Aqsak Maboul, Un Peu de l'Ame des Bandits (side A)

Where Henry Cow used popular rock production of the '70s for their genre-crossing music, Aqsak Maboul rely on popular rock production of the '80s. The overall sound of Un Peu de l'ame des Bandits (1980) could almost be mistaken at times for a new wave record. The arrangements and compositions, though, have little to do with rock or new wave. The orchestration and interplay are derived from a more academic/classical background. If anything, it's more precise and less cacophonous than Henry Cow—in a way, perhaps, this parallels the rigid timings and structures of new wave. The packaging somehow manages to reflect the range of influences inside, too.