KaS Product

KaS Product
OriginNancy, France
GenresCold wave, minimal wave
Years active1980–1990, 2005–2019
LabelsDSA
Past members
  • Spatsz (Daniel Favre)
  • Mona Soyoc
WebsiteKasProduct.com

KaS Product were a French electronic duo. Their music has been considered part of the French cold wave and electropunk movements. Formed in 1980, the duo consists of Spatsz (Daniel Favre) on electronics and rhythm machines with Mona Soyoc on guitar, vocals and piano. Spatsz worked at a psychiatric hospital previously while Soyoc worked with a jazz band before meeting Spatsz.[1]

Their music is done in a similar minimal electronics and vocal style akin to Kaleidoscope-era Siouxsie and the Banshees,[2] Suicide and Soft Cell. The press compared Soyoc's voice to that of Siouxsie Sioux.[3]

Their first and second albums were re-released with bonus tracks. Try Out was re-released with five bonus tracks: "Mind", "Seven", "Doctor Insane", "In Need", and "Malena". By Pass was re-released with four bonus tracks: "Scape", "Sweet & Sour", "Crash" and "Party". All of the tracks on both CDs have been remastered.[4]

Gorgeously provocative duo of Mona Soyoc and Spatz who released a couple of singles on their own punk label, then signed to RCA which seemed a remarkably odd union, which produced two blindingly brilliant albums, 'Try Out' and 'Bypass' that found the haunting, mad vocals hemmed in by and stretched out over the alternately boiling/icy keyboards, the shattering chatter of arching/dive bombing guitar and stabbing electronic rhythms. - Mick Mercer[5]

On 1 February 2019, it was announced that Spatsz had died. He was 61 years old.[6]

Per videos on YouTube with a 2022 copyright, now KaS Product Reload with Thomas Bouetel (machines) and Pierre Corneau (Basse) joining Mona. Their Facebook activity is current as of September, 2024.

  1. ^ Forced exposure.com
  2. ^ "Perdu de vue : Kas Product". New Noise (13). November 2012.
  3. ^ For the review of Kas Product's Try Out: Philippe Barbot wrote in Télérama << entre Siouxsie et Alan Vega >>, reproduced in the band's biography - Pierre Gillieth (2009). KaS Product, So young but so cold. Camion Blanc. ISBN 978-2357790209.
    Ned Raggett. "Kas Product Try Out [album review]". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
    Julien Gester (4 February 2019). "Spatsz, Clavier du Groupe KaS Product, Rend La Mèche". Libération. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  4. ^ Info about bonus tracks and rerelease
  5. ^ Mick Mercer, Gothic Rock, Los Angeles: Cleopatra Records, p. 112.
  6. ^ "Spatsz from French Coldwave Duo Kas Product has Passed Away". post-punk.com. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-05.