Here it is!

Warning: my sources are the MySpace pages of Uppsala and Philippe Cauvin, but my writings ARE NOT a copy/paste of these informations. I also checked Musea internet site and a few fanzines (ATEM, Traverses).

UPPSALA : biography

"UPPASALA is the best known project of French guitarist Philippe Cauvin who started his musical carrer at the age of 17, when joining Papoose (one LP and a few singles), then Absinthe (one LP and some singles). He met bassist Dany Lacombe in 1974 in the third and last line-up of Absinthe. When this group disbanded, Lacombe joined the cult band XALPH. Cauvin and Lacombe played together in the experimental orchestra MUSIQUE D'ICI ET MAINTENANT with others members of Xalph (the keyboard player Serge Korjanevski and the drummer André Lesgouarres) and percussionnist Didier Lamarque.

Lamarque, Lacombe and Cauvin soon created their own band Uppsala, wanting to create a fusion of rock, jazz and avant-garde music. They chosed the name “Uppsala” after meeting Costa Apetrea (guitarist of Samla Mammas Manna) and Jukka Tolonen, both natives of this Swedish town. The second song of Uppsala was titled “Coste and Jukka”, an evidence of the link with those two musicians. Rehearsing, composing, working, Uppsala became famous for their concerts all over France and began touring abroad.

In March 1979, when playing in Belgium, the band got wounded in a car crash. Didier Lamarque was injuried and Dany Lacombe lost the use of his legs. Cauvin waited for his friends to recover, recording a first solo LP and a few tracks on some compilations, before Lacombe announced being ready to hit the road. In may 1981, Uppsala started a tour in 15 towns, proving their will.

In 1983, the band released its only LP, titled “Uppsala”, and a 45rpm single. For the fans of Zeuhl music, this LP is a marvel, due to the high-pitched vocals and the guitar technics of Cauvin, without forgetting the dynamism of the rhythmic section.

The trio existed until 1986, while Cauvin recorded another solo LP, “Memento”, with the help of Korjanevski.

In 1995, the LP was reissued by Musea with two live tracks recorded in a reunion concert of the same year, closing the history of Uppsala.

Cauvin had since returned to his solo career, but Uppsala remains a true cult band for every amateur of progressive music, especially for people curious about Zeuhl and daring jazz-rock."

If anything wrong or writen in broken English, let me know.