It’s with great sadness to report that Thierry Sobezyk, bassist and co-vocalist of seminal French coldwave band Asylum Party, has passed away after a long battle with leukemia. The news was announced by fellow Lively Art labelmates Little Nemo, who shared the stage with Sobezyk many times over the years.
Asylum Party formed in 1985 by Thierry Sobezyk and Philippe Planchon. The band quickly rose as one of the shining stars of the French post-punk scene, often labeled as coldwave, (dubbed “la vague froide” by the French press) or Touching Pop, in line with many of their Lively Art labelmates. Sobezyk co-wrote, sang, and played bass on every Asylum Party release, including 1989’s Borderline and 1990’s Mère LPs, two of the strongest records the underground post-punk movement has to offer. He also designed the sleeve for the 1989 What Will You Learn EP, which featured the single “Misfortune?”
Sobezyk also performed in Teepee, a supergroup of Lively Art bands cheekily named after Touching Pop, the name given to the movement forming around the bands at the time. Lastly, Sobezyk was in an early lineup of Mary Goes Round, a similarly styled Lively Art band with a slightly more psychedelic flair.
Rest in peace, Thierry, all our love to his friends and family. Check below for some of Thierry’s standout tracks:
