Their influences range from the Pixies to Léo Ferré, encompassing Jacques Brel, Sonic Youth, Serge Gainsbourg, The Buzzcocks, Noir Désir, the Stooges, David Bowie, Sixteen Horsepower, the Kinks, the Beatles, Tears For Fears, Fugazi, XTC, Deus, and also Boris Vian and Louis Calaferte.

Disgusted by how the record company managed the group, bassist Frédéric Vitani left and gave his place to Damien Lefèvre.

Still animated by the same energy, the group worked on its new repertory, dedicating itself to concerts until December (the Flèche d'Or, the Blueser, the Péniche Makara, the Kiosque Flottant, the squat at the Grange aux Belles...) and then undertook to record the EP L'Affaire in a cellar in Paris, in Saint-Michel.

In January 1999, the EP was commercially distributed and the group then began a tedious tour throughout France, alternating between festivals, bars and cafés.

(Romain Humeau, March 2006) In July, after a few concerts with Michel Houellebecq (The Aquaplanning festival and La Route du Rock), Roman and Damien Nicolas worked on Houellebecq's album Présence Humaine, including writing the music for the title track on the album, as well as for another track, "Plein été".

In July, the band recorded a series of pieces in a cellar and a barn, songs that give rise to the EP Abricotine & Quality Street, which was released in August.

The acid sound and surrealist lyrics, already present on their EPs, were the hallmarks of this album, which included, among other pieces, "Te revoir", "Hype", and also "Je voudrais pas crever", a poem written by Boris Vian which the group set to music.

In 2005, in the middle of his tour for his solo album, Romain Humeau announced the final departure from Eiffel of Damien Lefevre (who, as of now, is still bassist for Luke.)

Tandoori included 16 tracks whose length did not exceed an average of three minutes, with the exception of the bravura piece "Bigger Than the Biggest".

The group gave a warm-up mini-tour late 2006 before starting the official tour, which began after the album was in stores, on 15 January 2007.

During the next six months, Eiffel appeared at some dates before having conflicts with their record label (Virgin Music, which was bought by EMI), concerning the promotion of the album.

Instinct and urgency naturally flourished in the short space-time, hardly 24 hours long, in which we were transported and captured the piece ...live on the spot and without a net."

After a concert on 12 September at the Chant du Gros festival in Switzerland, the group launched itself on a tour, starting 29 October at Saint-Étienne.