After 22 years of existence, the very first recordings of Paris Violence remain badly known, in spite of punctual, partial and limited reissues. "Impossible n’est pas Français" redraws the history of this period which dips back us in the middle of the 90s. With 19 tracks, taken from the debut demo tape "L’Esprit Français" and from other confidential tapes released the same year (1995). We discover an unexpected Paris Violence, mixing a Oi!/Rock Punk sound with other influences (New-Wave, post-Punk and even Electro. A precious testimony on the genesis of this atypical group of the French scene, accompanied with illustration of the period, mostly unpublished. Welcome in this journey which goes back in time… 19 tracks!

It's always a pleasure when I receive a package from my Catalonian friends at Common People Records! It's only a few times a year, simply because they don't release that much records, but the one they do release are always handled with great care, giving you top quality for your dollar. The latest addition to their catalog is yet again a compilation of a golden oldie, although they're still active until this very day: Paris Violence! With "Impossible N'est Pas Français" we go back in time, all the way to the early, very early days of Paris Violence. Because "Impossible N'est Pas Français" is not just a compilation, it compiles some of the band's very first work, dating back all the way to 1995. The total of 19 tracks (20 if you pick up the CD-version) all come from the band's first three tapes, namely: "L'Esprit Français" (eight tracks), "L'Esprit Français Démo" (five tracks) and "Au Point Où On En Est" (six tracks). All have previously been reissued one way or another, but for the first time ever these versions appear on vinyl, on both black or limited red (100 copies, including an A2 poster) wax. With a few exceptions, the sound quality of most songs is more than decent – especially considering their age. Providing you that unique mixture of punk, Oi!, wave and even some of that weird, but surprisingly fun electro sounds ("L'été En Pente Raide" and "Départ Gare De Lyon"), you already hear that trademark sound Paris Violence is still known for until this very day. Therefor "Impossible N'est Pas Français" is a must-have for fans of this band, even if you already own these songs on the "Démos 1995 / 1996" CD or the "Paris '95" cassette, simply because this time around they're released on vinyl. As you can expect from Common People Records' compilations, the album is accompanied with extensive liner notes (in both English and French), original artwork and rare photographs, completing the package. Excellent!

1. Intro
2. Angoisse
3. A la Haine
4. Quartier Chaud
5. Sous les Pavés, l'Asphalte
6. Pas de chance
7. 138 bis, Rue des Martyrs
8. Terrain vague
9. Aurore de sang
10. L'éte en Pente raide
11. Pas de Chance (Démo)
12. Classé X
13. Dans la ville
14. Gueule d'Enterrement
15. Je vous emmerde
16. La déprime
17. Faux contact
18. J'attends plus rien de mon cas
19. Départ Gare de Lyon