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Biografia
Il progetto Artica iniziò nel
1989. Il gruppo abbandonò l’iniziale tendenza
verso la New Wave dopo una graduale evoluzione dovuta
ad attività live e sessioni in studio e si presentò
con uno stile venato di tratti originali, ma direttamente
legato alla vena più romantica ed intimistica
della Dark/Cold Wave ed in special modo del Gothic Rock,
di cui esaltarono le potenzialità liriche e sonore.
Verso la fine del 1992 la band modificò radicalmente
la composizione delle proprie canzoni, riscrivendo tutti
i testi in italiano ed introducendo un suono di chitarra
più potente.
Nello stesso anno iniziarono i lavori del loro primo
demo-tape, “Marea”, pubblicato poi nel febbraio
del 1993. Marea portò agli Artica un successo
immediato in Italia e fu anche ricevuto positivamente
in Francia, Germania ed Gran Bretagna, dove le differenze
di lingua non sembrarono presentare alcun ostacolo.
Nel 1993 la band partecipò a numerose compilation
guadagnandosi l’interesse di Olivier Paccaud (Lucie
Cries-Alea jacta Est) che li invitò a partecipare
al noto sampler di Alea Jacta Est “L’Appel
De La Muse, Vol. IV” con il mix di Preghiera (Ecclesia).
L’interesse per la band crebbe in Italia e all’estero
e la fine dell’anno vide la registrazione del
secondo demo-tape “Dhalia” alle battute
finali. Questo lavoro si avvalse della professionalità
ed esperienza di Paolo Pratali che conferì al
sound della band la necessaria chiarezza e maggiore
qualità.
Con Dhalia lo stile si evolse ancora e il lavoro riscosse
un’eccellente risposta; il nome della band apparve
nella maggior parte delle riviste specializzate in Europa,
come anche in Australia e USA, e il numero di partecipazioni
a compilations crebbe e l’inclusione della band
nella terza Gothic Rock Bible di Mick Mercer valse al
gruppo riconoscimenti da Bari-Bari (Mephisto Waltz)
), Mike Van Portfleet (Lycia/ Bleak), GodKrist (Madre
Del Vizio), Patrick Hendrix (The Breath Of Life), Dave
(Vendemmian) e Jörg Kleudgen (The House Of Usher).
Nell’ottobre del 1994 gli Artica firmarono un
contratto con l’etichetta tedesca Nyctalopia che
pubblicò nel 1995 il loro primo album: “Ombra
e Luce”. Il rapporto con la label si interruppe
però nel 1996 quando la band rifiutò il
rinnovo del contratto e si rimise a lavoro presso la
Cucurbitacea Studio Sapiens di Roma con Sandro Oliva
degli “Mothers Of Invention”. Lo stile cambiò
nuovamente su una linea più aggressiva e meno
melodica.
L’album così prodotto, “Natura”,
venne pubblicato nel 1997 dalla Radio Luxor.
La stessa casa discografica chiese agli Artica di prendere
parte al tributo ai Virgin Prunes dei quali il gruppo
riarrangia “Caucasian Walk”.
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Discografia / Discography
CD:
1995 OMBRA E LUCE
1997 NATURA
2003 OMBRA E LUCE + unreleased trks
NYCTALOPIA
RADIO LUXOR
DECADANCE RECORDS
COMPILATIONS:
L’APPEL DE LA MUSE VOL.IV
ALEA JACTA EST
INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY 1
ENERGEIA
GOTHIC I
AM MUSIC
DEATH BY DAWN 2
APOLLYON RECORDS
GOTHIC ROCK 2
JUNGLE RECORDS UK
L’APPEL DE LA MUSE VOL.V
ALEA JACTA EST
THE HEX FILES GOTH BIBLE
EUROMEDIA
ANYONE CAN BE A VIRGIN PRUNES
RADIO LUXOR
DECADANCE COMPILATION VOL.1
DECADANCE RECORDS
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Contatti / Contacts
www.articaweb.it
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Biography
The Artica project began in 1989.
Having evolved and slowly improved through live concerts
and studio-sessions the band abandoned its preious tendence
toward New Wave and presented itself, with new and original
features, in a style tied directly to the romantic-intimist
vein of Dark/ Cold Wave and especially of Gothic-Rock
music, which are used to exalt the lyrical and the sound
potentialities.Towards the end of 1992, in fact, the
band radically modified the composition of the songs,
beginning with the writing of all the lyrics in Italian
and introducing more powerful guitar sounds in the arrangements.In
the same year work began on of the first demo-tape Marea
(eight tracks) that came out in February 1993. Marea
brought overnight success to Artica in Italy and was
also warmly received in France, Germany and England,
where the difference in language didn't seem to present
a problem.During 1993 the band participates in several
cassette compilations and, gaining the interest of Olivier
Paccaud (Lucie Cries - Alea Jacta Est), Artica appears
for the first time on a CD for the well-known Alea Jacta
Est sampler `l'Appel De La Muse, vol. IV', with the
mix Preghiera (Ecclesia). The interest in the band increases
both in Italy and abroad and near the end of the year
the recording of eight new tracks featuring in the second
demo-tape; Dahlia (February 1994), is almost completed.
This time mixing and recording (both digital), make
use of the professional experience of Paolo Pratali
giving to the whole sound the right clarity and ensuring
a product of the higher quality .With Dahlia the style
develops again through the depth of guitars whether
clean or distorted and of the new five-strings bass.
The keyboards, at once ethereal and dynamic, the acoustic
drums - one of the main strengths of the band - the
warm and aggressive voice combine to create to a unique
and mature sound.This new work received an excellent
response; the name of the band appears in most of the
specialist publications of Europe and also in some others
in Australia and the USA.The number of the participations
on ambitious compilations increases, such as `Gothic-Rock
II' (Jungle Records) and `Death by Dawn 2 - The Avenger'
(Apollyon Records).On top of this in `94, Mick Mercer
decides to include Artica in the third `Gothic-Rock
book' and soon after came good responses from Bari-Bari
(Mephisto Walz), Mike Van Portfleet (Lycia/ Bleak),
GodKrist (Madre Del Vizio), Patrick Hendrix (The Breath
Of Life), Dave (Vendemmian) and amongst others also
Jörg Kleudgen (The House Of Usher).The latter helped
the band to step out, not only through the enthusiastic
article appearing in the German magazine `Gothic' and
inviting the band to participate in the CD compilation
enclosed, but most importantly placing ARTICA's music
in the hands of Joelen Mingi, manager of Nyctalopia,
the gothic label of Stuttgart.In October 1994 ARTICA
signs the contract with this German label and in May
1995 the first album CD `Ombra e Luce' is released featuring
12 tracks partly taken from the two previous demos and
partly new.In April 1996 the band refuses a new contract
with Nyctalopia and begins a new recording session for
a forthcoming CD titled `Natura'. The recordings lasts
about three months at the Cucurbitacea Studio Sapiens
of Rome. This time the sound engineer is Sandro Oliva,
official member of the Franck Zappa's band `Mothers
Of Invention'. The style changes radically getting more
aggressive both in the music, decidedly less melodic,
stronger and darker, and in more articulate and direct
the lyrics. The roman band announces this album as a
sort of deliverance from all the stupid taboos of the
scene, but at the same time the most Gothic album ARTICA
could ever compose». Most of the tracks of the
new work are supported by a classical use of harpsichord,
violin and female voice. In April 1997 the band signs
a new contract with an Italian alternative label called
RADIO LUXOR.In July 1997 `Natura' is finally released
and RADIO LUXOR intends re-releasing the sold-out `Ombra
e Luce'.During the releasing of Natura, the English
label Euromedia produces the new Mick Mercer's compilation
The Hex Files vol. 2 - The Goth Bible where the band
is featured with the new track `Lucrezia': Always improving,
ARTICA fully deserve to be one of the best respected
bands. They offer a much improved version of what are
traditionally regarded as 80's lyrical crossed with
the vigour of early 80's to create a satisfying 90's
hybrid. This is prowling, stormy stuff» (Mick
Mercer 1997). One year later Radio Luxor prepares a
tribute to Virgin Prunes. Artica decide to partecipate
with the track "Caucasian Walk" wich has been
recorded in one single session of 10 hours: the final
result is quite exciting and the compilation reaches
very good responses worldwide. In April 1999 the band
singes a new contract with Black Velvet Agency of Rome
with the aim of promoting the band and the new tracks
in Italy and abroad.
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