Babylon Circus

Babylon Circus emerged from France as a ska-punk and alternative rock ensemble that absorbed an unusually broad spectrum of influences. The boisterous, brass-led group pursued bilingual expression, with David Baruchel handling vocals in both French and English while the lyrics repeatedly confronted political and social questions, notably the Iraq War, which the band condemned and explored at length in 2003.

Baruchel launched the project in Lyon in 1995, at which point it operated primarily as a conventional ska unit. The sound gradually shifted toward greater experimentation and stylistic range, folding in reggae (ska’s direct descendant), British punk, jazz—especially the Parisian gypsy swing pioneered by guitarist Django Reinhardt in the 1930s and 1940s—and cabaret. The name Babylon Circus proved fitting, given the additional presence of circus music alongside French chanson modeled by Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel, African pop, and East European folk, chiefly Baltic gypsy traditions. Influences reaching the band directly or indirectly stretch across numerous sources, from foundational Jamaican ska and reggae figures such as the Skatalites, Toots & the Maytals, and Bob Marley & the Wailers to British punk originators the Clash and the French worldbeat outfit Lo'Jo. Portions of the catalog also evoke early Tom Waits, while British ska-revival groups of the 1970s and 1980s, including Madness and the Specials, left clear marks on the band’s expansive approach.

Its earliest recording was a demo circulated in France in 1996. The EP Tout Va Bien followed in France in 1999, succeeded by the full-length album Au Marché des Illusions in 2001. Dances of Resistance, the next studio album, appeared first in France in 2004 and reached the United States through the Mr. Bongo label in April 2008. The 2008 roster featured Baruchel and Manuel Nectoux sharing lead vocals, Georges Chaccour on electric guitar, Basile Mouton on electric bass, Olivier Soumali on electric keyboards, Clement Amirault on trombone, Christophe Millot on saxophone and accordion, Laurent Sedent on trumpet, and David Doineaux on drums.