DARXTAR

DarXtar started out in 1989 and has since released six full-lenght albums and contributed to various compilations and tribute albums. The band has also played live around in Europe over the years. The latest release "We came too late" will probably become their most successful album so far and gigs are planned in Germany for the autumn 2006.

1989-1990: Formed as a one-man project by K.Sören Bengtsson in an attempt to relive early 1970’s style space/psych/acid-rock. After a few demos, home recording of full album material begins. Half finished he is joined by Juha Nurmenniemi and they complete the recording together. 1991-1992: darXtar is released in January on UK casette label Acid Tapes. Already their second recording is under way. A scrapped demo ends up on a compilation cassette Isotopic Moments from Acid Tapes. First eponymous recording is released on CD by German label SPM/wwr. In 1992 the same label rejects second recording as it's too experimental. Patric Danielsson joins the band on drums. 1993: Darker is finally released on CD by Swedish label Garageland Records. They record a new track, UFO for a compilation CD on the same label and brings in Fredrik Sundqvist on Violin. Soon after Sören Mårtensson joins to complete the line-up. Less than a month later the band makes a somewhat unrehearsed live debut. 1994-1995: The recording of Daybreak begin. First recording as a proper band and regarded as a space-rock classic. Still mostly home recorded and this time even released on Bengtsson's own label SBm. This CD finally gives the band some reputation and gigs in Europe follow. Two members leave during 1994. They are replaced by Marcus Pehrsson from Last Laugh. New songs with a more psychedelic/progressive approach than before are near completed when artist friend Sputnic comes up with the idea and story for a sci-fi concept album and the band approves. They continue to work on both projects until Italian label Black Widow records ask them to record a follow up to Daybreak. This is recorded in three (!) hectic days before they get back to the conceptual idea. Sundqvist rejoins the band and a few weeks later Björn Jacobson is invited too. By December they act as backing band to ex. Hawkwind legend Nik Turner under the guise of HawXtaR. 1996: SJU is released on both LP and CD.This is considered by the band as an "in-between projects" album but is very well received by critics. An edited version of the song 7 is released on a Norwegian compilation CD and Cleopatra release the Space Box triple CD with a remixed version of This Alien Nation. During this time the band continues to work on the concept album, to be called Tombola, and studio work begins in November 1996. This is a huge project but they still decide to record the major part of it in the home studio since no company is willing to back them up financially. 1997-2000: Extensive recording sessions for Tombola. An ambient Eno cover is recorded for a Cleopatra tribute CD, and SBm release the 1995 HawXtaR live recording on a CD-R limited to 100 numbered copies. In 1998 another Cleopatra tribute, this time for Genesis, is released with one darXtar cover. By the end of 1998 Tombola has finally reached the stage of mixdown while band has slimmed to five members. All members of the band consider Tombola to be their finest effort by far, but it is virtually impossible to land a deal with a decent label. More than two years is spent trying to get it out and finally the Swedish label Record Heaven decides to give it a try. 2001-2002: Tombola is released in November 2001 and the band performs at the release party as a 6 piece band, with violinist Fredrik Sundqvist back as a full time member. In late march Bjorn Jacobson decides to take a brake and the band is down to five members again. Scheduled gigs fail to materialize and the band, now free from the Tombola ghost, start to work on new material. First batch of Tombola is sold out by end of march. By autumn the core of the band (Bengtsson, Danielsson and Pehrsson) takes the desicion to strip the unit down to a trio. Time is always a critical factor for a non-professional band and they feel this is the only way to spend more time on writing and producing material, and less time on organizing. For eventual live gigs and recording appearances, appropriate guests will be invited. The new album is being recorded, starting early october 2002, all at Studio Terra this time. 2003: They are asked by UK based label Godreah Records to participate on a Hawkwind tribute CD. They agree and records an interresting version of The Watcher over a day at Studio Terra with Fredrik Sundqvist joining in on violin. The cancelled Space Rock Festival in Copenhagen at least produces a compilation CD with the bands to be involved. The band opts for two live cuts from 1994 and 1995 rather than a new recording since they are fully occupied with the successor to Tombola, an album that has received tremendous reviews over the years. In July 2003 they play the Dirty Black Summer festival in Sweden, joined by Charlie Härenwall on Keyboards and Mandrake (aka Per Hillblom) on space sounds and magics. A gig in Helsinki is arranged by Santtu of Dark Sun where they appear once again as a 6 piece live act with Fredrik present on Violin as well as Charlie and Per on board. The gig turns out rather well (you can read a review here by Scott Heller) but afterwards they decide they have to devote all available time to the new recording and leave gigs etc. for the future. 2004-2005: As always when you are commited to something, there's something else that steals away your attraction from time to time. In darXtar's case in 2004 it is again a tribute album that attracts their interrest. It is a Moody Blues tribute on an Italian label and they choose to do a really weird version of "The Dream" from "On the threshold of a dream". Actually they are extremely satisfied with the outcome and if it failes to materialise (it is still unreleased as of December 2005, check here) they will find a way to let you enjoy it anyway. Finally in early summer 2005 all recordings and mixdowns are done and the Nasoni record company in Germany shows interrest to release it on both CD and LP. It's a small company but they seem honest and devoted to what they do and it's a done deal. By late autumn mastering and cover artwork has been taken care of and in late December "We came too late" is released, first on CD and a couple of weeks later on LP (100 red and 400 black vinyls). The perfect christmas present after 3 years of madness... enjoy!

DarXtar have played very few gigs during the last years. Writing and recording the two last albums has taken a lot of time and energy. Still, we love to play live and we now have a superb line-up that will conquer the world in the near future... (laughs) A special moment was of course playing with Hawkwind legend Nik Turner in Sweden 1995. A very rare and spacial (!) recording actually came out of that which was only released as a CD-R called HawXtar. Magical.

Well the late 60's and the 70's are the main sources here. Some of my, K.Soren's and Patric's common heroes are Sabbath, Floyd, Hawkwind, Alice Cooper, Led Zep, Captain Beefheart among others.

Well, loads but we're into Fender, Gretch and K.Soren is all for the Line 6 Variax guitar.