist Billy Milano, who had previously been involved in the New York hardcore scene. Ian and Benante had already developed their reputation through Anthrax, while Lilker had been an original member of the band before leaving in 1984 and subsequently becoming involved with Nuclear Assault. Milano's shouted vocals and deliberately provocative lyrics gave S.O.D. a distinctly irreverent character, drawing on hardcore's confrontational attitude and the humour of the underground punk scene. 

 
Their debut album, 'Speak English Or Die', appeared on Megaforce Records in December 1985. Recorded in just three days at Pyramid Sound in Ithaca, New York, the 21-track record was a fast, abrasive collection of short songs, combining tightly constructed thrash riffs, hardcore rhythms, rapid-fire drumming and deliberately outrageous humour. The material included "March Of The S.O.D.", "Sargent D And The S.O.D.", "Milk", "Milano Mosh" and "United Forces". The lyrics, delivered through Milano's aggressive shouting, frequently relied on black humour, provocation and politically incorrect jokes, generating controversy that became closely associated with the group's identity. 

 
Initially conceived as a short-lived side project during a break in Anthrax's activities, S.O.D. played a relatively small number of concerts before the members returned to their other bands. Milano subsequently formed M.O.D. (Method Of Destruction), continuing to explore the mixture of hardcore and thrash metal. The growing reputation of 'Speak English Or Die', however, brought the original musicians back together in 1992 for further performances, documented on 'Live At Budokan', an album whose title was deliberately misleading, as the recording actually came from a New York concert. 

 
Another reunion followed in 1997, leading to a more permanent return between 1999 and 2002. The group released 'Bigger Than The Devil' in 1999, their first full-length studio album since their debut, followed by touring and the video release "Kill Yourself: The Movie". Further disagreements between the members eventually brought this period to an end. In 2007, Megaforce released 'Rise Of The Infidels', a collection combining previously unreleased material and live recordings, marking another chapter in the band's intermittent history.

 

Die Radierer

Formed in 1978 in Limburg an der Lahn, a relatively small town in Hesse between Bonn and Frankfurt, Die Radierer grew out of the local punk scene and became part of the first wave of German post-punk and Neue Deutsche Welle. The group was originally formed by Jürgen Beuth, Christian B. Bodenstein and Peter Lack under the name Terry & The Rorists, a German-language punk outfit that gradually moved towards a more experimental approach. After several changes of name and musical direction, they settled on Die Radierer, making their live debut under that name on 1 January 1980. Their connection with the Limburg underground also brought them into contact with other local musicians and projects, including The Wirtschaftswunder and Korpus Kristi.

The original line-up included Jürgen Beuth (guitar), Christian B. Bodenstein (vocals), Peter Lack (drums), Walter Holthaus (bass) and Bernd Pulch (saxophone). Beuth became the principal musical force, handling composition and arranging the band's unusual instrumental combinations, while Bodenstein developed a distinctive lyrical approach, drawing on bizarre imagery, black humour, social satire and deliberately absurd situations. Their music moved freely between punk, electronic experimentation, post-punk, minimal synth and eccentric pop, combining distorted guitars, primitive keyboards, repetitive rhythms and playful melodies. They also embraced a deliberately unconventional attitude towards musicianship, frequently describing themselves as Nicht-Musiker (non-musicians).

Their first single, 'Angriff auf's Schlaraffenland', appeared in 1980 on Alfred Hilsberg's newly established ZickZack Records. The track became an early underground favourite, with its pounding rhythm, cheap-sounding keyboard melodies and surreal lyrics providing a good introduction to their peculiar mixture of punk aggression and childish humour. The connection with ZickZack placed them alongside important figures in the developing German independent scene, including DAF, Der Plan, Palais Schaumburg and S.Y.P.H. The broader Limburg scene was sometimes referred to as Die Limburger Pest, a label that reflected the unusual concentration of experimental punk and post-punk activity coming from this relatively provincial setting. 

The debut album, 'Eisbären & Zitronen', followed in 1981, establishing their combination of electronic textures, sharp guitar work, strange pop melodies and provocative German-language lyrics. 'In Hollywood' appeared in 1983, followed by 'Gott & Die Welt' in 1984, as the group continued to explore the possibilities between conventional rock instrumentation and increasingly synthetic arrangements. Tom Dokoupil, who had been involved with the Limburg underground and The Wirtschaftswunder, was also associated with the band's musical development during this period.

After their original 1980s recording period, the group's history continued through occasional reunions and new recordings. Albums such as 'Der Andalusische Bär' (2008) and 'Porko Mondo' (2014) documented their return to recording, while the four-CD collection 'Punk! Pest! Pop! – Sammelband 1978–1984', released in 2017, brought together their three original albums, singles, demos, live recordings and rarities. Later releases included 'Gute Laune Land' (2021), 'Im Angesicht Des Todes – Live' (2022) and 'Limburger Schule' (2025), the latter featuring the participation of Tom Dokoupil, who contributed additional keyboard sounds and helped with the mixing. The later line-up has included founding members Jürgen Beuth and C. B. Bodenstein alongside bassist Lilith Winter, drummer Jörg and Paddy on keyboards and vocals. 

Pablo's Eye

Formed in Brussels in 1989, Pablo’s Eye began as an open-ended international collective rather than a conventional band. The project was founded by producer and musician Axel Libeert, who wanted to bring together people from different artistic backgrounds, allowing new contributors to join whenever the opportunity arose. Making music was important, but sharing a common artistic attitude and an interest in experimentation were the main principles behind the project. Their approach centred on mixing musical forms, cultures and ideas, with an emphasis on creating atmospheres that suggested journeys through time and space. 

The collective's musical direction moved between ambient, experimental electronics, downtempo, trip-hop, tribal rhythms and more abstract soundscapes, combining programmed elements, sampled sounds and acoustic instruments. Alongside Libeert, regular contributors included Marie Mandi, whose voice became an important part of the group's identity, guitarist Thierry Royo, sound artist Luc Laret, sound processors Erwin Autrique and Uwe Teichert, violinist Patrick Hanappier and English writer Richard Skinner, responsible for many of the project's texts. The flexible lineup also allowed other musicians and artists to become involved, depending on the nature of each recording or collaborative project. 

Their first releases appeared on the Belgian label Celsius Blanco, beginning with the self-titled debut album in 1989, followed by 'Barcelona (Architects Of)' (1991) and 'Devotions' (1992). Throughout the 1990s, Pablo's Eye continued exploring different electronic textures and rhythmic approaches, releasing material through labels including Extreme and Swim\~, with albums such as 'Prepare For The Others To Follow' (1996), 'All She Wants Grows Blue' (1998) and 'Realismo' (1999). Their activities also extended beyond record-making into collaborations involving architecture, video, theatre, dance and graphic design, as well as commissioned music projects for organisations including CBS/Sony, ZTT Records and Pioneer.

 After a lengthy period of relative inactivity, their back catalogue received renewed attention when Belgian label Stroom, curated by Ziggy Devriendt, began revisiting their work in 2018. The resulting anthology series comprised 'Spring Break' (2018), 'Bardo For Pablo' (2018) and 'Dark Matter' (2019), bringing together different aspects of their extensive recordings from the 1990s. This renewed interest also encouraged the collective to perform live for the first time in almost three decades, with appearances at Brussels' Listen! Festival and Berlin Atonal in 2019. Further releases followed, including 'Southlite' (2017), 'A Mountain Is An Idea' (2022) and 'The Light Was Sharp, Our Eyes Were Open' (2024), while 'Everything You Give Away' appeared through Stroom in 2026. 

The Odds

Formed in 1978 by bassist Bill McKeown and vocalist Sam Leyland, The Odds were a British punk-influenced rock band who combined the energy of the UK punk explosion with catchy pop hooks and a healthy dose of 1960s influences. Drummer Colin Brockwell and saxophonist Stuart Matthewman soon joined the original pair, helping shape the band's early sound as they began playing around the UK grassroots circuit. 

Guitarist Keiran Moses joined after the recording of 'Saturday Night', but before the front-cover photograph was taken, which explains why he appears in the picture without being credited on the record. As the group went through several line-up changes, Moses eventually took over vocals and guitar duties, alongside guitarist Jonathan “Twig” Leafe. The band built up a following through regular gigs at venues such as London's Marquee Club, Hull City Hall and Dudley JB's, as well as university dates. Their live appearances also brought them onto bills alongside The Damned, The Skids and The Selecter, placing them within the wider network of British punk and new wave acts touring the country at the time. 

The Odds split up in autumn 1981, after a few years of activity marked by singles, live performances and changes in personnel. Their recorded material later received a wider airing with the 2023 release of 'Foolish Men', issued on vinyl and digitally. The compilation brought together singles, B-sides, demos and live recordings, documenting the band's brief run between the late-1970s punk boom and the changing British independent scene of the early 1980s.

 

Nacht'Raum

Coming out of the Swiss underground electronic scene of the early 1980s, Nacht'Raum was a duo formed by M. Antener (Michael Antener) and Michael Stämpfli in 1983. Based near Bern, Switzerland, the project explored the darker side of minimal synth, industrial music and Neue Deutsche Welle, working with stripped-down electronic arrangements and German-language vocals. 

The duo's sound was built around sparse synthesizers, mechanical rhythms and the Roland TR-808 drum machine, combining cold electronic textures with the raw, experimental approach associated with the European underground cassette scene. Their music reflected the influence of industrial pioneers such as SPK and Nocturnal Emissions, while also sharing the atmosphere of contemporary Swiss acts like Grauzone and Mittageisen. 

Nacht'Raum self-released an untitled mini-LP in 1983, documenting their early experiments with minimal electronics and austere, unsettling soundscapes. Antener was also active under the name Bande Berne Crematoire, a solo project he had started in 1980 that mixed Neue Deutsche Welle with noise and experimental music. Both projects belonged to a small network of independent musicians distributing their recordings through limited releases and tape compilations. 

After Nacht'Raum, Antener went on to become better known internationally through Swamp Terrorists, the Swiss electro-industrial project he developed with Ane Hebeisen and other collaborators during the late 1980s. Nacht'Raum's early recordings were later collected alongside material by Bande Berne Crematoire on 'Expanded 1982–1984', an archival LP released by Mannequin Records in 2017. 

Machinations

Formed in Sydney in 1980, Machinations developed a polished synth-pop sound that combined electronic rhythms, prominent keyboards, melodic guitar and Fred Loneragan’s distinctive vocals. The group grew out of songwriting sessions between guitarist Tim Doyle and keyboard player Tony Starr, who had begun experimenting with electronic instruments in late 1979. Their school friend Loneragan joined on vocals, and bassist Nick “Nero” Swan completed the original line-up shortly afterwards.

 
The band played its first show at Garibaldi’s in Darlinghurst in early 1980. Their debut single, 'Average Inadequacy', appeared in 1981, followed by a self-titled EP. Working with producer Lobby Loyde, they began building a following on the Sydney scene before signing with Mushroom Records’ White Label. The release of their debut album, 'Esteem', in 1983 marked an important step forward, particularly with the single “Pressure Sway”, which became a major Australian hit and also attracted attention in the United States, where it reached the Billboard dance chart. 

 
After initially relying on a drum machine, the group added drummer Warren McLean in the mid-1980s, giving their live performances a more conventional rhythmic foundation. Their second album, 'Big Music', arrived in 1985, following the September 1984 release of “No Say In It”. The single became their highest-charting Australian hit, peaking at number 14, while “My Heart’s On Fire” reached number 27. “You Got Me Going Again” also entered the charts, helping establish the group as a regular presence on Australian radio and dance floors. Their sound retained its electronic edge while embracing the bigger production and melodic hooks associated with mid-1980s pop. 

 
On 13 July 1985, Machinations performed “Pressure Sway”, “My Heart’s On Fire” and “No Say In It” at the Oz for Africa benefit concert at Sydney Entertainment Centre. The event formed part of the international Live Aid campaign and was broadcast across Australia on the Seven and Nine networks, as well as on MTV in the United States. Sharing the bill with major Australian acts including INXS, Men At Work, Icehouse and Mental As Anything, the band took its best-known songs to a much wider television audience. 

 
In 1986, White Label released 'The Big Beat', a mini-album featuring dance remixes of tracks including “Pressure Sway”, “No Say In It”, “Execution of Love” and “You Got Me Going Again”. McLean left that year to join I’m Talking, and subsequent changes behind the drum kit saw Henry Downes and later John Mackay pass through the line-up. The band continued recording, releasing the single “Do To You” in 1987, which reached number 15 on the Australian chart.

 
Their third studio album, 'Uptown', followed in 1988, accompanied by singles including “Intimacy” and “Do It To Me”. By this stage, Machinations had built a catalogue that moved between dance-oriented synth-pop, new wave and accessible radio pop, with arrangements shaped by electronic textures and strong rhythmic patterns. The group split up around the end of the decade, with members going on to other projects. 

 
Machinations reunited for live appearances in 1997 and returned to performing again in 2012. The classic line-up centred on Loneragan, Doyle, Starr and Swan, with the band’s later history also marked by the deaths of Starr in 2022 and Swan in 2024. 

La Came Aux Damélias

Formed in 1975 by musicians from the Oise region of northern France, La Came Aux Damélias belonged to the early wave of French rock groups that began incorporating the raw energy of punk into the country's rock scene. The original line-up featured Jean-Pierre Lefèvre, Gilles Prigent and Denis Barry, with Alain Gilles joining on vocals. By 1977, Gilles was the only remaining member of the original formation, keeping the band's name and rebuilding the group around Alain Fournier on bass, Roland Leday on drums, Patrick Henri on lead guitar and Jean-Yves Brenaut on rhythm guitar. Rehearsals took place at Gilles' house in Beaumont-sur-Oise, with the musicians coming mainly from the surrounding area. 

The band's first record appeared in 1978, when they recorded three tracks at Studio Oxygène in Paris after responding to an advertisement in Best magazine. Two of the songs, “La 5ème Roue Du Système” and “Chopper,” were released on a 7-inch single through Oxygène Records, catalogued as OXY 014. Around 1,000 copies were pressed, although relatively few sold at the group's concerts. The third track was included on the label's 1979 compilation '125 Grammes De 33 1/3 Tours', alongside recordings by other French underground acts, including Strychnine, Le Fracas and Écoute Maman. Brenaut was away doing his military service when the recordings were made, so he did not play on the sessions.

 
Their music sat between the rough-edged French rock of the 1970s and the faster, more abrasive approach of punk. The single's guitar work provides the clearest link with the new sound developing in France at the time, while Alain Gilles handled the vocals and wrote the lyrics. The band also became part of the live circuit, playing at Paris' legendary Golf-Drouot venue, including an appearance on 8 July 1977, and performing at the 1978 Mantes-la-Jolie festival, which also featured Bernard Lavilliers, Catherine Ribeiro and Magma. They continued gigging into 1979, building a modest live presence despite the limited circulation of their record. 

Changes in the line-up marked the group's final years. Roland Leday died in 1980 and was replaced by a drummer known as Sammy, while Patrick Henri subsequently left. Gilles took over guitar duties as well as vocals, and the revised line-up recorded a demo at the Florida studios in Paris in August 1980. The results were considered unsatisfactory by the band, and the recordings remained unreleased. La Came Aux Damélias finally split in June 1981, leaving behind a small recorded legacy centred on their 1978 single and their contribution to the Oxygène compilation.