Underneath (GAMI)
From the very first notes of Underneath, we’re plunged into GAMI’s unique world, one that’s quite different from her first two EPs, Make a Path (2021) and Step by Step (2023), which were heavily influenced by trip-hop and both led by bassist and singer Capucine Trotobas.
On “Underneath,” the sound piques our curiosity, and the production is polished. The Marseille-based band, now a trio featuring Rémi Bernard (Avee Mana) and David Benzazon (1003), quickly wins our admiration with “Face It,” which flows seamlessly into its intense, industrial-tinged rock, creating an unsettling atmosphere somewhere between Marilyn Manson and NIN. The bass takes center stage, the guitars screech à la Jack White in The Dead Weather, and the drums pound relentlessly, while Capucine draws us in with a fittingly raspy voice that has grown more confident in this genre, which differs from her early work. Next up, “Anymore”, more electronic and ultra-effective, delivers a chorus in the style of Archive’s ethereal new wave. Capucine explores a completely different register and tone. The shift might come as a surprise, but take our word for it: by the second listen, the album had already proven its cohesion, and this alternation between organic and electronic tracks had fully convinced us that there would have been no Underneath without her, perhaps not even GAMI itself. For far from being yet another two-faced Janus, track after track we discover a band that embraces its culture and its uniqueness, let’s say it, its difference and its strength.
In fact, “Glass,” with its trip-hop elements, features a piano-and-vocals interplay that at times recalls that of Maynard and Round on Conditions of My Parole, carrying with it a progressive quality, whether purists like it or not. And “Masking” certainly doesn’t disprove this impression. Amid the dense soundscape emerges a sensitivity worthy of Trent Reznor, yet powerfully feminine, always ready to shatter and unleash its inner strength. The band’s more electro-techno influences make it feel almost like we’re in Perturbator’s world. It’s just incredibly well done, it grabs you like Kid A, through the repetition that creeps in without warning. A track that skillfully fuses the various trends mentioned earlier and stands as the cornerstone of this album.
“Fragments,” in French in the lyrics, takes on a more intimate, electro-acoustic feel, still featuring those well-crafted orchestrations that make it, once again, a very polished track. Next comes “Move On,” a more rock-oriented track that gives plenty of space to the drums and unrestrained guitars. The same goes for “Pills,” which brings to mind both a rebellious Alanis Morissette and PJ Harvey. “Settle” embraces that ’90s sound even more, it brings to mind The Breeders, in a track with a spellbinding rhythm section, where Capucine glides over guitars that border on fuzz, à la The Edge. After an atmospheric break straight out of trip-hop (the shadow of Massive Attack isn’t far off), things pick right back up. What an album, for sure! We’re right in the middle of Zooropa here! “To Be Heard” brings the whole thing to a pleasant close. GAMI can rest assured: not only have we heard them, but we’ve listened to them at length, with undisguised pleasure.
By the tenth listen, it’s no longer just a feeling, GAMI is certainly capable of drawing on every possible source, skillfully and respectfully drawing from decades of very different sounds to channel the fusion-like energy that now flows through their veins, allowing them to deliver this surprising yet incredibly powerful debut album, Underneath, whose richness in both composition and performance is just waiting to be unleashed on stage.
If we hadn’t already, at the time of this review, aired the “Give Me 5” episode dedicated to the newcomers of 2026, this is certainly an album and a band that would have deserved a prominent spot on the show, a great opportunity to highlight the Marseille music scene, which never ceases to amaze us!
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