Polar (artist)
Encyclopedia
Polar, or K, is Kjetil Dale Sagstad, a Norwegian
electronic music
artist. He is originally from Meland
in Norway, and grew up with his former musical partner Teebee
. Together he started Subtitles Recordings
, which Teebee
now runs by himself. He currently lives in San Francisco.
Labels: Certificate 18 , Subtitles Recordings
, Breakbeat Science
, Levitated, Moving Shadow
, R&S Records
, Beatservice, Rugged Vinyl, Warm Communications, Fenetik (Soma), FAT! Records, Metaformal
in terms of scope, quality and vision.
Originally from Bergen
, on the West Coast of Norway
, K was baptized by the local rave scene (albeit a very small one) and intense early breakbeat and techno. He quit school to pursue a sonic education, and started on a career path that would see him influence the scene that so clearly touched him in the first place. After his Dad nicked his gear off him as penance for his non-orthodox scholarly aspirations, K used his mate Teebee's PC to make tunes. After developing contact with Moving Shadow
and Rugged Vinyl, K released Jazzassins 'Compass' for R&S Records
in 1997.
Releases followed on Beatservice and Moving Shadow
, his track was snapped up by the likes of Gilles Peterson
, Amon Tobin
, Matrix
, Laurent Garnier
and Fabio
, and highlighted the direction of Polar's venture into glacial soundscapes and haunting programming. The mini LP '37 Degrees and Falling' followed, with the influence of K's home environment of Norway ever present in his sound, and planting him firmly on the musical map with intense atmospherics and powerful beat arrangements. Singles 'Mind Of A Killer', 'Skydiver', and '5am', released throughout 2000, illustrated the irrevocable, irreversible slide back from the thaw, heading into numbing yet taut K-hole serenity. 2001 saw the release of the acclaimed 'Still Moving' album, achieving support and recognition from a wide spectrum of scenes, not just from within drum n bass.
The 'White Chambers' EP was released in December '01: this was three cuts of deep, downtempo electronica. Moody, emotional and brooding - like a film noir soundtrack infused with hip hop and drum'n'bass - the tracks were lifted from the CD version of 'Still Moving' and created waves throughout the electronic world, with Polar being hailed as "Kruder & Dorfmeister
on an iceberg" (Seven Magazine). It also featured a remix by Ian Simmons aka Journeyman
.
In 2002, K relocated to San Francisco while working on his 3rd solo album 'Out of the Blue'.
Tragically this would be his last for the next 6 years due to a hearing injury. That same year also saw Polar releases on Metaformal, Breakbeat science, Thermal Recordings, Fenetik, FAT! and his own label Subtitles Music, founded together with childhood friend Dj Teebee.
K is suffering from reduced hearing, Hyperacusis
and Tinnitus
as a result of a hearing injury he
originally got in 1999. In 2002 it took an unexpected turn for the worse, and he was left unable to spend any time in the studio. He left the administration of Subtitles to partner Teebee in 2003, and disappeared from the drum & bass scene.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
artist. He is originally from Meland
Meland
Meland is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway.-History:The municipality is named after the farm of Meland. The norse name of the farm was "Meðalland"...
in Norway, and grew up with his former musical partner Teebee
Teebee
Teebee or DJ Teebee is a Norwegian DJ and producer of drum and bass. Real name Torgeir Byrknes, Teebee began DJing in 1990 and released his first record in 1996...
. Together he started Subtitles Recordings
Subtitles Recordings
Subtitles Music is a drum and bass label founded in 2000 by Norwegian producers Teebee and Polar. The label was set on advanced, techstep and neurofunk sounds by a diverse blend of artists yet, influenced by other styles of drum and bass where tight, progressive production is prominent...
, which Teebee
Teebee
Teebee or DJ Teebee is a Norwegian DJ and producer of drum and bass. Real name Torgeir Byrknes, Teebee began DJing in 1990 and released his first record in 1996...
now runs by himself. He currently lives in San Francisco.
Labels: Certificate 18 , Subtitles Recordings
Subtitles Recordings
Subtitles Music is a drum and bass label founded in 2000 by Norwegian producers Teebee and Polar. The label was set on advanced, techstep and neurofunk sounds by a diverse blend of artists yet, influenced by other styles of drum and bass where tight, progressive production is prominent...
, Breakbeat Science
Breakbeat Science
Breakbeat Science Recordings is a drum and bass record label based in a record store of the same name in Brooklyn in New York City, New York; both the label and the store were founded in 1996, and a website was launched in 1997...
, Levitated, Moving Shadow
Moving Shadow
Moving Shadow was a UK-based jungle/drum and bass record label that was started in 1990 by Rob Playford. Alongside such labels as Suburban Base, Formation Records, D-Zone, Reinforced, and Metalheadz, Moving Shadow grew to become one of the best-regarded and longest-lived labels in its genre,...
, R&S Records
R&S Records
R&S Records is an independent record label. Founded in 1984 in Ghent, Belgium, it is now based in London and managed by Andy Whittaker and Dan Foat.R&S represents the initials of Renaat Vandepapeliere and Sabine Maes, the couple that created the label...
, Beatservice, Rugged Vinyl, Warm Communications, Fenetik (Soma), FAT! Records, Metaformal
Background
After initially surfacing on Hopa & Bones's A-Level imprint in '96, Kjetil Sagstad, aka K, has notched up an impressive tally of releases on several labels, developing a trademark sound to match. Metamorphosing into one of the leading lights in the world of beats and progressive drum n bass, K's skills as a producer have left others across the board standing out in the cold, earning him comparisons to Carl CraigCarl Craig
Carl Craig is a Detroit-based producer of techno music, and is considered to be one of the most important names in the Detroit second generation of techno producers and DJs...
in terms of scope, quality and vision.
Originally from Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, on the West Coast of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, K was baptized by the local rave scene (albeit a very small one) and intense early breakbeat and techno. He quit school to pursue a sonic education, and started on a career path that would see him influence the scene that so clearly touched him in the first place. After his Dad nicked his gear off him as penance for his non-orthodox scholarly aspirations, K used his mate Teebee's PC to make tunes. After developing contact with Moving Shadow
Moving Shadow
Moving Shadow was a UK-based jungle/drum and bass record label that was started in 1990 by Rob Playford. Alongside such labels as Suburban Base, Formation Records, D-Zone, Reinforced, and Metalheadz, Moving Shadow grew to become one of the best-regarded and longest-lived labels in its genre,...
and Rugged Vinyl, K released Jazzassins 'Compass' for R&S Records
R&S Records
R&S Records is an independent record label. Founded in 1984 in Ghent, Belgium, it is now based in London and managed by Andy Whittaker and Dan Foat.R&S represents the initials of Renaat Vandepapeliere and Sabine Maes, the couple that created the label...
in 1997.
Releases followed on Beatservice and Moving Shadow
Moving Shadow
Moving Shadow was a UK-based jungle/drum and bass record label that was started in 1990 by Rob Playford. Alongside such labels as Suburban Base, Formation Records, D-Zone, Reinforced, and Metalheadz, Moving Shadow grew to become one of the best-regarded and longest-lived labels in its genre,...
, his track was snapped up by the likes of Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson , is a DJ, record collector and record label owner from London, UK. Through his labels Acid Jazz, Talkin' Loud, and latterly Brownswood Recordings, he has been associated with the careers of well-known artists of the 1990s such as Erykah Badu, Roni Size and Jamiroquai...
, Amon Tobin
Amon Tobin
Amon Adonai Santos de Araújo Tobin , known as Amon Tobin, is a Brazilian musician, composer and producer of electronic music. He is described as a virtuoso sound designer and is considered to be one of the most influential electronic music artists in the world...
, Matrix
Matrix (artist)
Jamie Quinn, better known as Matrix, is a London based drum and bass producer and DJ.He started his musical career as one half of drum and bass duo Turbosound, who signed to DJ SS's F Project Records label, an offshoot of Formation Records....
, Laurent Garnier
Laurent Garnier
Laurent Garnier , is a French techno music producer and DJ. Garnier began DJ-ing in Manchester during the late 1980s. By the following decade, he had a broad stylistic range, able to span deep house, Detroit techno, trance and jazz...
and Fabio
Fabio
Fabio, Fábio is a given name descended from Latin Fabius. Fabianus originates from Fabius and it is equivalent to the English Fabian.It may refer to:-Performing arts:* Fabio Grossi, Italian principal dancer* Fábio Júnior, Brazilian singer...
, and highlighted the direction of Polar's venture into glacial soundscapes and haunting programming. The mini LP '37 Degrees and Falling' followed, with the influence of K's home environment of Norway ever present in his sound, and planting him firmly on the musical map with intense atmospherics and powerful beat arrangements. Singles 'Mind Of A Killer', 'Skydiver', and '5am', released throughout 2000, illustrated the irrevocable, irreversible slide back from the thaw, heading into numbing yet taut K-hole serenity. 2001 saw the release of the acclaimed 'Still Moving' album, achieving support and recognition from a wide spectrum of scenes, not just from within drum n bass.
The 'White Chambers' EP was released in December '01: this was three cuts of deep, downtempo electronica. Moody, emotional and brooding - like a film noir soundtrack infused with hip hop and drum'n'bass - the tracks were lifted from the CD version of 'Still Moving' and created waves throughout the electronic world, with Polar being hailed as "Kruder & Dorfmeister
Kruder & Dorfmeister
Kruder & Dorfmeister, named after members Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister, is an Austrian duo most known for their downtempo-dub remixes of pop, hip-hop and drum and bass songs.-Style:...
on an iceberg" (Seven Magazine). It also featured a remix by Ian Simmons aka Journeyman
Journeyman
A journeyman is someone who completed an apprenticeship and was fully educated in a trade or craft, but not yet a master. To become a master, a journeyman had to submit a master work piece to a guild for evaluation and be admitted to the guild as a master....
.
In 2002, K relocated to San Francisco while working on his 3rd solo album 'Out of the Blue'.
Tragically this would be his last for the next 6 years due to a hearing injury. That same year also saw Polar releases on Metaformal, Breakbeat science, Thermal Recordings, Fenetik, FAT! and his own label Subtitles Music, founded together with childhood friend Dj Teebee.
K is suffering from reduced hearing, Hyperacusis
Hyperacusis
Hyperacusis is a health condition characterized by an over-sensitivity to certain frequency ranges of sound...
and Tinnitus
Tinnitus
Tinnitus |ringing]]") is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound.Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom that can result from a wide range of underlying causes: abnormally loud sounds in the ear canal for even the briefest period , ear...
as a result of a hearing injury he
originally got in 1999. In 2002 it took an unexpected turn for the worse, and he was left unable to spend any time in the studio. He left the administration of Subtitles to partner Teebee in 2003, and disappeared from the drum & bass scene.
The return to drum & bass
After a year of online rumors that there might be some new Polar material in the works, 2008 will finally see the highly anticipated release of a 4th Polar solo LP titled 'In the end' on Warm Communications out of Amarillo, Texas.Discography (Albums only)
- Black Science Beatservice (1999)
- 37°C. And Falling Certificate 18 (2000)
- Still Moving Certificate 18 (2001)
- Out Of The Blue Certificate 18 (2002)
- Dj Teebee & K - Presents the deeper side of drum & bass Subtitles Music (2002)
- In the end Warm Communications (November 2008)
- French Songs EMI France (April 21, 2009)