SUBJECT

Subject was one of the many projects by cult figure Alain Neffe, whose most well-known project for Dark Entriesreaders is likely BeNe GeSSeRiT—and still is. Material from this project previously appeared on Je M’en Fish.. Je M’en Fish now seems to be entering a joint venture with Alain Neffe’s Insane label, as both Subject and MAL are being released on this Belgian label as strictly limited edition CDs.

Subject was a project that Alain Neffe (BeNe GeSSeRiT, Human Dance, Human Flesh, Pseudo Code, and many more) created together with Daniel Malempré (MAL) and Murella Brunello sometime in the early 1980s. On this album, we also find the names Nadine Bal, who delivers hysterical laughter, Isabelle Gullemin, and Bariza, who contribute lyrics and vocals on several tracks. Alain Neffe made a name for himself in the underground cassette (K7) circuit in the early 80s, and many of the tracks presented here originally appeared on obscure tapes and (later) vinyl compilations—though there are also a handful of previously unreleased tracks. Everything is brought together on this album. Later this year, a proper vinyl version of the album will be released, featuring a selection from the no less than 25(!) tracks included here.

Now that a certain segment of the scene is once again nostalgic for slightly experimental and analog 80s music with a certain pop “feel,” this “Who Will Save Belgium?” release is probably arriving at just the right time. Even more so: this is not a contemporary group trying to sound like the 80s—this is the original work, ranging from slightly experimental to breezily poppy, with a nod to the German Kraut scene. Music, after all, is a medium that constantly renews itself through mutual influence, and that was no different in the 1980s. Influences range from Neu! to Can and Chris & Cosey, though here and there you can clearly hear the seeds of what we now call minimal wave.

I’m thinking of tracks like “What Happened To You,” “L’Ultima Storia,” “I See You,” “The Desert Call” (poppy), or “Dance Decadance.” Others are more experimental pop, like the title track of this album, or simply experimental, like “Strange Girl” or “The Happy Nurse.” Alongside synths, rhythm boxes, guitar and bass, instruments like an organ, saxophone, and early mini-sampler machines were used to create this idiosyncratic 80s experimental pop sound.

Music videos weren’t made back then—certainly not if, like Alain Neffe, you were burrowing through the underground with the diligence of an ant. Therefore, I’m including the Bandcamp jukebox version of this unique album, which is already digitally available from Je M’en Fish. Just in case you’d like to surprise yourself—just like the most surprising and rocking track on this album, “Heavy But Chic.” The physical release is now available for pre-order and is expected to ship by the end of April.

Kurt INGELS
23/04/2025