Savage Republic (originally named Africa Corps) is an American, Los Angeles–based post-punk band, formed in the early 1980s and known for lengthy songs with an emphasis on percussion and droning guitars.

The group reformed in 2002 and remains active with a different lineup.

The band was originally named Africa Corps, and was formed by UCLA students Bruce Licher (guitar) and Mark Erskine (drums/percussion).^[1] They were joined by Philip Drucker (aka Jackson Del Rey), Robert Loveless, and Jeff Long.^[1][2] Shortly before the release of debut album Tragic Figures in 1982 (on Licher's own Independent Project label) they changed their name to Savage Republic.^[3] Licher was also responsible for the group's sleeve designs, which were hand-letterpressed and numbered by him.^[3]

In early 1983, they issued a single, "Film Noir", backed with a version of "O Andonis" by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis (from the Costa-Gavras film Z), which garnered international attention.^[4]

The group split up towards the end of 1983 with a second album partially completed; Loveless and Drucker completed it and it was released as an album (Jedda by the Sea) by their side project 17 Pygmies.^[2] Tragic Figures was issued in Europe in 1984 on the Sordide Sentimental label.^[1] A 7-inch EP of material recorded in 1981, Tragic Figure, was also issued that year.

The band returned in 1985 with the album Ceremonial, followed in 1986 with the Trudge EP.^[1] A live double album was released in 1987.^[1] Brad Laner joined prior to the 1988 album Jamahiriya Democratique et Populaire de Sauvage, and a further studio album (Customs) was released prior to the band splitting up in 1990.^[1]

Licher continued to run his label, and received a Grammy nomination for the artwork for For Against's debut album.^[3] He formed Scenic in the mid-1990s, a group that also featured Loveless and former Shiva Burlesque member James Brenner.^[1] Laner went on to form Medicine.^[1]

Savage Republic reformed in 2002 with original member Licher and members from the mid-1980s including Greg Grunke, Thom Fuhrmann and Ethan Port, although Licher left after a first tour. The remaining members recorded the album 1938, released by Neurot Recordings in 2007.^[3]

The band's music has been called industrial, with AllMusic's Richie Unterberger describing it as music that "grafted tribal percussion, industrial drones, and raga-like guitar lines together".^[3] Unusual percussion was a large part of their sound, incorporating oil cans and metal pipes.^[3] Trouser Press described the debut album as "a combination of industrial drone with deep machine-like swaths of dragging bass, Halloween horror-movie screams and some of the most delightfully tribal and tropical percussion found on disc".^[2] When the band reformed in 1985 they incorporated more Arabic influences.^[2] Later work also incorporated Greek influences.^[2] The band's music was described in Music USA: The Rough Guide as "hypnotic post-modern raga-rock instrumentals" and "clattering noise-rock jams".^[5]