Scraps – Noise Not Music 1986
The early discography of this pioneering French hardcore band of the 1980s, known for their raw, politically charged sound and strong ties to anarchist and antifascist movements.
Scraps was a hardcore punk band that formed around 1983 in the coastal region of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. They are often recognized as one of the first politicized hardcore bands in the country.
Early on, Scraps performed extensively across West Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, and Yugoslavia, though they played fewer shows in France itself. Up until the late ’80s, Scraps shared stages and were influenced from the legendary bands of the era, such as Negazione, Lärm, HHH, Cólera, Chaos UK, and others. However, the French scene at the time was more focused on the apolitical side of punk, especially in Paris. Scraps, on the other hand, were ideologically aligned with the anarcho-punk movement, squats, autonomous groups, and the antifascist alliance S.C.A.L.P. (Section Carrément Anti Le Pen).
Between 1986 and 1989, Scraps released several raw and primitive recordings, starting with the Apartheid EP (1986), the Aaargh! EP (1987), a flexi split EP with Japanese thrashers D.O.N.D.O.N. (1989), and songs on various compilations. Both of their EPs received positive reviews by Tim Yohannan in Maximum Rocknroll between 1986 and 1987. Their sound was characterized by fast, chaotic playing and harsh, politically charged lyrics. The band members were conscientious objectors, and Scraps tackled issues such as militarism, colonialism, and apartheid in South Africa, while also promoting vegetarianism and animal rights, being one of the first French hardcore bands to speak out against the meat industry, McDonald’s, and vivisection. While some of their songs, like “Major Shits,” criticized major labels and the commercialization of punk, some of their feminist tracks haven’t aged so well, as they have some SWERF (sex work exclusionary) leanings by today’s standards.
Scraps embraced the “noise not music” philosophy, playing a very simple and rough form of hardcore thrash where the message took precedence over the music, which served as an outlet for their opposition to injustice and oppression. Their recordings from 1986 to 1989, totaling 17 songs, were issued on vinyl in 2023 by Refuse Records. Although Scraps never reached the iconic status of some other French bands from the 1980s, they remain one of the most important bands in the country’s hardcore scene. Refuse Records reissued not only Scraps’ early demos (with the band’s 1985 demo released on a separate vinyl in 2023), but also their later material, documenting the band’s evolution during the rise of the influential ’90s hardcore scene.
An interesting part of Scraps’ legacy is that frontman David Dutriaux (aka Charogne) went on to lead Nations On Fire, one of Belgium’s most significant hardcore bands. Nations On Fire released the seminal hardcore album Strike The Match in 1991 and became a total classic. Another interesting fact is that American hardcore legend Sam McPheeters made a zine called I, Yeast Roll after Born Against’s 1992 European tour, which included an interview with Dave Scraps. Another proof that Scraps was more influential abroad than at home.
If you’re already hooked on hunting down all the Scraps vinyl releases and reissues from Refuse Records, this 1986-1989 collection remains my favorite for its rawness and pure rage. Excellent gatefold package with booklets containing lyrics, flyer archives and photos. It’s a powerful document of 1980s European hardcore and a reflection of the band’s pivotal role in mixing hardcore with politics at a crucial time in the scene’s development.
