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Jon DeRosa is a madman! He wants to control the world with his beautiful, antiseptic melodies! He's nearly succeeded yet again! Tell the world before it's too late! - Eric Carr, Pitchfork Media

a brief history of Aarktica:
Aarktica was conceived in the winter of 1998 with Jon DeRosa's permanent loss of hearing in one ear as a distraction from his other musical interests. As his hearing loss became less of a distraction & more of a new way of listening, Aarktica became a means to execute the soundtrack of the life in mono now thrust upon him. One of audio distortions, aural hallucinations & a reliance on painkillers. The first album No Solace in Sleep was recorded on a dying 4-track cassette recorder in various NYU dorm rooms & released on Silber Records in 2000.

After releasing the now out-of-print Morning One EP on Ochre Records in the UK, Aarktica signed to Darla Records & released Or You Could Just Go Through Your Whole Life & Be Happy Anyway, Bliss Out v.18 in 2002 & Pure Tone Audiometry in 2003. These releases would combine lo-fi electro & shoegaze with the ambient textures of modern composers like Morton Feldman & Ingram Marshall, defining Aarkticas innovative drone pop hybrid.

During the years 2003 - 2008, Aarktica transformed from a solo project into a collective. The project featured a revolving lineup of musicans, with DeRosa as the mainstay. The ensemble created drones & textures from the timbres of instruments, not soley from reverb units & delay pedals. Members included Aaron Spectre, Chris Carrico, Oliver Chapoy (Saxon Shore), James Duncan (of Le Systeme Records), Mike Pride & Seth Misterka (of Dynasty).

Aarktica's fourth full-length release Bleeding Light was released in April 2005 on Darla Records, followed by a limited split 12" with Aaron Spectre on Berlin's Moonbunny Records.

After Bleeding Light DeRosa took time off to collaborate with former Flare bandmate LD Beghtol on some songs for the new Flare album, Cut (Affairs of The Heart, 2009), as well as sing a lead role on Stephin Merrit's theatre album Showtunes (Nonesuch, 2007). Aarktica relocated to Southern California in Summer 2007 & released its fifth album Matchless Years on Darla Records in Fall 2007. In 2007 Aarktica also finished work on a film score for the indie feature film Apology.

In Summer 2008, DeRosa moved back to Brooklyn, NY. With the goal of bringing Aarktica back to its roots, he began working on the sequel to Aarktica's 2000 debut No Solace In Sleep. This album would be called In Sea & was released on Silber Records in late 2009.

In December of 2009, Aarktica released a digital-only EP on Silber Records Live at KUCI 6/15/05, capturing 5 live songs from the band's 2005 appearance at KUCI (Irvine, CA) during their West Coast tour.

Slated for release in February 2010 is the limited In Sea Remixes CD, featuring artists such as Ramses III, Yellow6, Remora, Declining Winter, Landing, Suckers, &
Summer Cats reworking songs from In Sea.
 

Aarktica discography
In Sea Remixes
CD 2010 | Silber 080
14 tracks, 72 minutes
$12 ($18 international, $5 download (256 kbps, ~135 megs))
We've loved everything we've heard thus far from DeRosa. He's one of those artists you can always depend on to come through with intriguing quality music with a conscience. This is an individually numbered limited edition CD (only 500 copies). TOP PICK.
~ Babysue

Remixes of the entire In Sea album by Ramses III, Landing, ThisQuietArmy, Mason Jones, Keith Canisus (Rumskib), Yellow6, Declining Winter (Richard of Hood), Suckers, Remora, Summer Cats (Slumberland Records), & more.

: Press Release
: Reviews

Aarktica: Live at KUCI Live at KUCI 6/15/05
mp3 EP 2009 | Silber 083
5 tracks, 31 minutes
download zip file | Archive.org page
Live recordings from a radio session during the Bleeding Light era.
Aarktica: In Sea In Sea
CD 2009 | Silber 078
12 tracks, 56 minutes
$12 ($18 international, $5 download (256 kbps, ~100 megs))
Why isn’t Jon DeRosa’s work as Aarktica mentioned in the same breath as Stars of the Lid or Eluvium when discussing ambient/drone music?
~ Ian Mathers, PopMatters

Aarktica returns to Silber for the ten year in the making sequel to No Solace in Sleep!  Check out what will soon be Silber's best selling release ever & an indie ambient classic!  Includes slow-drone cover of Danzig's "Am I Demon?" 

: Listen to the track In Sea
: Press Release
: Reviews

Matchless Years
CD Album 2007 | Darla 
10 tracks, 46 minutes
Bleeding Light
CD Album 2005 | Darla 
8 tracks, 46 minutes
$12
Pure Tone Audiometry
CD Album 2003 | Silber 026
7 tracks, 45 minutes
$12 ($18 international, $5 download (256 kbps, ~79 megs))
: Listen to the track Ocean
: Press Release
: Reviews
...or you could just go through your whole life and be happy anyway (Bliss Out v. 18)
CD Album 2002 | Darla 121
7 tracks, 41 minutes
$12
Morning One
CD EP 2001 | Ochre 049
3 tracks, 23 minutes
 
No Solace in Sleep
CD Album 2000 | Silber 012
8 tracks, 64 minutes
$12 ($18 international, $5 download (256 kbps, ~113 megs))
: Listen to the track Elena
: Press Release
: Reviews

Aarktica Links

Aarktica official site: comprehensive information including news, discography, articles, and downloads
Aarktica RealAudio Broadcast: from February 2002, live on WFMU's Airborn Event. Includes 2 exclusive live pieces & an interview.
Aarktica on MySpace
Contact Aarktica