Arkarna

Last updated

Arkarna
OriginLondon, England
Genres Electronica, [1] alternative rock, electronic rock, house, big beat
Years active1994–present
MembersOllie Jacobs (lead vocals, keyboards)
Matt Hart (guitar)
Past membersJames Barnett
Lalo Creme
Sebastian Beresford (formerly of Leftfield)
Website http://arkarna.net/

Arkarna is an English electronic/rock band, comprising singer-songwriter/programmer Ollie Jacobs and guitarist Matt Hart. Past members [2] included James Barnett, guitarist Lalo Creme (son of former 10cc and Godley & Creme member Lol Creme) and drummer Sebastian Beresford. Arkarna has enjoyed sold out tours in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, as well as various headlining festival slots. The band is noted for its energetic live performances and for fusing many music genres.

Contents

History

Formed by Ollie Jacobs in England in the mid-1990s, Arkarna debuted in 1997 with the album Fresh Meat . [3] Jacobs (Programmer and vocalist) had worked as an engineer and producer in his father's London studios, Rollover , [4] from the age of 14. By the time he started the band, Jacobs had mixed for Dreadzone, Leftfield and Deep Forest. [3]

Acoustic guitarist and backing vocalist James Barnett, formerly a member of Lunarci, recorded for Big Life Records and regularly appeared on the Megadog club scene. [3] Lalo Creme, son of Lol Creme of Godley & Creme fame, joined after playing guitar for a series of Trevor Horn sessions. Creme was directed to Rollover Studios where Jacobs and Barnett were in the embryonic stage of forming a group. [3]

The trio were signed to WEA Records by Clive Black and Raz Gold in June 1995 and later released their debut single "House on Fire" and the album, Fresh Meat . [3] During this period they took the first steps in performing live, hiring drummer Sebastian Beresford before enrolled him as the fourth member before their 1997 tour of Australia. As a four-piece, they went on to tour across the world until after the release of their second album, The Family Album (2001).[ citation needed ]

In 2010, Arkarna joined forces with session musicians Tim Owen (drummer) and Dave Landers (bassist) to perform in front of over 30,000 fans for Java Rockin'land in Ancol Dreamland, Jakarta, Indonesia. They headlined alongside the Smashing Pumpkins and Stereophonics and were voted the festival favorite and instantly won the hearts of young Indonesian adults across the nation.[ citation needed ]

New material started to appear in 2011 for their third album; the first single from which was "Left Is Best". The promo video for "Left Is Best" first appeared on YouTube in December 2011.

With millions of loyal fans in Indonesia, on 20 October 2014 Arkarna was invited back by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to perform live in front of over 250,000 people at the presidential inauguration in the National Monument.[ citation needed ]

On 17 August 2015, the band were summoned back to Indonesia to launch their new single, "Kebyar-Kebyar", [5] [ non-primary source needed ] in the Indonesian language to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the independence of Indonesia.

Music

Some of Arkarna's more popular songs are "House on Fire" and "Eat Me", both of which appeared on Arkarna's debut album Fresh Meat. "House on Fire" has featured on U.S. sitcom series Friends , The O.C. and also appeared on the Batman & Robin soundtrack. Another hit song from the Fresh Meat album, "So Little Time", was also the theme tune to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's TV show in the U.S., So Little Time . Arkarna's The Family Album produced the singles "Skin", "Rehab" and the number one radio tune in Southeast Asia, "Life Is Free". Several other international inroads over the past decade included soundtracking Levi's ads and Honda TV commercials in the United States.

Ollie Jacobs

Jacobs started out doing remixes for Frankie Goes to Hollywood ("Relax") before he went on to mix Leftfield's Leftism . Jacobs then began composing his own songs, and became the frontman of Arkarna. Jacobs was soon involved with East 17 and Take That and made an appearance on BBC One's Top of the Pops with Rozalla, performing behind the turntables on "Don't Go Lose It Baby".

Jacobs has also collaborated with various well-known artists and producers including Madonna, Trevor Horn, Art of Noise, Barry Manilow, The Prodigy, Skunk Anansie, William Orbit, Tinchy Stryder, Stooshe, and Boyzone. Early on, Jacobs wrote and produced the number No. 1 hit "Mysterious Girl" for Peter Andre. Additionally, he has mixed the track "Pop Your Cork" for the Stanton Warriors (which features Twista) and also collaborated with Dave Hedger under the name West London Deep. In 2013, Jacobs was voted 'Top UK Hit Songwriter' [6] for writing and producing the number No. 1 Saturdays hit, "What About Us", which has sold over 500,000 copies in the UK, plus 120,000 copies in the US alone without even charting on the Billboard Hot 100. [7]

Discography

Albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[8]
Fresh Meat 78
The Family Album
  • Released: March 2000
  • Label: WEA Records
  • Format: CD, LP
—
Music is my Therapy
  • Released: May 2013
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD, LP, MP3
—

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
[9] 		AUS
[8] 		US Dance
[10]
1995"Are You Scared"———Non-Album Single
1996"House on Fire" (12 single)———
1997"Eat Me"—69—Fresh Meat
"House on Fire"33—3
"So Little Time"46——
"The Futures Overrated"—69
[11] 		12
1998"The Futures Overrated" (1998 Version)100——Non-Album Single
2000"Life Is Free"———The Family Album
"Sink"———
2001"Rehab"———
2012"Strange Creature"———Music is my Therapy
"Left Is Best"———
2015"Kebyar-Kebyar" [12] [ non-primary source needed ]———Non-Album Single

Remixes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10cc</span> British art rock band

10cc are a British rock band formed in Stockport in 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians – Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme – who had written and recorded together since 1968. The group featured two songwriting teams. Stewart and Gouldman were predominantly pop songwriters, who created most of the band's accessible songs. Godley and Creme were the predominantly experimental half of 10cc, featuring art and cinematically inspired writing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Godley</span> British musical artist (born 1945)

Kevin Michael Godley is a British singer, songwriter, musician and music video director. He is known as the singer and drummer of the art rock band 10cc and later as part of collaboration duo Godley & Creme with Lol Creme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Godley & Creme</span> English rock duo

Godley & Creme were an English rock duo formally established in Manchester in 1977 by Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The pair began releasing music as a duo after their departure from the rock band 10cc. In 1979, they directed their first music video with the single "An Englishman in New York". After this, they became involved in the production of videos for artists such as Ultravox, the Police, Yes, Duran Duran, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Wang Chung, as well as directing the groundbreaking video for their 1985 single "Cry". The duo split at the end of the 1980s. Both have since been involved in music videos, TV commercials, and sporadic music projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When We Was Fab</span> 1988 single by George Harrison

"When We Was Fab" is a song by English musician George Harrison, which he released on his 1987 album Cloud Nine. It was also issued as the second single from the album, in January 1988. The lyrics serve as a nostalgic reflection by Harrison on the days of Beatlemania during the 1960s, when the Beatles were first referred to as "the Fab Four". Harrison co-wrote the song with Jeff Lynne, who also co-produced the track. The recording references the psychedelic sound that the Beatles had helped popularise in 1967, through its use of sitar, cello, and backwards-relayed effects. Harrison's former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr is among the other musicians on the track. The single was accompanied by an innovative music video, directed by the partnership of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. One of Harrison's most popular songs, "When We Was Fab" has appeared on the compilations Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989 (1989) and Let It Roll (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Stewart</span> English musician (born 1945)

Eric Michael Stewart is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known as a founding member of the rock groups the Mindbenders with whom he played from 1963 to 1968, and likewise of 10cc from 1972 to 1995. Stewart co-owned Strawberry Studios in Stockport, England, from 1968 to the early 1980s, where he recorded albums with 10cc and artists including Neil Sedaka and Paul McCartney. Stewart collaborated with McCartney extensively in the 1980s, playing on or co-writing songs for McCartney's solo albums Tug of War (1982), Pipes of Peace (1983), Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984), and Press to Play (1986). Since 1980, Stewart has released four solo studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lol Creme</span> British musician (born 1947)

Laurence Neil "Lol" Creme is a British musician and music video director, best known for his work in 10cc. He sings and plays guitar, bass and keyboards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">An Englishman in New York</span> 1979 single by Godley & Creme

"An Englishman in New York" is a song by Godley & Creme, from their 1979 album Freeze Frame. It is memorable for an innovative self-produced music video which involved Godley singing in front of Creme, as Creme conducted mannequins dressed up as members of a 1930s big band orchestra. This feature is a homage to scenes from the 1971 film The Abominable Dr. Phibes, directed by Robert Fuest.

<i>10cc</i> (album) 1973 studio album by 10cc

10cc is the debut album by the British rock band 10cc, first released in 1973. It was recorded at Strawberry Studios in Stockport, which was part-owned by guitarist and engineer Eric Stewart, and released on Jonathan King's UK Records label. The album reached number 36 in the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Not in Love</span> 1975 song by British band 10cc

"I'm Not in Love" is a song by British group 10cc, written by band members Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman. It is known for its innovative and distinctive backing track, composed mostly of the band's multitracked vocals. Released in the UK in May 1975 as the second single from the band's third album, The Original Soundtrack, it became the second of the group's three number-one singles in the UK between 1973 and 1978, topping the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. "I'm Not in Love" became the band's breakthrough hit outside the United Kingdom, topping the charts in Canada and the Republic of Ireland as well as peaking within the top ten of the charts in several other countries, including Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Norway and the United States.

<i>Sheet Music</i> (10cc album) 1974 studio album by 10cc

Sheet Music is the second album by the English rock band 10cc. It was released in 1974 on UK records, and yielded the hit singles "The Wall Street Shuffle" and "Silly Love". The album reached No. 9 in the UK and No. 81 in the United States.

<i>Deceptive Bends</i> 1977 studio album by 10cc

Deceptive Bends is the fifth studio album by rock band 10cc, released in 1977.

<i>Freeze Frame</i> (Godley & Creme album) 1979 studio album by Godley & Creme

Freeze Frame is the third album by Godley & Creme. The album was recorded at Nigel Gray's Surrey Sound Studios, Leatherhead, Surrey. The cover art, designed by Hipgnosis, identifies the duo as 'Godley Creme'.

<i>Ismism</i> 1981 studio album by Godley & Creme

Ismism is the fourth studio album by English duo Godley & Creme, released in October 1981 by Polydor Records. In the US it was released under the name Snack Attack. It was recorded between April–May 1980 at Lymehouse Studios in Leatherhead, Surrey and engineered and re-mixed at Nigel Gray's Surrey Sound Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cry (Godley & Creme song)</span> 1985 single by Godley & Creme

"Cry" is a song released by the English music duo Godley & Creme on 11 March 1985. It was included on the duo's album The History Mix Volume 1.

<i>The Tra-La Days Are Over</i> 1973 studio album by Neil Sedaka

The Tra-La Days Are Over is a 1973 album by American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka.

<i>Changing Faces – The Very Best of 10cc and Godley & Creme</i> 1987 greatest hits album by 10cc

Changing Faces – The Very Best of 10cc and Godley & Creme is a compilation album that included the hits of 10cc and Godley & Creme, the first album to include both bands.

<i>Live and Let Live</i> (10cc album) 1977 live album by 10cc

Live and Let Live is 10cc's first live album, released in the Autumn of 1977. It was recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London between 18 and 20 June 1977 and the Manchester Apollo, Manchester between 16 and 17 July 1977.

"Life Is a Minestrone" is a 1975 song by 10cc released as a lead single from their third album, The Original Soundtrack.

<i>100cc</i> 1975 compilation album by 10cc

100cc is a compilation album by the English rock band 10cc.

<i>Frabjous Days: The Secret World of Godley & Creme 1967–1969</i> 2022 studio album and compilation album by Godley & Creme

Frabjous Days: The Secret World of Godley & Creme 1967–1969 is an album by Godley & Creme, released on Grapefruit Records in 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Bogdanov, Vladimir (2001). All Music Guide to Electronica: The Definitive Guide to Electronic Music (4th ed.). Backbeat Books. pp.  21. ISBN   978-0879306281.
  2. ↑ "ARKARNA – Original Members" . Retrieved 15 September 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 16/7. ISBN   0-7535-0252-6.
  4. ↑ "Rollover Music UK". Rollover.co.uk.
  5. ↑ "Kebyar-Kebyar – ARKARNA Indonesian Hit Single 2015". Facebook . Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  6. ↑ "Top UK Hit Songwriter 2013" . Retrieved 15 September 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ King, Mollie (23 December 2013). "Photo by @molliethesaturdays". Instagram. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  8. 1 2 Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 17.
  9. ↑ "Official Charts > Arkarna". The Official UK Charts Company . Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Arkarna > Chart History > Dance Club Songs". Billboard . Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  11. ↑ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 10 May 1998". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 14 June 2017. N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.
  12. ↑ "Kebyar-Kebyar – ARKARNA Official Video". Facebook . Retrieved 15 September 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.