French outfit PRISONER turn rock into a movie that was never made

French garage-psych outfit PRISONER have released their self-titled debut album, ‘PRISONER’, via Wicked Cool Records. It’s a visceral, immersive, deeply atmospheric listen — less a collection of songs, more a soundtrack to a film that was never shot.

Built on fuzz-heavy riffs, motorik rhythms, and hypnotic repetition, the largely instrumental album ditches conventional song structure in favor of texture, tension, and momentum. Tracks bleed into one another, pulling you along for the ride rather than stopping to check in.

“PRISONER’s self-titled debut is a raw, hypnotic dive into modern garage rock — an immersive, largely instrumental experience driven by repetition, texture, and atmosphere over traditional song structure.”

The influences here are unmistakable: golden-era 1960s and ’70s film and TV scoring, where a killer arrangement could carry as much narrative weight as any line of dialogue. PRISONER filter that DNA through garage rock urgency, post-punk shadow, krautrock repetition, and widescreen soundtrack sweep — building their own universe of imaginary thrillers, forgotten cult films, and late-night chase scenes along the way.

The record was previewed earlier this year with La femme qui s’était faite toute seule, a tense, unpredictable cut anchored by dramatic brass and a driving groove — a fitting first look at the world PRISONER have built.

Who’s in PRISONER

• Susanne Pemmerl — Vocals
• Philippe “Philos” Simon-Girard — Guitar
• Sébastien — Bass
• Marcus — Trombone
• Étienne — Drums
• Lucas — Keyboards

Fronted by Pemmerl and led by guitarist Simon-Girard, the band operates with the force of a rock outfit and the depth of a full ensemble — trombone and keys widening the sonic palette without dulling the edge. They’ve already picked up support from France’s FIP and brought their tightly wound live show to festivals across Europe.

’PRISONER’ track list

1. La femme qui s’était faite toute seule — 2:59
2. Jeu de main, jeu de vilain — 3:45
3. Je ne retiendrai que toi — 3:23
4. Borné pour obéir — 3:45
5. Am I an AI — 3:35
6. Ton histoire n’est pas mon histoire — 2:46
7. Il nous faudrait une bonne guerre — 2:55
8. L’enfant qui est en moi parle — 3:10
9. Le trouble-fête — 3:25
10. Le paradis perdu — 3:14
11. Le village olympique — 2:17
12. Le retour de l’homme qui valait mieux — 3:09
13. Raumpatrouille — 2:24
14. Les peine à jouir — 3:46
15. The Self Made Woman — 3:00 (digital only)
16. Playful Hands Harmful Ends — 3:44 (digital only)
17. I’m an AI (digital only)

Listen & Watch

Stream ‘PRISONER’: https://orcd.co/prisonereurope

Watch the video for La femme qui s’était faite toute seule

Follow PRISONER

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