The idea for South London's electro-rock outfit Clor came from Bad Bunny, a club night that singer Barry Dobbin and guitarist Luke Smith ran. Along with the music they already spun -- which ranged from reggae to electronic to pop -- the duo wanted to incorporate their own music into their DJ sets, so they began recording at Smith's apartment. Dobbin and Smith invited some of the other musicians and crew involved with Bad Bunny into the fold, and Clor (so named because Dobbin wanted something that sounded raw, primitive, and futuristic at the same time) expanded to a quintet. The group recorded a demo, Welcome Music Lovers, with the intention of sending it out to book shows at other clubs. However, word of mouth about Clor's demo spread so quickly that the band signed to Parlophone after playing only six gigs. Welcome Music Lovers was released as the band's debut EP late in 2004. Despite their record deal, Clor's creative process didn't change much: the band recorded its 2005 self-titled debut (which was preceded by the singles Love + Pain and Outlines) at Smith's place, and the results were as quirky and danceable as ever. In spring 2006, just before Clor was due for release in the U.S., the band broke up due to creative differences. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi
