CLAIR OBSCUR originated in 1981 in the new wave / cold wave / industrial scene. Their shows mixing music and visual performances were very quickly recognised, and became a reference to both the buying public and the up and coming French independant radio stations. Clair Obscur strived to nurture their musical creativity into atmospheres, rather than just dispel mere melodies.

They were invited to play at the Ecole des Beaux Arts de Paris as well as to support Killing Joke at the Palace in Paris, or play at the Cirque dHiver de Paris for the French magazine Actuel which spoke of "rock Artaud". Each show of the group had to be a unique event always different from their previous show.

Clair Obscur invited performers, dancers, plasticians, musicians coming from jazz and classical music... and attempted to break the established sketches of the performance, as for example by creating in an Italian style theatre (théâtre Déjazet in Paris) a feigned bucolic decorum, featuring a chamber orchestra and replicas of famous impressionist paintings, to destroy it immediately after.

The group were also invited at the Printemps de Bourges, in Germany (Hamburg, Mainz, Wave Traffen in Leipzig...), Austria (Wiener Festwochen/Töne und Gegentöne), Belgium (Vooruit in Gent), Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich, Bienn)... They have published a dozen of records on French, British, German and American labels.

After an absence of seven years, Clair Obscur have formed up again in November 2004. They have been invited at the Heaven's Gate festival in Strasbourg, at the Kab de l'Usine in Geneva, at the Emo-Son festival in Bourges, at La Locomotive in Paris... Clair Obscur are Christophe Demarthe (vocals) and Nicolas Demarthe (guitars).

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