Jad Wio is a French band created in the mid-1980s by singer Denis Bortek, joined by guitarist Christophe K-Bye. The band has had numerous musicians accompanying it, but those two remain its core. They disbanded in 1996, then reformed in 2004.
They have experimented a variety of musical genres — Batcave, Goth Rock, Glam Rock, Chanson, Electro — and their songs feature themes such as BDSM, Esotericism, Horror Films and Science Fiction.
Discography:
- Cellar Dreams (1986)
- La Dolce Vita (live, 1986)
- Contact (1989)
- Fleur de Métal (1992)
- Cosmic Show (live, 1994)
- Monstre-toi (1995)
- Garage_Sessions #1 (re-release of Contact and Cellar Dreams, 2005)
- Nu Cle Air Pop (2005)
- Sex Magik - Histoire de Lilith Von Sirius (2007)
Tropes in their works:
- Bestiality Is Depraved: The song "Ophélie" is about a very private and 'prohibited' kind of show where a woman has sex with a horse.
- Fun with Palindromes: The song "Un drôle de lord nu" ("a weird naked lord" - the palindrome only works in French), from the album Nu Cle Air Pop.
- In Memoriam: The album Sex Magik - Histoire de Lilith Von Sirius is dedicated to Diana Orlow (1971 - 1997) aka "Lilith Von Sirius", a writer, poetess, dancer, costume designer, esotericist and High-Class Call Girl who was famous in the Parisian underground scene and died of uterine cancer at age 25.
- Magick: The album title Sex Magik.
- One-Woman Song: "Ophélie" and "Priscilla".
- Pun: Many of their songs contain plays on words.
- Self-Titled Album: Bortek released a solo album in 1997. It is titled, well, Bortek.
- Shout-Out:
- The songs "Aiwass" and "Magik 666" from the album Sex Magik are clear references to Aleister Crowley.
- In the music video of the song "Mélancolie", there's a picture of John Merrick from The Elephant Man on the wall.
- Word Salad Title: The band's name was completely made up by Bortek. According to him, "at the time, every band's name meant something. I didn't want my band's name to mean anything."