Lucrate Milk
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
| Products | Art punk and No Wave music |
Lucrate Milk—an abbreviation of Lucrative Milk—was an art punk and No Wave ensemble originating from Paris, France, active from 1979 until 1983. Their uncompromising aesthetic has left a lasting mark on the French punk and DIY communities. Following the group's dissolution, several members went on to establish influential bands such as Bérurier Noir and Les Négresses Vertes.
Biography
The band was established in 1979 by ex-milk delivery workers Lombrick Laul (bass) and Masto Lowcost (Tomas Huser, saxophone and photographer). They garnered early attention by spray-painting their name throughout Paris, which became a hallmark of their identity and ethos. Subsequently, they were joined by American-born keyboardist and singer Nina Childress, drummer Raoul Gaboni, and vocalist Helno (Noël Rota). Initially conceived as a humorous experiment involving deliberately disliked instruments, Lucrate Milk mainly performed in squatted venues such as the Pali-Kao factory in Belleville. Their sound has been characterized as "wild, dadaist, youthful, and anti-commercial," often likened to British punk groups like the Slits, Crass, and X-Ray Spex. With Laul and Nina’s artistic expertise, they produced their own visual art and video content to complement their live performances.
Their first EP was the self-produced vinyl Nepla Relou, followed by a 1983 split release with French punk band MKB Fraction Provisoire, which also featured Raoul Gaboni on drums. The band opened for acts including Einsturzende Neubauten before concluding their live appearances in February 1984 at Théâtre du Petit Forum des Halles. A compilation album combining their initial two EPs, titled I Love You, Fuck Off, was issued in 1987; a subsequent re-release named La Qui Vache Rit came out in 1991. The most recent self-titled compilation was released in France in 2005, featuring a DVD and an extensive overview of the band’s influence on the French underground punk scene. After the breakup, members embarked on various endeavors: Laul co-founded Bérurier Noir, Nina Childress pursued painting and joined the art collective Frères Ripoulin, while Helno fronted Les Negresses Vertes until his untimely death from a heroin overdose in 1993 at age 29.
Discography
- 1981 Lustiges Tierquartett, EP with 3 tracks, Zeb Prod., MILK 001
- 1983 Nepla Relou, EP featuring 4 tracks, Self-released, MILK 007
- 1984 Lucrate Milk / MKB, Split LP alongside MKB Fraction Provisoire, W.W. Records, WW3326
- 1986 Live, Cassette, Androidia flux, AF 015 / V.I.S.A.
- 1987 Lucrate Milk, LP, Bondage Records, BR 009
- 1991 La Rage Qui Vit, CD / Cassette, Division Nada, NADA004 CD / K7
- 1995 La Rage Qui Vit, CD / Cassette reissue, Crash Disques, CRASH CD07/K707
- 2006 Lucrate Milk, DVD plus 2 CDs, Archives de la Zone Mondiale, FZM016
- 2006 Lucrate Milk, DVD only, Archives de la Zone Mondiale, FZM017
- 2014 Lucrate Milk, LP via Archives de la Zone Mondiale; digital release through Atypeek Music ATY061
Compilations
- 1982 Passeport Pour l’Exportation / Cascades 82, Cassette V.I.S.A. / Androidia flux, AF 00
- 1983 Canoë 1, Cassette release by Canoë
- 1983 Canoë vidéo 1, VHS format by Canoë
- 1984 30 tubes pour l'été, Gargl! Tapes 001
- 1985 V.I.S.A. Présente, Live compilation LP, V.I.S.A./ Bondage Records, RRR 00B
- 1988 Bondage Records, LP issued by Oihuka in Spain
- 1988 Radio Bondage, LP/Cassette from Bondage Records