Lyon, France boundary-pushing collective Le Grand Sbam announces the release of their latest opus, “Janus,” out June 19, 2026, via the prestigious Dur & Doux imprint. Described as an ‘Opéra Chthulu,’ the album is a profound exploration of ‘philo-zoophic‘ and Ecofeminist themes, challenging the boundaries of Contemporary Music and Rock in Opposition (RIO).
Stream the official teaser video for “Janus” via the YouTube player below:
Composed by Antoine Arnera and co-written with Thomas Arnera, “Janus” is a sprawling sensory libretto brought to life by a formidable ensemble of 23 musician-actresses. Under the baton of conductor Léo Margue, the collective deploys a rich, hybrid sonic palette—blending acoustic strings, woodwinds (including bassoon and bass clarinet), harp, and cimbalom with searing electric guitars, keyboards, and sophisticated electronics.
“Janus” serves as a ritualistic journey toward “reconnecting with the living world.” The narrative draws inspiration from the “courageous scientist” Jean-Pierre Petit, ecofeminist philosopher Donna Haraway, and Matshish Kapéu, a spirit of the Innu people who transforms “trivial breath” (flatulence) into a cosmic language. At its core lies the concept of hybrose—a collective hybridization where rhythmic loops and organic flows dissolve the individual into a “multiple entity” or holobiont.
From the hypnotic trances of “Hypnose I” to the intricate polyrhythms of “Tourbifouette II” and the expansive “Symbiotshish II,” each of the 18 tracks acts as an initiatory stage, invoking the tshishma—the invisible double essential to biological balance.
Following the lineage of Lyonnais Avant-Garde stalwarts like PoiL and ni, Le Grand Sbam continues to “up the ante,” delivering a record that is as bizarre and theatrical as it is overpoweringly beautiful.
“Janus” is available now on Compact Disc (3-panel die-cut packaging) and Digital formats via Bandcamp and all major streaming platforms.
The band states:
“Janus, a philo-zoophic, zoopunk, Chthulu, ecofeminist album. or how to reconnect with the living world through our flatulence?
In JaNuS, a Chthulu opera composed by Antoine Arnera, the Grand Sbam Orchestra, with humor and poetry, sets out on a journey to reconnect humanity with the living world. It explores compost, fossils, and the dead through novel practices, in a triple homage to the courageous scientist Jean-Pierre Petit, the ecofeminist biologist and philosopher Donna Haraway, and Matshish Kapéu, a powerful spirit of the Innu people who uniquely expresses himself through farts—a trivial breath transformed into cosmic language. This new opus by Le Grand Sbam, an excerpt from the opera Janus, revolves around a major cycle: the hybrose. A collective ritual of hybridization of the living, where waves, rhythmic loops, and organic flows dissolve us into a multiple entity—a holobiont. Each track acts as an initiatory stage: through hypnosis, trance, and ragga, it invokes our invisible double, essential to the balance of life—the tshishma. To bring this sensory libretto—co-written by Thomas Arnera and Antoine Arnera—to life, Le Grand Sbam deploys a rich sonic palette—acoustic, electric, and vocal—embodied by 23 musician-actresses.“
Purchase “Janus” on Bandcamp: https://legrandsbam.bandcamp.com/album/janus
Tracklist:
01. Poupée Léonisse 00:21
02. Ouverture 03:53
03. Tshishma 00:21
04. Tourbifouette II 06:29
05. Mécanique des trous 00:26
06. Ragga II 02:43
07. Phase Méduso-Végétative 00:35
08. Mécanique des pompes 03:01
09. Hypnose I 03:59
10. Gaz Cloub 00:21
11. Duopodes II 04:01
12. Flakoku 00:18
13. Tourbifouette I 05:38
14. Ragga I 02:23
15. Zone Trouble 01:10
16. Symbiotshish II 08:02
17. Hybrose 00:44
18. Epilogue 03:50
Lineup:
Léo Margue / Conductor
Pauline Laurendeau / Vocals
Caroline Sentis / Vocals
Agnès Potié / Vocals
Louise Perret / Vocals
Jessica Martin Maresco / Vocals
Olivier Germain Noureux / Vocals
Ismaël Colombani / Vocals
Antoine Mermet / Vocals
Thomas Arnera / Vocals
Lucie Leker / First Violin
Fany Fresard / Second Violin
Dorothée Royez / Viola
Emilie Martin / Double Bass
Clélia Bobichon / Clarinet
Pierre Horckmans / Bass Clarinet
Pierre Glorieux / Bassoon
Nathalie Cornevin / Harp
Mihaï Trestian / Cimbalom
Romain Baret / Electric Guitar
Boris Cassone / Electric Guitar
Matthieu Lemennicier / Electric guitar
Antoine Arnera / Keyboards
Guilhem Meier / Drums and Percussion
Benoit Lecomte / Electronics