Darkstar: Momentum
Darkstar first coalesced in the underground, electronic thrum of London’s nascent grime and dubstep sphere in the middle 2000’s, growing from attending the now-fabled early FWD club nights to releasing a pair of game-changing 12″ singles on Kode 9’s fledgling Hyperdub label. These were marked departures at the time, fusing unique sonic futurism with an avant-garde pop sensibility that immediately set the duo of Aiden Whalley and James Young apart from the glut of producers emerging at the time. What followed was a fitful and productive period culminating in a discarded album’s worth of tracks, the crucial introduction of vocalist James Buttery to the fold and, finally – the release of their debut full-length North, to wide acclaim. By this time Darkstar had aptly been framed as a very intriguing proposition, one of the first proper “bands” to rise from the UK’s current electronic underground.
The band will be using the funds to record their next album for Warp Records. The fund will be split between recording costs of the record and also improving their live show so as to prepare a tour around the record.
Darkstar told us:
“We’re very grateful to have been awarded Momentum funding. We’re in the studio now and starting to work on the next album, we’re excited on how its sounding and the fund will enable us to complete it and take it on the road”