Dark Star (band)
Encyclopedia
Dark Star were an English
rock band from London
, whose music mixed dark psychedelica
, with a dub
undertow and noisy effects-laden guitar
.
, and had long individual histories in the British alternative rock
scene. Hayes had previously been the guitarist for Cardiacs
and Ring
, and the bass player for The Dave Howard Singers
; O'Keefe had played a similar role with The Jazz Butcher; and Francolini had played with Julian Cope
, The Blue Aeroplanes
and an embryonic Strangelove
, (as well as less well-known acts such as The Coltraines, The United States of Mind, Rhythm Party, and Something Pretty Beautiful).
Dark Star signed to the now defunct Harvest Records
, the progressive rock
subsidiary of EMI
. The band went on to release several EPs
and a debut album
, Twenty Twenty Sound
, produced by Steve Lillywhite
. Their live performances, (usually with a stage decorated with fairy lights) attracted a dedicated following. The band's common musical influence was Public Image Limited. In 2000, the band had two Top 40 UK Singles Chart
hits with re-releases of "Graceadelica" and "I Am The Sun", both from their debut album.
Following the touring and promotion of Twenty Twenty Sound, the band entered the studio to record the follow-up. Strangers And Madmen was mooted as the lead off single and received its first play on The Evening Session, hosted by Steve Lamacq
. Due to a change in personnel at EMI and a general lack of interest from the label in the new material, it was agreed the two parties would part.
The band subsequently split in 2001 with no official announcement, to pursue different projects. They were unable to release the already recorded second album, as the rights to the music belonged to EMI. A bootleg of pre-master mixes of this album is now in circulation, entitled 'Zurich' - it is not known where the title actually came from or whether it was the album's intended title.
Francolini subsequently moved back to Bristol, and set up a recording studio
. He currently works on several projects (sometimes under the name of Mitch Razor) including the indie band Dragons
. Hayes has divided his time between music and tour management - his current musical project is the solo psychedelic project, Mikrokosmos. O'Keefe is now a session bassist
, working with a wide variety of acts including Sophia and Martina Topley-Bird
.
, an artist from Peckham
, South London
. The images he used were based on his work A Humument
, an illustrative and textual reworking of an 1892 Victorian
novel
. Phillips had previously contributed similar artwork for the sleeve of the King Crimson
album Starless and Bible Black
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock band from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, whose music mixed dark psychedelica
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
, with a dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
undertow and noisy effects-laden guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
.
History
Christian Hayes, David Francolini and Laurence O'Keefe formed Dark Star in 1998. All three had previously been members of LevitationLevitation (band)
Levitation were an English rock band fronted by ex-House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers. Levitation's music and attitude challenged an early 1990s UK alternative music scene dominated by shoegazing and Madchester....
, and had long individual histories in the British alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
scene. Hayes had previously been the guitarist for Cardiacs
Cardiacs
Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...
and Ring
Ring (band)
Ring were an English psychedelic rock band active during the 1980s.The band is notable for having helped to launch the subsequent musical careers of Robert White , Michael "Mik" Tubb and Christian "Bic" Hayes .-History:Ring evolved out of the south London experimental...
, and the bass player for The Dave Howard Singers
The Dave Howard Singers
The Dave Howard Singers is a cult Canadian alternative rock band/project originally formed in Toronto, Canada. The project is based around the talents of singer-songwriter Dave Howard and the signature sound of his Ace Tone organ...
; O'Keefe had played a similar role with The Jazz Butcher; and Francolini had played with Julian Cope
Julian Cope
Julian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
, The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes
The Blue Aeroplanes are an English rock band from Bristol, the mainstays of which: Gerard Langley, brother John Langley and dancer Wojtek Dmochowski originate from the earlier New Wave “Art band” Art Objects .-History:...
and an embryonic Strangelove
Strangelove (band)
Strangelove were an English alternative rock band, formed in Bristol in 1991 and led by singer Patrick Duff. They released three albums before splitting up in 1998.-History:...
, (as well as less well-known acts such as The Coltraines, The United States of Mind, Rhythm Party, and Something Pretty Beautiful).
Dark Star signed to the now defunct Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
, the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
subsidiary of EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. The band went on to release several EPs
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and a debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Twenty Twenty Sound
Twenty Twenty Sound
Twenty Twenty Sound is the debut album by English band Dark Star, released in 1999 via Harvest Records.-Track listing:#"96 Days"#"I Am The Sun"#"About 3am"#"Vertigo"#"Graceadelica"#"A Disaffection"#"Lies"#"What In The World's Wrong"...
, produced by Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
. Their live performances, (usually with a stage decorated with fairy lights) attracted a dedicated following. The band's common musical influence was Public Image Limited. In 2000, the band had two Top 40 UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
hits with re-releases of "Graceadelica" and "I Am The Sun", both from their debut album.
Following the touring and promotion of Twenty Twenty Sound, the band entered the studio to record the follow-up. Strangers And Madmen was mooted as the lead off single and received its first play on The Evening Session, hosted by Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq , sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo or "The Cat" is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.-Early career:He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire...
. Due to a change in personnel at EMI and a general lack of interest from the label in the new material, it was agreed the two parties would part.
The band subsequently split in 2001 with no official announcement, to pursue different projects. They were unable to release the already recorded second album, as the rights to the music belonged to EMI. A bootleg of pre-master mixes of this album is now in circulation, entitled 'Zurich' - it is not known where the title actually came from or whether it was the album's intended title.
Francolini subsequently moved back to Bristol, and set up a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
. He currently works on several projects (sometimes under the name of Mitch Razor) including the indie band Dragons
Dragons (band)
Dragons are an English band, formed in 2005 in Bristol by Singer Anthony Tombling Jr., and drummer David Francolini. Other members are Adam Coombs , Calvin Talbot , Will Crewdson and Jim Fage . Their brand of sweeping indie rock is compared to the sound of bands such as Joy Division and Editors...
. Hayes has divided his time between music and tour management - his current musical project is the solo psychedelic project, Mikrokosmos. O'Keefe is now a session bassist
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, working with a wide variety of acts including Sophia and Martina Topley-Bird
Martina Topley-Bird
Martina Topley-Bird is a British vocalist and songwriter who first gained fame as the featured female vocalist on trip hop pioneer Tricky's debut album, Maxinquaye...
.
In the music press
- "A fine excursion into the murkier reaches of obsession crawling from the wreckage, then. It's not always pretty and seldom comprehensible, but you have to admire a band who can yell lyrics like I am centrifugal as if they were the meaning of life. Although what it all means is anyone's guess. And they said Bickers was the mad one." — Jim Alexander (NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
) on Twenty Twenty Sound
Cover art
The cover art on all Darkstar releases up to I Am The Sun in 2000 was by Tom PhillipsTom Phillips (artist)
Tom Phillips CBE R.A. is an English artist. He was born in London, where he continues to work. He is a painter, printmaker and collagist.-Life:...
, an artist from Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. The images he used were based on his work A Humument
A Humument
A Humument: A treated Victorian novel is an altered book by British artist Tom Phillips, first published in 1970. It is a piece of art created over W H Mallock's 1892 novel A Human Document whose title results from the partial deletion of the original title: A Human document.Phillips drew, painted,...
, an illustrative and textual reworking of an 1892 Victorian
Victorian literature
Victorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria . It forms a link and transition between the writers of the romantic period and the very different literature of the 20th century....
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
. Phillips had previously contributed similar artwork for the sleeve of the King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
album Starless and Bible Black
Starless and Bible Black
Starless and Bible Black is an album released by the British progressive rock band King Crimson in 1974. Most of the vocal pieces on the album are satires and commentaries on the sleaziness and materialism of society...
Albums
- Twenty Twenty SoundTwenty Twenty SoundTwenty Twenty Sound is the debut album by English band Dark Star, released in 1999 via Harvest Records.-Track listing:#"96 Days"#"I Am The Sun"#"About 3am"#"Vertigo"#"Graceadelica"#"A Disaffection"#"Lies"#"What In The World's Wrong"...
(Harvest RecordsHarvest Records-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
, 1999, #133) - Zurich (Unreleased)
Singles and EPs
- Graceadelica (EP) (1998)
- I Am The Sun (EP) (1999)
- "About 3am" (single) (1999, #50)
- "Graceadelica" (remix single) (2000, #25)
- "I Am The Sun" (remix single) (2000, #31)