Formed in Strasbourg in 1980 by Rodolphe Burger (vocals, guitar, quena), Guy "Bix" Bickel (trumpet, backing vocals), Philippe Poirier (guitar, saxophone), Pierre Keyline (bass) and Pascal Benoît (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Kat Onoma stood out in the French alternative rock scene for its predominantly literary, poetic identity and jazz influences. Until 1986, the group, then known as Dernière Bande, gave numerous concerts in the region, before taking the name Kat Onoma, meaning "as its name suggests" in Greek. After a somewhat unnoticed EP, Beggar's Law, the band opted for self-production for their debut album Cupid (1988), which received rave reviews and the support of Françoise Hardy. Signed to various independent labels, Eurobond and Fnac Music, Kat Onoma continued in the same vein with Stock Phrases (1990) and the conceptual Billy the Kid (1992), featuring the radio-friendly tracks "The Gun" and "The Radio". Following further national distribution problems, Rodolphe Burger and Philippe Poirier each released a solo album in Kat Onoma's Les Hors-Série series. In 1994, the band signed an international distribution contract with EMI France, who reissued the previous albums with previously unreleased material and released Far from the Pictures, followed by Happy Birthday Public (1997). Alongside his solo career, Rodolphe Burger reunited with Kat Onoma for a final studio album of the same name, released in 2001. Busy with their respective projects, Burger and Poirier reunited in 2015 for the Play Kat Onoma sessions. Guy Bickel died on April 18, 2014, followed by Philippe Poirier on April 28, 2025, at the age of 73.
