The Kryptonite Sparks
The Kryptonite Sparks | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Botoșani, Romania |
| Genres | |
| Discography | The Kryptonite Sparks, Doi // A Doua Undă De Bruiaj |
| Years active | 2009-present |
| Labels | Universal Music Romania |
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
| Website | thekryptonitesparks |
The Kryptonite Sparks, abbreviated as TKS, are a Romanian indie rock band formed in Botoșani in 2009.
The band's current line-up consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Călin-Răzvan Diaconu, vocalist and bass player Rareș Diaconu and drummer Ștefan “Șteff” Boriceanu.
They have released one live album: Fac Io, Nu Fac Io (2019), two extended plays: The Kryptonite Sparks (2013), Doi // A Doua Undă De Bruiaj (2016) and fourteen singles to date.
"Și Golanii Beau Ceai" (2016) was their first single to reach #1 on Radio Guerrilla[1] Top 40 charts, followed by "Ne Ascundem" (2017), "Noapte În Nord" (2017), "Interlocutor" (2018) and "3301_(Suflete_în_Ghiozdan)" (2021).[2]
The band have featured at many festivals including Electric Castle,[3][4] SummerWell,[5][6] Peninsula. They have toured extensively throughout Romania, with international shows including France, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece. They have won a number of awards including "Best Alternative Newcomer 2014/2015” awarded by Metalhead Awards.[7]
History
[edit]2009-2011: Formation
[edit]Călin-Răzvan Diaconu originally formed the band during high-school, by then an acoustic duo together with Mădălin Antonesei. Răzvan's younger brother, Rareș Diaconu joined, taking bass duties. During a show in a local pub in Botoșani they met Răzvan Anton which later joined the band as a drummer. They played local gigs in and around Botoșani,[8] playing blues-rock and progressive rock covers, experimenting with live improvisation. They were sometimes accompanied by Iulian Macovei on trumpet.
It was during this period that Călin-Răzvan Diaconu wrote their first songs, most of them being played live but not released up to date.
2012-2013: The Kryptonite Sparks (EP)
[edit]As brothers Călin-Răzvan Diaconu and Rareș Diaconu went on to London to pursue their musical studies (at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance),[9] the band only met and played during summer breaks.
In the summer of 2012 the band rented studio time at Studio Attic, Bucharest and self-produced their first EP, The Kryptonite Sparks. Seeing that they had no place to stay in Bucharest, the band slept on the studio's couches during the recording of the songs. Although the tracks were initially recorded with Mădălin Antonesei on vocals, seeing as he decided to leave the band, Călin-Răzvan Diaconu took lead vocals role and re-tracked the vocals. The album was engineered by Șerban Valeriu and Bărbășelu Constantin, mixed by Rareș Totu and mastered at Sage Audio.
The EP was self-released DIY, CD's printed and packaged in the band's rehearsal space, signed and distributed for free at shows and shared around the community. They later re-released the disc in 2013 as an official release.[10]
During their studies, Călin-Răzvan Diaconu played guitar in Audrey Riley’s We Are Children (We Make Sound) orchestra and Rareș played in the university’s "ICMP Band".
2015-2016: Doi // A Doua Undă De Bruiaj (EP)
[edit]In 2015, while playing as opening act for Vița de Vie tour, they talked with Adrian Despot about producing their next EP.[11][12] Despot's wanted to capture the band as they sounded in their live performances. The songs were recorded during 2015 at Sysound Studios, Bucharest and engineered by Mihai Pop.
The band signed with Universal Music Romania for the release.[13]
The EP was greeted with favorable reviews from critics and radios. “Și Golanii Beau Ceai” and “Ești” staying at number one for multiple weeks on Radio Guerrilla's Top 40, and getting airplay from mainstream radio Europa FM,[14] TANANANA, Gold FM, Radio România Cultural, RFi.
2014-2019: Extensive touring
[edit]In 2014 both Călin-Răzvan Diaconu and Rareș Diaconu graduated from The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, with Bachelor of Music degrees.[15] They moved back to Romania. While playing a show in Iași, the band was heard by Underground club manager Lili which introduced them to their future manager and booking agent, Alin Voica, founder of Dark Side Booking Academy. In order to being able to collaborate, it meant that the band had to move to Bucharest.
Spotted by Adrian Despot during the summer of 2014, the band was invited to be the opening act on the 15th anniversary tour for Vița de Vie first album, “Fenomental”[16][15]
In 2015 they go on another national tour "Best Alternative Newcomers Tour" with Pinholes.[17][18] In the same year the band opened for Black Label Society[19] in Dom Omladine, Belgrade, Serbia.[20]
In 2016-2017 they did their first international tour encompassing 30 cities, "The Interplanetary Endeavour".[21][22][23] In September the band opens for The Cat Empire[24] at Arenele Romane, Bucharest.
In 2017 they are part of the "Red Bull Tour Bus", in which the stage was placed on top of an old modified Tour Bus [25] The fall of 2017 brought them together with Romanian pop star Loredana Groza, at Sala Palatului.[26] The band re-arranged and performed one of her singles, "Bună seara, iubite".[27]
While releasing a new single, "Interlocutor" on Antena 1 [28] the band went up with on another national tour in 2018, "InterlocuTOUR" [29][30][31]
In 2018 Călin-Răzvan Diaconu travelled to Sweden to film the clip for their newest single, "Noapte în Nord" [32]
In 2019 they played at Olympic gold medalist winner for canoe racing, Ivan Patzaichin festival, RowFest[33][34] The band has played bigger festivals: Electric Castle,[4] SummerWell,[5][6] Peninsula, SnowFest, Europa FM.[35]
The band's shows had long improvisational moments and publing interaction, which were invited to sing and dance on stage, tell jokes, serve drinks and remove items of clothing. They often used props on stage: Elvira (bottom half of a manequin), Marcel (plastic pig), Kelly Picketrish (toy xylophone), Korgonzolla (a Korg mini keyboard), three papier-mache reindeer heads. "They brought a breath of fresh air to Romanian underground music".[36]
2020-present: COVID-19, Building TKS Lil' Mansion
[edit]Due to the COVID-19 crisis of 2020, their live performances were canceled, the band playing live through a series of networked music performances.[37][38]
They started a series of video game livestreaming / comedy show called Friday Gaming Nights[2] on Twitch, in which they invited their friends and fans to play together online, while in lockdown.
They also started working on a weekly vlog called "Scântei de Kryptonită"[2] During the pandemic the band started working with British mixing engineer Chris Sheldon.[39] Their following singles "Sincrodestin", "3310_(Suflete_în_Ghizodan)", "Dacă vii azi" were mixed by him.
In 2021 they released "3310_(Suflete_în_Ghiozdan)", a single that critiques the poor educational system of Romania, and the increasing procent of functional illiteracy the country faces.[2][40]
Following manager Alin Voica's departure from Romania, the band signed with Codruț Dumitrescu, at Overground Music.
In 2020 the band stated that their upcoming merchandise will be vegan, fair wear and made out of organic cotton.[2]
In 2023 Ștefan "Șteff" Bouriceanu replaced Răzvan Anton on drums.
Discography
[edit]Extended plays
- The Kryptonite Sparks (2013)
- Doi // A Doua Undă De Bruiaj (2016)
Singles
- Scântei (2013)
- Nu Vreau Nimic (2014)
- Și Golanii Beau Ceai (2016)
- Ne Ascundem (2017)
- Noapte În Nord (2017)
- Interlocutor (2018)
- Până Acasă La Ai Mei (2018)
- Cine Râde La Urmă (2020)
- Sincrodestin (2021)
- 3310_suflete_în_ghiozdan (2021)
- Dacă Vii Azi (2021)
- August (2022)
- Entropica (2022)
- La Sfârșit (2023)
- Colindă În Prag (2023)
- La Tine Acasă (2024)
Live albums
- Fac Io, Nu Fac Io (2019)
References
[edit]- ^ "On air". Radio Guerrilla. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "INTERVIU | The Kryptonite Sparks "Unele vise prind viață, altele se pierd pe drum."". Revista FPM - Fashion Premium Magazine (in Romanian). 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Valentinetti, Vito (2018-07-28). "100 Nights of Summer: The Electric Castle 2018 Recap". 100 Days and Nights. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Electric Castle Festival 2018". InfoMusic (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Summer Well music festival near Bucharest announces first artists for 2021 edition". Romania Insider. 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Summer Well: The Limited Edition are 4 zile de festival în 2021". www.protv.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "VIDEO Noua revelaţie în rockul românesc: "The Kryptonite Sparks" a câştigat la festivalul Metalhead Awards premiul pentru cel mai bun debut". adevarul.ro (in Romanian). 2015-01-08. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "Kryptonite Sparks feat Viky la Dallas Pub". Știri Botoșani - Cel mai citit ziar online de știri din Botoșani! (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "Ilinca Anamaria Prisăcariu, un interviu cu The Kryptonite Sparks: Interviu cu scântei: Toată muzica e bună, trebuie doar să o cauţi". LiterNet (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "Trupa The Kryptonite Sparks lanseaza primul album". Știri Botoșani - Cel mai citit ziar online de știri din Botoșani! (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ Chirilă, Raluca (2017-09-28). "The Kryptonite Sparks (în litere gold): "We have the dream job" - VIDEO INTERVIU". InfoMusic (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Vasile, Andreea (2021-09-04). "Cum reușește Adrian Despot să cânte de 25 de ani". Andreea Vasile. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "Universal Music România a împlinit 10 ani în România şi un an de la achiziţia MediaPro Music". Mediafax.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "Cum s-a văzut prima seara Europa FM Live pe Plajă 2018 – GALERIE FOTO". Europa FM. 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "VIDEO Noua revelaţie în rockul românesc: "The Kryptonite Sparks" a câştigat la festivalul Metalhead Awards premiul pentru cel mai bun debut". adevarul.ro (in Romanian). 2015-01-08. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Press, Teen (2014-10-13). "De la aniversarea de 15 ani a albumului "Fenomental" | Teen Press". Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Bucur, Răzvan (2015-02-20). "Pinholes și The Kryptonite Sparks au concertat aseară în Control Club". Hyperflash. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ xcrize (2015-02-03). "Best Alternative Newcomers Tour". Metalforce (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "Extreme Review: The Kryptonite Sparks as a support for Black Label Society in Belgrade". Extreme Review. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "Black Label Society otopio Dom Omladine | Balkanrock.com" (in Serbian). 2015-07-23. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "Events 2016". Dark Side Entertainment. 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "Events 2017". Dark Side Entertainment. 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ cezaracheregi (2017-02-28). "La concertul celor de la The Kryptonite Sparks". Oradea (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ www.phpcoder.ro, PHP Coder- (2016-09-13). "The Kryptonite Sparks deschid show-ul The Cat Empire". Let's Rock.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "The Kryptonite Sparks: Magie in padure la Novaci". Red Bull (in Romanian). 2017-06-15. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Lixandru, Livia (2017-11-13). "Loredana Groza, apariție spectaculoasă pe scena Sălii Palatului. 14 look-uri inedite și cizme Saint Laurent cu 6.000 de cristale". Libertatea (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Trocan, Sorin (2017-12-20). "Moş Crăciun vine mai repede anul acesta, cu o surpriză din partea The Kryptonite Sparks, care lansează videoclipul piesei "Noapte în Nord". - Arad 24 - Știri Conectate La Realitate". arad24.net. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "The Kryptonite Sparks - citeste toate articolele despre the kryptonite sparks | Antena 1". A1.RO (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Lungu, Adrian (2018-04-26). "Adrian Despot: Liber sau așa ceva". DoR (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "Events 2018". Dark Side Entertainment. 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "The Kryptonite Sparks lansează piesa "Interlocutor"". VIRGIN RADIO ROMANIA (in Romanian). 2018-02-24. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ de, Scris (2017-12-20). "The Kryptonite Sparks - Noapte in Nord (videoclilp nou)". Urban (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "VIDEO Astăzi despre unul dintre cei mai mari campioni români din toate timpurile: Ivan Patzaichin - "Campionul cu pagaia ruptă" | O legendă cu povești incredibile care l-au transformat într-un simbol național". www.ziaruldevrancea.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Costinas, Oana (2019-08-31). "The Kryptonite Sparks la Rowmania FEST 2019". Rowmania. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "The Kryptonite Sparks: "A fost o provocare să deschidem Europa FM Live pe Plajă" – VIDEO". Europa FM. 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "VIDEO Interviu The Kryptonite Sparks, "cea mai buna trupa britanica" din Romania sau cei trei intergalactici din Botosani". life.hotnews.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "Qreator by IQOS a fost unul dintre cei mai importanţi susţinători ai creativităţii şi artiştilor în 2020. Evenimentele organizate online au înregistrat peste 670.000 de vizualizări". Mediafax.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ corina.hutan (2020-04-02). "The Kryptonite Sparks & Les Elephants Bizzares, live, online". Arad Events. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ "The Kryptonite Sparks: Indie e o stare de spirit și nu vreau să sune pompos. Indie înseamnă că artistul are primul și ultimul cuvânt". IQads (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Dolean, Dacian (2021-10-23). "Analfabetismul funcțional din România depășește 50% și aceasta nu este cea mai mare problemă a sistemului educațional din România – cercetătorul Dacian Dolean". Edupedu.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-09-07.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- The Kryptonite Sparks at Discogs
- The Kryptonite Sparks tour dates at Bandsintown