Franz Treichler

Francisco José Conceição Leitão Treichler[1] (born 14 November 1961), better known as Franz Treichler, is a Swiss singer, songwriter, musician, composer and record producer. He is best known as the vocalist and sole consistent member of the Swiss industrial rock band The Young Gods, which he founded in 1985 with sampler player Cesare Pizzi and drummer Frank Bagnoud. Treichler was instrumental in the band's adoption of samplers as a main instrument. He released his solo debut album, Braindance in 2001.[2]

Franz Treichler
Hellfest2019TheYoungGods 03.jpg
Treichler in 2019
Background information
Birth nameFrancisco José Conceição Leitão Treichler
Also known asFranz Muse
Born (1961-11-14) 14 November 1961
Fribourg, Switzerland
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • composer
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
Years active1979–present
LabelsIntoxygene
Member of
Formerly of
  • Jof & the Ram
  • Schizoids
Websiteyounggods.com

Early and private life

Treichler was born on 14 November 1961 in Fribourg.[3][4] His father, the former editor of the Portuguese language division of Swiss Radio International, is Brazilian[5][6][7] and his mother is a German-speaking Swiss.[8] He enrolled in Fribourg Conservatory in 1971 and then attended Lausanne Conservatory, where he studied classical guitar.[3] He was introduced to rock music artists such as Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix by his older brother.[2] Moving to Geneva in 1977, he was introduced to the burgeoning punk rock movement.[3]

In 1979, Treichler formed the band Johnny Furgler & the Raclette Machine, which became Fribourg's first punk rock band.[9] The band featured Cesare Pizzi on bass and Jacques Schouwey on drums while Treichler sang and played guitar. Pizzi was replaced by Heleen Wubbe at the same year and the band changed their name to Jof & the Ram. The band's self-titled EP was recorded and released in 1979 and 1981, respectively; Jof & the Ram broke up in 1983.[10] During this time, Treichler also played guitar in the punk rock band Schizoids.[10][11] In 1981, along with Schouwey and Wubbe, he became the co-founder of Fri-Son concert hall in Fribourg.[9]

Treichler is married to his Jof & the Ram bandmate, Heleen Wubbe. They reside in Geneva.[12]

Music career

The Young Gods
Treichler performing with The Young Gods in 2010
Main article: The Young Gods

Relocating to Geneva following the demise of Jof & the Ram, Treichler formed The Young Gods with Cesare Pizzi and Frank Bagnoud in 1985.[13] The band originated from Treichler's sound collage experiments with a 4-track recorder and eschewed guitars in favour of a sampler, composing music from distorted guitar and classical music loops. Working with Swans member and producer Roli Mosimann, the band released 1987's The Young Gods and 1989 L'eau rouge to critical acclaim from publications such as Melody Maker.[13] In 1993, the band released The Young Gods Play Kurt Weill, which featured covers of Kurt Weill compositions.[14]

Treichler relocated to the New York for the recording of the band's English-language record T.V. Sky (1992) and Interscope-debut, Only Heaven (1995). He relocated to Switzerland following the departure of the band's second drummer, Urs Hiestand.[15] The band has released electronic-influenced record Second Nature and Super Ready/Fragmenté in 2000 and 2007, respectively. Treichler resumed playing guitar on 2008's Knock on Wood,[16] as well as on the band's 2010 and 2019 studio albums, Everybody Knows and Data Mirage Tangram.[15]

Solo work and record production

Treichler is also a record producer, having worked with French industrial metal band Treponem Pal on their self-titled 1989 debut and 1993's Excess & Overdrive.[17][18] He has also produced remixes for artists such as Prong,[19] Foetus[20] and Noir Désir.[21]

In the late 90s, Treichler composed electronic music pieces for dance companies.[2] His compositions for the Swiss choreographer Gilles Jobin from 1997 to 1999 were compiled on his solo studio album, 2001's Braindance.[22] In 2014, Treichler was awarded the Swiss Grand Award for Music.[4] In 2015, he scored an exhibition curated by the Swiss artist Donatella Bernardi.[5]

In 2021, he released a collaborative album with Emily Zoé and Nicolas Pittet under the name /A\.[23]

Influences

Treichler has cited late 60s to early 70s psychedelic music, punk rock, Einstürzende Neubauten and 90s electronic music scene as personal influences.[24] He has also named Kraftwerk and post-punk acts such as Killing Joke, Wire and Gang of Four as additional influences on The Young Gods.[25] His favourite albums include The Doors's L.A. Woman, The Ruts's The Crack and Einstürzende Neubauten's Zeichnungen des Patienten O. T., among others.[26]

Discography
Treichler with The Young Gods in 2014
See also: The Young Gods discography and Albums produced by Franz Treichler

With The Young Gods
Main article: The Young Gods discography

With /A\
  • /A\ (2021)

Solo discography
Studio albums
  • Braindance (2001)
Compilation appearances
Guest appearances

Technical credits
Production work
  • Treponem Pal — Treponem Pal (1989)
  • Al Comet — L.A.D. (1990)
  • Le Faster — Le Faster (1991)
  • Al Comet — Europ Pirat Tour (1991)
  • Aujourd'hui Madame — Aujourd'hui Madame (1991)
  • Shanghai Ladies / Bishop's Daughter — Shanghai Ladies / Bishop's Daughter (1992)
  • The Young Gods — Live Sky Tour (1993)
  • Treponem Pal — "Pushing You Too Far" (1993)
  • Treponem Pal — Excess & Overdrive (1993)
  • The Young Gods — Second Nature (2000)
  • The Young Gods — "Lucidogen" (2000)
  • 7 Tone — La science des fous (2002)
  • The Young Gods — XXY (2005)
  • The Young Gods — Everybody Knows (2010)
  • Sunisit — Sunisit (2013)
  • The Young Gods — Data Mirage Tangram (2019)
Remixes
  • The Young Gods — "Skinflowers (Brain Forest Remix)" (1991)
  • The Young Gods — "Skinflowers (Courtney Speed Love Mix)" (1991)
  • The Young Gods — "Gasoline Man (Megadrive Mix)" (1992)
  • That Petrol Emotion — "Blue to Black (Remix)" (1993)
  • Gary Clail & On-U Sound System — "These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Club Mix)" (1993)
  • Treponem Pal — "Pushing You Too Far (Tribal Mix)" (1993)
  • Prong — "Controller (Club Industrial Mix)" (1996)
  • The Young Gods — "Gasoline Man (Megadrive Mix)" (1996)
  • Noir Désir — "Le fleuve (A.M.P) (Franz Treichler Mix)" (1998)
  • The Mark of Cain — "Interloper (Prelude)" (1998)
  • The Mark of Cain — "Interloper (Who Made Who Mix)" (1998)
  • Polar — "Bipolar Dream (Echo Version)" (1999)
  • Foetus — "The Need Machine (Franz Treichler Mix)" (2001)

References
  1. Croubalian, Alain (10 April 2007). "The Young Gods, la "Nati" qui gagne". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  2. "Interview: The Young Gods' Franz Treichler on 30 Years of Music". Red Bull Music Academy. 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  3. Barras, François (15 February 2019). "Franz Treichler, jeune dieu devenu vieux sage". tdg.ch (in French). Tribune de Genève. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  4. "Ehrung eines Pioniers: Schweizer Musikpreis für Franz Treichler". Srf.ch (in German). Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  5. Hebeisen, Ane (4 May 2015). "Die Wände der Kunsthalle sollen vibrieren". tagesanzeiger.ch (in German). Tages-Anzeiger. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  6. "The Immaculate Inferno". Melody Maker. 19 December 1987. p. 14-15.
  7. Thoele, Alexander (15 December 2022). "The Young Gods: four decades of electronic experimentation". Swissinfo. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  8. "Franz Treichler: "Musiker, aber Freiburger!"". Srf.ch (in German). Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  9. Chavaz, Matthieu; Crottet, Julia; et al. (2013). Fri-son 1983-2013 (in French). JRP-Ringier. ISBN 978-3037643495.
  10. de Roguin, Vincent, ed. (2017). The Young Gods: Documents 1985-2015. La Baconnière. p. 694. ISBN 9782940431540.
  11. Grand, Lurker; Tschan, André (2012). Heute und Danach, Edition Patrick Frey (in German). ISBN 978-3-905929-21-8.
  12. Mounir, Roderic (15 June 2007). "Anarchy in Switzerland". Lecourrier.ch (in French). Le Courrier. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  13. Ankeny, Jason. "The Young Gods biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  14. Aswad, Jem; Fasolino, Greg (2007). "Young Gods". Trouser Press. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  15. Stewart-Panko, Kevin (12 September 2019). "Everybody Should Know: An Interview with The Young Gods". Decibel. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  16. Gourley, Bob (2007). "Interview: Young Gods". Chaoscontrol.com. Chaos Control. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  17. Guillou, Romain. "Treponem Pal - Excess & Overdrive". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  18. Foege, Alec (September 1993). "Treponem Pal: Le jardin cramoisi". Rage (in French).
  19. Face Value (CD liner notes). Prong. Epic Records. 1996.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. Mounir, Roderic (29 August 2001). "Foetus Maximus". Laweekly.com. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  21. Monnet, Vincent (23 December 2000). "Disques. Noir Désir: En Route pour la joie". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  22. "The Young Gods on Intoxygene". Intoxygene.com. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  23. Volohov, Dan (July 13, 2021). "In Conversation with Franz Treichler ( /A\,The Young Gods)". Louder Than War. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  24. "An Interview With: The Young Gods: O2 Academy Birmingham". Academymusicgroup.com. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  25. "The Young Gods interview: Franz Treichler". Rpmonline.co.uk. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  26. Mullen, John (16 January 2014). "Only Heaven: Franz Treichler Of The Young Gods' Favourite Albums". thequietus.com. The Quietus. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
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