Marquis de Sade, a flagship band on the Rennes rock scene, only recorded two albums - Dantzig Twist (1979) and Rue de Siam (1981) - but helped kickstart the post-punk movement in France and left a lasting influence on the French rock landscape. Formed by guitarist Frank Darcel, the group’s original line-up included singer and bassist Christian Dargelos, but they added a new dimension with his replacement Philippe Pascal and the arrival of second guitarist Anzia (Gilles Rettel). Marquis de Sade's innovative style was somber, succinct, and exciting, inspired by Joy Division and other contemporary groups from the UK. Philippe Pascal's stage presence and pan-European aesthetic added to the aura of a band that was short-lived but then gave birth to two offshoot bands: Octobre (Franck Darcel) and Marc Seberg (Philippe Pascal). Forty years after their debut, Marquis de Sade reformed for a concert that was released as the live album 16.09.17, followed by a mini tour in 2018. Meanwhile, the group’s iconic singer formed two other groups after Marc Seberg split up: the duo Philippe Pascale with keyboardist Pascale Le Berre for an album released in 1994, then The Blue Train Choir the following year. On September 12, 2019, Philippe Pascal, aged 63, was found dead at his home in Rennes. The following year saw the return of the other musicians under the name Marquis and an album entitled Aurora (2021), featuring Frank Darcel, Éric Morinière, Thierry Alexandre, and Simon Mahieu. On March 15, 2024, Frank Darcel, aged 65, was found dead at the foot of a cliff after an accidental fall in Ribadeo, Spain.
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