Babel 17
BABEL 17 was founded late 1988 by Jean Franceschi, Vincent Porte and Vincent Perret. The band’s music is influenced by the coldwave, post punk, 80’s pre-goth scene, industrial… and also by new-wave, le psychedelic rock, dub, EBM, 80’s minimal techno…
The band is quickly signed on Lively Art (new wave/coldwave/electro subdivision of New Rose, le biggest french indie label at the time), publish two albums, “Celeano Fragments” (1990), “Shades” (1991), and appears on several compilations (L’Appel de la Muse vol.2, Dyadique, Passage du Trou Marin, Visa, Prémonition…).
In 1992, BABEL 17 hire a new member, Franck Meissonnier (guitar, bass). The band records a third album, “Shamanic Tales”, but Lively Art goes to bankruptcy before publishing it. The group disband a short time later.
In 2003, the band reforms several times before splitting up again in 2006. Since then, Jean Franceschi is the only permanent member, he writes a new album, “The Ice Wall”, helped by Franck Meissonnier who meanwhile became producer. The album is published in 2009 on Infrastition, label who previously re-issued Celeano Fragments and Shades.
In 2010, Vincent K., DJ and No Tears’s former bassist joins the band. The new line-up works on new songs, some covers and the fourth BABEL 17’s studio album, “Leviathan”, released in april 2013 on Infrastition.
Following the release of “Leviathan”, BABEL 17 did a few scattered gigs in Paris & France, as well as composing and recording new songs. A vinyl edition of “Celeano Fragments” is resleased in 2014.
A new album, “Process”, will be released by Infrastition during the spring 2017, new concerts are also planned (Portugal, Poland…).