à;GRUMH... (pronounced [aɡʁym]) was a Belgian EBM/industrial band, founded in 1981 by SΔ3 Evets (aka Steve Natrix, born Phillippe Genion) and JΔ3 Seuqcaj (Jacques Meurrens), both from Charleroi, Belgium.[1] They were mainly active between 1981 and 1991.
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According to the band's official website, the somewhat cryptic band's name originates from the time when SΔ3 and former member PΔ3 (real first name: Pascal) first met in an intercity train in 1981, both of them returning from a rock concert. Just this night, they were about to create their first piece based on vegetables' and fruits' names, calling it "Poireau" (leek in English). Since leek is a vegetable, the band was named à;GRUMH..., which is in fact a stylized form of the French word agrume ("citrus fruit"). The English pronunciation, however, reduces to "ah-groom", because the actual "u" does not exist in English. The band were described by the Washington Post as "a Belgian synth duo with a flair for punctuation and a sense of humor".[2]
The band's first release, "By the Phone", was recorded over the telephone, and early releases were on cassette.[1] They made their vinyl debut in 1985 with the mini-LP Mix Yourself, produced by Daniel B of Front 242, who along with Throbbing Gristle and SPK were identified by the band as influences.[3] This was followed in 1986 by two full-length albums, Rebearth and No Way Out.[1] In 1987 they teamed up with Skinny Puppy's Kevin Crompton and Nivek Ogre for the side project A Chud Convention and produced the ambient/noise mini-LP Sorrow.[1]
Meurrens left the group in 1989, and was replaced by JΔ7 Cram-Naej (Jean-Marc).[1] The band was dormant from 1991, following some gigs in Germany, until 2000 when leader S3 EVETS reunited with the original singer J3 Seuqcaj. They reunited as an industrial combo, nEGAPADRES.3.3. and released a comeback album on Hermetique Records in 2006 called Extrophy of Amphigouris.[4] Two new albums were scheduled for release in 2009, one La Phobie du Cheval made of all new tracks plus an à;GRUMH... cover, and another called Binche featuring Peter Gabriel's and The Vibrators guitar player John Ellis on three tracks.[5]
| Year | Title | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "By the Phone" | 7" | Titicaca |
| 1985 | Mix Yourself! | 12" | Scarface |
| 1986 | No Way Out | LP | Scarface |
| 1986 | Rebearth | LP | Scarface |
| 1986 | Underground | 12" | Play It Again Sam |
| 1987 | Black Vinyl Under Cover | LP | Play It Again Sam |
| 1987 | Mix Yourself + No Way Out | CD | Play It Again Sam |
| 1987 | Silver Circle Under Plastic | CD | Play It Again Sam |
| 1987 | Too Many Cocks Spoil the Breath | 12" | Play It Again Sam |
| 1987 | Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth (= Censored Version) | 12" | |
| 1988 | Bloody Side | 12"/CD | Play It Again Sam |
| 1988 | We are à;GRUMH... and you are not! | 12"/CD/cassette | Play It Again Sam |
| 1989 | A Hard Day's Knight | LP/CD | Play It Again Sam |
| 1989 | And Now For Something Completely Different... But Not Too Much! | 12" | Play It Again Sam |
| 1989 | And Now For Something More Completely Different... But Not Too Much! | CD | |
| 1989 | The Price is Light | CD | |
| 1989 | The Price is Right | 12" | |
| 2004 | Unclean | 7" | Ironflame |
| 2011 | We Were a;GRUMH... And You Were Not | CD | Infacted |
They have also appeared on various EBM music compilation albums, including This Is Electronic Body Music (1988), EBM Club Classics Vol. 2 (1999) and Endzeit Bunkertracks [Act I] (2005).