Issu d'Hendaye, station balnéaire sur la frontière franco-espagnole qui traverse le Pays Basque, Skunk doit sans doute à cette situation géographique particulière, au carrefour de trois cultures, sa faculté de sauter d'un style à un autre et ce goût immodéré pour la route qui l'a conduit à travers 3 continents et une quinzaine de pays, en 600 concerts aux cotés notamment de Lee Perry, Fishbone, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Skatalites, Sergent Garcia, Parabellum, Goran Bregovitch, Negu Gorriak ou LKJ... Autogéré, le groupe a créé son propre label Skunk Diskak, multiplié les échanges (organisation de tournées, distribution, compilations...) et reste l'un des moteurs du circuit alternatif de la région. Douze ans d'activisme musical débordant et de line-ups mouvants, illustrés par 6 albums et des participations à plus de 45 compilations, ont vu notre "bande de basques bondissants" évoluer du "reggaemartxaska" des origines au son hybride du nouvel album.
español
Mas de 15 años de activismo musical han llevado a Skunk por tres continentes en los cuales han dado más de 600 conciertos con eficacia probada junto a grupos como Fishbone, Voodoo glow skulls, Skatalites, Sargento Garcia o Goran Bregovitch...Temas llenos de energÃa, rock potente, vientos vigorosos y algún que otro guiño a diferentes folclores del mundo...Principálmente cantados en Euskera pero también en francés y castellano reflejan el origen fronterizo del grupo...
euskaraz
Musika ekintzan 15 urte baino gehiagoko bidean ibilita, Skunk hiru kontinentetan barna aritu da 600dik gora kontzertu emanez Fishbone, Voodoo glow skulls, Skatalites, Sargento Garcia edo Goran Bregovitch bezalako taldeen ondoan frogatutako eraginkortasunez.
english
Born in Hendaye, sea-resort on the border of France and Spain, which crosses the Basque country; it is certainly due to its geographical situation- in the middle of three cultures- that Skunk owes its ability to skip from one style to the other and its immoderate taste for travelling which has driven the band across three continents and through fifteen countries, which add up to 600 concerts including some with Lee Perry, Fishbone, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Skatalites, Sergent Garcia, Parabellum, Goran Bregovitch, Negu Gorriak or LKJ
Self-managed, Skunk has created its own label Skunk Diskak, has increased the cooperation (organisation of tour, distribution, compilations) and stays one of the leaders on the alternative music of the area.
It is during twelve years of boundless musical activism and shifting line-ups, expressed in 6 albums and participations in more than 45 compilations, that our bouncing Basque band has moved from the reggaemartxaska of the beginnings to the hybrid sound of the new album.
Under a cover mainly punky-reggae/ska-core which is not without reminding the Voodoo or the Kargols, Giltzak/ Les Clefs combines a tense, vigorous and brassy rock with some inspirations from the folklores through out the world, following the outbreak started with Kinki. Its mixing has been produced by the live sound engineer of Skunk, Karlos Osinaga, hence a very banging sound, near the stage impact. If most of its 11 titles are under high energy, well shaped, short and nervous (be aware: canon ball drummer!!), we can as well find a nonchalant ska from the 60s (Egunero), a trad-punk crash between Spain and Central Europe (Zer Bixtia) or a tousled version of Gotainer (LEté/ Udara). Mostly written in Euskara- the Basque language- but also in French and Spanish, the texts blend a contemporary
real-life, personal point of views and sharp social criticism with a big dose of irony and fatalism.
After Kinki, Skunk has, once again, pushed the limits and built an outstanding project with Giltzak/ Les Clefs: digipack, booklet with lyrics translated in 4 different languages, bonus video MPEG live in Toulouse (Havanna Café), which gives a little idea of the bands abilities on stage and a foretaste of their future DVD. Fans are particularly spoilt since the first run of the album will come with a 6 titles Cd-bonus from this concert!Get Your Own! | View Slideshow
