Towncrier

This year, Prohibition revisit a key moment with a vinyl reissue of their 1996 landmark, Towncrier. A cult favourite that carried them across Europe and onto French TV’s Nulle Part Ailleurs, it still stands as one of the defining records in their catalogue.

Formed in 1989, Prohibition came up through the French post-punk underground, when the scene lived in fanzines, worn-down venues, and independent shops. Their sound was raw and urban: abrasive guitars, precise bass, skewed rhythms, and sharp, biting vocals, with traces of hardcore and skate culture still in the mix.

What made them distinct was the lineup itself, with saxophone pushed loose and the drone of sitar cutting through the noise. Their name travelled fast across Europe and the US, sharing stages with Blonde Redhead, Fugazi, David Grubbs, Condense, and Chokebore, before ending in 1999 after 14 Ups and Downs.