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band – genre: Industrial/Alt. Dance
members – Sven Korth, J.A.B. (aka KarrArikh Tor), and Kylyra
Stygian Tars was formed in 1996 by the unexpected reunion in Minneapolis of J.A.B. and Sven Korth (both from Milwaukee’s Black Orchid). They quickly joined forces with Kylyra, forming one of the most dynamic improvisational trios ever recorded in the Dark World studios. Using a live audio recording style, these three artists blended the experimental, industrial, and gothic influences of Milwaukee’s Black Orchid with the groove and classical melodies of Kylyra to create what critics claimed was “very original … a style and sound truly their own” (Corridor of Cells webmag) on their first demo release on cassette in 1997, ‘This Is The Land Of The Shades, Of Sleep, And Of Drowsy Night – Chapter One’. The band’s label, Dark World, was so impressed by the group’s potential a special video was created to appear as the opener to the 1997 North American cable broadcast of Dark World Television: Episode One “tourist”.
listen to Stygian Tars on YouTube
After a year of weekly recording sessions culminating in the memorable live show Event622, the band felt they had musically explored all they could together and moved onto other projects, but their music continued to be released in limited runs through their label. Their demo release was followed up with the official limited CD releases of ‘Chapter One’, ‘Chapters Two and Three’, and the digital release of ‘Abridged Edition’. Stygian Tars ‘Chapter Four’ and ‘Chapter Five’, released in 2007, offer worldwide fans yet two more fantastic releases from the band’s unforgettable year of live recordings. In 2008 Dark World International released digitally a remastered ‘Chapter One’.
10/06/97 – This Is The Land Of The Shades, Of Sleep, And Of Drowsy Night
Very eclectic and unusual industrial with lots of experimental and gothic influences. It’s hard to easily classify what this band is doing, since nearly every song introduces something new. Stygian Tars’ style ranges from tribal drumming songs to weird dark gothic industrial. A lot of it is very original and you can feel that this band makes a conscious effort to attain a style and sound truly their own. Not all of the songs work, but there is enough potential here to keep this band’s name in memory, since I would not be surprised if they hit us with something impressive in the years to come. I have to compliment the sound quality, which is very professional – I presume that this was recorded in a professional studio and sounds good enough to be on CD.
more about Stygian Tars on the older site (not mobile friendly)
