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The constellation Orion is one of the most recognizable in the night sky.

In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky.

There are 88 standard constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) since 1922. The majority of these go back to the 48 constellations defined by Ptolemy in his Almagest (2nd century). The remaining ones were defined in the 17th and 18th century; the most recent ones are found on the southern sky, defined in Coelum australe stelliferum by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille (1763).

There are also numerous historical constellations not recognized by the IAU, or constellations recognized in regional traditions of astronomy or astrology, such as Chinese, Hindu or Australian Aboriginal.

Terminology[link]

The Late Latin term constellātiō can be translated as "set with stars". The term was first used in astrology, of asterisms that supposedly exerted influence, attested in Ammianus (4th century). In English the term was used from the 14th century, also in astrology, of conjunctions of planets. The modern astronomical sense of "area of the celestial sphere around a specific asterism" dates to the mid 16th century.

Colloquial usage does not distinguish the senses of "asterism" and "area surrounding an asterism". The modern system of constellations used in astronomy focuses primarily on constellations as grid-like segments of the celestial sphere rather than as patterns, while the term for a star-pattern is asterism. For example, the asterism known as the Big Dipper corresponds to the seven brightest stars of the larger IAU constellation of Ursa Major.

The term circumpolar constellation is used for any constellation that, from a particular latitude on Earth, never sets below the horizon. From the north pole, all constellations north of the celestial equator are circumpolar constellations. In the northern latitudes, the informal term equatorial constellation has sometimes used for constellations that lie to the south of the circumpolar constellations.^[1] Depending on the definition, equatorial constellations can include those that lie entirely between declinations 45° north and 45° south,^[2] or those that pass overhead between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. They generally include all constellations that intersect the celestial equator.

History[link]

The current list of 88 constellations recognised by the International Astronomical Union since 1922 is based on the 48 listed by Ptolemy in his Almagest in the 2nd century.^[3][4] Ptolemy's catalogue is informed by Eudoxus of Cnidus, a Greek astronomer of the 4th century BC who introduced earlier Babylonian astronomy to the Hellenistic culture. Of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy, thirty can be shown to have a much longer history, reaching back into at least the Late Bronze Age. This concerns the zodiacal constellations in particular.

Ancient Near East[link]

The oldest catalogues of stars and constellations are from Old Babylonian astronomy, beginning in the Middle Bronze Age. The numerous Sumerian names in these catalogues suggest that they build on older, but otherwise unattested, Sumerian traditions of the Early Bronze Age. The classical Zodiac is a product of a revision of the Old Babylonian system in later Neo-Babylonian astronomy 6th century BC]. Knowledge of the Neo-Babylonian zodiac is also reflected in the Hebrew Bible. E. W. Bullinger interpreted the creatures appearing in the books of Ezekiel (and thence in Revelation) as the middle signs of the four quarters of the Zodiac,^[5][6] with the Lion as Leo, the Bull is Taurus, the Man representing Aquarius and the Eagle standing in for Scorpio.^[7] The biblical Book of Job (dating to the 6th to 4th century BC) is also aware of a number of constellations, including עיש `Ayish "bier", כסיל Kĕciyl "fool" and כימה Kiymah "heap" (Job 9:9, 38:31-32), rendered as "Arcturus, Orion and Pleiades" by the KJV, but `Ayish "the bier" actually corresponding to Ursa Major.^[8] The term Mazzaroth מַזָּרֹות, a hapax legomenon in Job 38:32, may be the Hebrew word for the zodiacal constellations.

The Greeks adopted the Babylonian system in the 4th century BC. A total of twenty Ptolemaic constellations are directly continued from the Ancient Near East. Another ten have the same stars but different names.^[9]

Graeco-Roman[link]

There is only limited information on indigenous Greek constellations. Some evidence is found in Hesiod.^{[clarification needed]} Greek astronomy essentially adopted the older Babylonian system in the Hellenistic era, first introduced to Greece by Eudoxus of Cnidus in the 4th century BC. The original work of Eudoxus is lost, but it survives as a versification by Aratus, dating to the 3rd century BC. The most complete existing works dealing with the mythical origins of the constellations are by the Hellenistic writer termed pseudo-Eratosthenes and an early Roman writer styled pseudo-Hyginus.

The basis of western astronomy as taught during Late Antiquity and until the Early Modern period is the Almagest by Ptolemy, written in the 2nd century. Indian astronomy is also based on Hellenistic tradition, via transmission by the Indo-Greek kingdoms.

Classical Chinese constellations[link]

In classical Chinese astronomy, the northern sky is divided geometrically, into five "enclosures" and twenty-eight mansions along the ecliptic, grouped into Four Symbols of seven asterisms each. The 28 lunar mansions are one of the most important and also the most ancient structures in the Chinese sky, attested from the 5th century BC. Parallels to the earliest Babylonian (Sumerian) star catalogues suggest that the ancient Chinese system did not arise independently from that of the Ancient Near East.^[10] Classical Chinese astronomy is recorded in the Han period and appears in the form of three schools, which are attributed to astronomers of the Zhanguo period. The constellations of the three schools were conflated into a single system by Chen Zhuo, an astronomer of the 3rd century (Three Kingdoms period). Chen Zhuo's work has been lost, but information on his system of constellations survives in Tang period records, notably by Qutan Xida. The oldest extant Chinese star chart dates to the Tang period and was preserved as part of the Dunhuang Manuscripts. Native Chinese astronomy flourished during the Song Dynasty, and during the Yuan Dynasty became increasingly influenced by medieval Islamic astronomy.^[11]

Early Modern era[link]

The constellations around the South Pole were not observable from north of the equator, by either Babylonians, Greeks, Chinese or Arabs.

The modern constellations in this region were defined during the Age of exploration, notably by Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman at the end of sixteenth century. They were depicted by Johann Bayer in his star atlas Uranometria of 1603. Several more were created by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in his star catalogue, published in 1756.

Some modern proposals for new constellations were not successful; an example is Quadrans, eponymous of the Quadrantid meteors, now divided between Boötes and Draco. The classical constellation of Argo Navis was broken up into several different constellations, for the convenience of stellar cartographers.

By the end of the Ming Dynasty, Xu Guangqi introduced 23 asterisms of the southern sky based on the knowledge of western star charts.^[12] These asterisms were since incorporated into the traditional Chinese star maps.

IAU constellations[link]

In 1922, Henry Norris Russell aided the IAU in dividing the celestial sphere into 88 official constellations.^[13] Where possible, these modern constellations usually share the names of their Graeco-Roman predecessors, such as Orion, Leo or Scorpius. The aim of this system is area-mapping, i.e. the division of the celestial sphere into contiguous fields.^[14] Out of the 88 modern constellations, 36 lie predominantly in the northern sky, and the other 52 predominantly in the southern.

In 1930, the boundaries between the 88 constellations were devised by Eugène Delporte along vertical and horizontal lines of right ascension and declination.^[15] However, the data he used originated back to epoch B1875.0, which was when Benjamin A. Gould first made the proposal to designate boundaries for the celestial sphere, a suggestion upon which Delporte would base his work. The consequence of this early date is that due to the precession of the equinoxes, the borders on a modern star map, such as epoch J2000, are already somewhat skewed and no longer perfectly vertical or horizontal.^[16] This effect will increase over the years and centuries to come.

Asterisms[link]

Much of the dark space between stars, as seen in the sky of the image above, is due to the human eye's low light sensitivity. Other images (like the Hubble Deep Field – not pictured) detect far more stars.

The stars of the main asterism within a constellation are usually given Greek letters in their order of brightness, the so-called Bayer designation introduced by Johann Bayer in 1603. A total of 1,564 stars are so identified, out of approximately 10,000 stars visible to the naked eye.^[17]

The brightest stars, usually the stars that make up the constellation's eponymous asterism, also retain proper names, often from Arabic. For example, the "Little Dipper" asterism of the constellation Ursa Minor has ten stars with Bayer designation, α UMi to π UMi. Of these ten stars, seven have a proper name, viz. Polaris (α UMi), Kochab (β UMi), Pherkad (γ UMi), Yildun (δ UMi), Urodelus (ε UMi), Ahfa al Farkadain (ζ UMi) and Anwar al Farkadain (η UMi).

The stars within an asterism rarely have any substantial astrophysical relationship to each other, and their apparent proximity when viewed from Earth disguises the fact that they are far apart, some being much farther from Earth than others. However, there are some exceptions: many of the stars in the constellation of Ursa Major (including most of the Big Dipper) are genuinely close to one another, travel through the galaxy with similar velocities, and are likely to have formed together as part of a cluster that is slowly dispersing. These stars form the Ursa Major moving group.

Dark cloud constellations[link]

The "Emu in the sky," a constellation defined by dark clouds rather than the stars. An IAU interpretation would recognise Crux (the Southern Cross) above the emu's head and Scorpius on the left. The head of the emu is the Coalsack.

Dark patches in the Milky Way are more visible and striking in the southern hemisphere than in the northern. They vividly stand out when conditions are otherwise so dark that the Milky Way's central region casts shadows on the ground. Some cultures have discerned shapes in these patches and have given names to these "dark cloud constellations." Members of the Inca civilization identified various dark areas or dark nebulae in the Milky Way as animals, and associated their appearance with the seasonal rains.^[18] Australian Aboriginal astronomy also describes dark cloud constellations, the most famous being the "emu in the sky" whose head is formed by the Coalsack.

In popular culture[link]

• In Rockman Strategy, the The Constellation Droids are all based on astrological signs.
• Similarly in the Mega Man Star Force games, most of the FMians and the three satellites were based on astrological signs.
• In Kamen Rider Fourze the aptly-named Zodiarts are based on Zodiacal constellations, while the Horoscopes are based on astrological signs.
• in Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, the aptly-named archetype "Constellar" is mostly based on stars within certain constellations, only the Xyz monsters of that archetype are based on star clusters instead.

See also[link]

	Star portal
	Astronomy portal

	Book: Guide to the Constellations
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Asterism (astronomy)
• Zodiacal constellation
• Astrological sign
• Former constellations
• List of constellations
• List of constellations by area
• List of stars by constellation
• Planisphere
• List of all constellations in 15 languages (German WP, with interwiki-links to other languages)

Notes[link]

Further reading[link]

Mythology, lore, history, and archaeoastronomy[link]

• Allen, Richard Hinckley. (1899) Star-Names And Their Meanings, G. E. Stechert, New York, New York, U.S.A., hardcover; reprint 1963 as Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, Dover Publications, Inc., Mineola, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0-486-21079-7 softcover.
• Olcott, William Tyler. (1911); Star Lore of All Ages, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, New York, U.S.A., hardcover; reprint 2004 as Star Lore: Myths, Legends, and Facts, Dover Publications, Inc., Mineola, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0-486-43581-7 softcover.
• Kelley, David H. and Milone, Eugene F. (2004) Exploring Ancient Skies: An Encyclopedic Survey of Archaeoastronomy, Springer, ISBN 978-0-387-95310-6 hardcover.
• Ridpath, Ian. (1989) Star Tales, Lutterworth Press, ISBN 0-7188-2695-7 hardcover.
• Staal, Julius D. W. (1988) The New Patterns in the Sky: Myths and Legends of the Stars, McDonald & Woodward Publishing Co., ISBN 0-939923-10-6 hardcover, ISBN 0-939923-04-1 softcover.
• John H. Rogers, "Origins of the Ancient Contellations: I. The Mesopotamian Traditions", Journal of the British Astronomical Association 108 (1998) 9–28.
• John H. Rogers, "Origins of the Ancient Contellations: II. The Mediterranean Traditions", Journal of the British Astronomical Association 108 (1998) 79–89.

Atlases and celestial maps[link]

General & Nonspecialized – Entire Celestial Heavens:

• Becvar, Antonin. Atlas Coeli. Published as Atlas of the Heavens, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.; with coordinate grid transparency overlay.
• Norton, Arthur Philip. (1910) Norton's Star Atlas, 20th Edition 2003 as Norton's Star Atlas and Reference Handbook, edited by Ridpath, Ian, Pi Press, ISBN 978-0-13-145164-3, hardcover.
• National Geographic Society. (1957, 1970, 2001, 2007) The Heavens (1970), Cartographic Division of the National Geographic Society (NGS), Washington, D.C., U.S.A., two sided large map chart depicting the constellations of the heavens; as special supplement to the August 1970 issue of National Geographic. Forerunner map as A Map of The Heavens, as special supplement to the December 1957 issue. Current version 2001 (Tirion), with 2007 reprint.
• Sinnott, Roger W. and Perryman, Michael A.C. (1997) Millennium Star Atlas, Epoch 2000.0, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., and European Space Agency (ESA), ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Subtitle: "An All-Sky Atlas Comprising One Million Stars to Visual Magnitude Eleven from the Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues and Ten Thousand Nonstellar Objects". 3 volumes, hardcover, in hardcover slipcase, set ISBN 0-933346-84-0. Vol. 1, 0–8 Hours (Right Ascension), ISBN 0-933346-81-6 hardcover; Vol. 2, 8–16 Hours, ISBN 0-933346-82-4 hardcover; Vol. 3, 16–24 Hours, ISBN 0-933346-83-2 hardcover. Softcover version available. Supplemental separate purchasable coordinate grid transparent overlays.
• Tirion, Wil; et al. (1987) Uranometria 2000.0, Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A., 3 volumes, hardcover. Vol. 1 (1987): "The Northern Hemisphere to −6°", by Wil Tirion, Barry Rappaport, and George Lovi, ISBN 0-943396-14-X hardcover, printed boards (blue). Vol. 2 (1988): "The Southern Hemisphere to +6°", by Wil Tirion, Barry Rappaport and George Lovi, ISBN 0-943396-15-8 hardcover, printed boards (red). Vol. 3 (1993) as a separate added work: The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000.0, by Murray Cragin, James Lucyk, and Barry Rappaport, ISBN 0-943396-38-7 hardcover, printed boards (gray). 2nd Edition 2001 (black or dark background) as collective set of 3 volumes – Vol. 1: Uranometria 2000.0 Deep Sky Atlas, by Wil Tirion, Barry Rappaport, and Will Remaklus, ISBN 978-0-943396-71-2 hardcover, printed boards (blue edging); Vol. 2: Uranometria 2000.0 Deep Sky Atlas, by Wil Tirion, Barry Rappaport, and Will Remaklus, ISBN 978-0-943396-72-9 hardcover, printed boards (green edging); Vol. 3: Uranometria 2000.0 Deep Sky Field Guide by Murray Cragin and Emil Bonanno, ISBN 978-0-943396-73-6, hardcover, printed boards (teal green).
• Tirion, Wil and Sinnott, Roger W. (1998) Sky Atlas 2000.0, various editions. 2nd Deluxe Edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England (UK).

Northern Celestial Hemisphere & North Circumpolar Region:

• Becvar, Antonin. (1962) Atlas Borealis 1950.0, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Praha, Czechoslovakia, 1st Edition, elephant folio hardcover, with small transparency overlay coordinate grid square and separate paper magnitude legend ruler. 2nd Edition 1972 and 1978 reprint, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., ISBN 0-933346-01-8 oversize folio softcover spiral bound, with transparency overlay coordinate grid ruler.

Equatorial, Ecliptic, & Zodiacal Celestial Sky:

• Becvar, Antonin. (1958) Atlas Eclipticalis 1950.0, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Praha, Czechoslovakia, 1st Edition, elephant folio hardcover, with small transparency overlay coordinate grid square and separate paper magnitude legend ruler. 2nd Edition 1974, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., oversize folio softcover spiral bound, with transparency overlay coordinate grid ruler.

Southern Celestial Hemisphere & South Circumpolar Region:

• Becvar, Antonin. Atlas Australis 1950.0, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Praha, Czechoslovakia, 1st Edition, elephant folio hardcover, with small transparency overlay coordinate grid square and separate paper magnitude legend ruler. 2nd Edition, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., oversize folio softcover spiral bound, with transparency overlay coordinate grid ruler.

Catalogs[link]

• Becvar, Antonin. (1959) Atlas Coeli II Katalog 1950.0, Praha, 1960 Prague. Published 1964 as Atlas of the Heavens - II Catalogue 1950.0, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
• Hirshfeld, Alan and Sinnott, Roger W. (1982) Sky Catalogue 2000.0, Cambridge University Press and Sky Publishing Corporation, 1st Edition, 2 volumes. LCCN 81017975 both vols., and LCCN 83240310 vol. 1. "Volume 1: Stars to Magnitude 8.0", ISBN 0-521-24710-1 (Cambridge) and 0-933346-35-2 (Sky) hardcover, ISBN 0-933346-34-4 (Sky) softcover. Vol. 2 (1985) - "Volume 2: Double Stars, Variable Stars, and Nonstellar Objects", ISBN 0-521-25818-9 (Cambridge) hardcover, ISBN 0-521-27721-3 (Cambridge) softcover. 2nd Edition (1991) with additional third author Frangois Ochsenbein, 2 volumes, LCCN 91026764. Vol. 1: ISBN 0-521-41743-0 (Cambridge) hardcover (black binding); ISBN 0-521-42736-3 (Cambridge) softcover (red lettering with Hans Vehrenberg astrophoto). Vol. 2 (1999): ISBN 0-521-27721-3 (Cambridge) softcover and 0-933346-38-7 (Sky) softcover - reprint of 1985 edition (blue lettering with Hans Vehrenberg astrophoto).

• Yale University Observatory. (1908, et al.) Catalogue of Bright Stars, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. Referred to commonly as "Bright Star Catalogue". Various editions with various authors historically, the longest term revising author as (Ellen) Dorrit Hoffleit. 1st Edition 1908. 2nd Edition 1940 by Frank Schlesinger and Louise F. Jenkins. 3rd Edition (1964), 4th Edition, 5th Edition (1991), and 6th Edition (pending posthumous) by Hoffleit.

External links[link]

Look up constellation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Constellations

	Book: Guide to the Constellations
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• IAU: The Constellations, including high quality maps.
• Star Tales origins and mythology of the constellations (Ian Ridpath)
• Photographic Atlas of the Constellations
• Celestia free 3D realtime space-simulation (OpenGL)
• Stellarium realtime sky rendering program (OpenGL)
• Strasbourg Astronomical Data Center Files on official IAU constellation boundaries
• Interactive Sky Charts (Allows navigation through the entire sky with variable star detail, optional constellation lines)
• Table of Constellations
• Online Text: Hyginus, Astronomica translated by Mary Grant Greco-Roman constellation myths
• Neave Planetarium An interactive planetarium and stardome with realistic movement of stars and the planets.
• Audio - Cain/Gay (2009) Astronomy Cast Constellations
• Constellations spring, summer, autumn, winter

v t e The Zodiac
Astrology | Signs of the Zodiac
Aries													Taurus													Gemini													Cancer													Leo													Virgo													Libra													Scorpio													Sagittarius													Capricorn													Aquarius													Pisces
Astronomy | Constellations of the Ecliptic
Aries												Taurus												Gemini												Cancer												Leo												Virgo												Libra												Scorpius												Ophiuchus												Sagittarius												Capricornus												Aquarius												Pisces
See also: Ecliptic coordinates Precession of the equinoxes 13-sign zodiac Zodiacal light

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2010)

LTJ Bukem
LTJ Bukem in 2006
Background information
Birth name	Danny Williamson
Also known as	The Bookworm
Born	1967
Genres	Drum and bass, Hardcore techno, Breakbeat, Rave, Downtempo, Jazz, Jungle, Soul, Funk
Occupations	DJ, Record producer
Labels	Good Looking Records, Looking Good, Cookin', Earth series
Notable instruments
Piano, Synthesizers, Sampler, Turntable

LTJ Bukem is the stage name used by the drum and bass musician, producer and DJ Danny Williamson (born 1967^[1]). He and his record labels Good Looking and Looking Good Records are most associated with the jazzy, atmospheric side of drum and bass music.

Life and career[link]

He was trained as a classical pianist and discovered jazz fusion in his teenage years, having a jazz funk band at one stage. However by the late 1980s he decided to become a DJ, and gained fame in the rave scene of the early 1990s. As a producer, he released a series of jungle tracks such as "Demon's Theme" (1991), "Atlantis" and "Music" (1993). His most notable release was the track "Horizons" (1995) which attained considerable popularity.

He then dipped in visibility as a producer, with his work running the London club night Speed and his record label Good Looking Records coming to the fore. A series of compilations entitled Logical Progression highlighted a jazz and ambient influenced side of drum and bass. The style became widely known as intelligent drum and bass, although Bukem himself was opposed to the moniker, unhappy with the implication that other styles of jungle were not intelligent.^{[citation needed]} Bukem also explored the downtempo end of electronic lounge music, with sister label Cookin' and the Earth series of compilations. Some of the artists who rose to fame under Good Looking in this period include Blame, Seba, Big Bud, Blu Mar Ten, DJ Dream, Future Engineers, Tayla, Aquarius (Photek), Peshay, Source Direct and Artemis.

On July 16, 1995 he did an Essential Mix alongside MC Conrad. In 1997 he remixed the James Bond theme for David Arnold's concept album of James Bond music. In 2000 he finally released a debut solo album, the double-CD Journey Inwards. The album heavily emphasised his jazz fusion influences. 2001 saw a remix of Herbie Hancock.

He ran the Speed clubnight in London with fellow drum and bass DJ Fabio.

He DJs extensively around the world, often under the 'Progression Sessions' or 'Bukem in Session' banners, with MC Conrad.

Style and influences[link]

Viewed as an innovator in the drum and bass style, Bukem is known for developing an accessible alternative to that hardcore genre's speedy, assaultive energies. His style pays homage to the Detroit based sound of early techno, but Bukem also incorporates still earlier influences, particularly the mellow, melodic sonorities of 1970s era jazz fusion as exemplified by Lonnie Liston Smith and Roy Ayers.^[2] Early in his career, Bukem was identified for his response to the "almost paranoid hyperkinesis" of breakbeat-based house music, and specifically for his reservations regarding the overbearing force of the hardcore mentality.^[3]

Bukem's music from the early 1990s onward represents his efforts to map out an alternative future for breakbeat house music by incorporating softer-edged influences culled from London's 1980s rare groove and acid jazz scenes. Music on Logical Progression reveals these influences, as does his approach on 1993's Music / Enchanted, which features string arrangements and sounds from nature. His use of keyboards, live vocals and slow- motion breaks on these and future releases earned Bukem's music the tag intelligent drum and bass. While this designation caused controversy within the drum and bass community, it also influenced the popularization of hardcore music in the UK during the mid 1990s.^[4]

Discography[link]

• Delitefol (released as a white label only Cat no. WIZ BUK 01)
• Logical Progression (released under the name LT Bukem)
• Demon's Theme / A Couple Of Beats (Good Looking Records Cat no. GLR001 released 1991, repressed 2000)
• DJ Biz - Losing track of time (LTJ Bukem mix) released 1992
• Teach Me To Fly (LTJ Bukem & DJ Trace released 1992)
• Who Knows Vol 1 (released under the name The Bookworm)
• Bang The Drums / Remnants (LTJ Bukem and Tayla Good Looking Records Cat no. GLR002 released 1993)
• Return to Atlantis (LTJ Bukem and Apollo Two Good Looking Records Cat no. GLR003 released 1993)
• Music / Enchanted (Good Looking Records Cat no. GLR004 released 1993)
• 19.5 / 19.5 Reprisal (LTJ Bukem and Peshay Good Looking Records Cat no. GLR008 released 1994)
• Mixmag Live! Volume 21 (LTJ Bukem compilation /remix DMC Publishing Ltd Cat no. MMLCD21 released 1996)
• Logical Progression (a four volume label compilation series)
• Progression Sessions (a ten volume compilation/remix series)
• Earth (a seven volume compilation/remix series)
• The Journey (LTJ Bukem and Mystic Moods Mystic Moods Cat no. MMOODS 6/7 released 1996)
• Mystical Realms EP (Good Looking Records Cat no. GLREP001V released 1998)
• Journey Inwards (2000)
• Suspended Space EP (Good Looking Records Cat no. GLREP007V released 2000)
• Producer 01 (2001)
• Producer 05: Rarities (2002)
• Some Blue Notes Of Drum 'N Bass (2004)
• "Fabriclive 46" (2009)

Remixes

• Sweetness Michelle Gayle (Mellow Drum n Bass mix by LTJ Bukem 1994)
• Feenin Jodeci (LTJ Bukem Remix 1995)
• Transamazonia The Shamen (LTJ Bukem Remix 1995)
• If I Could Fly Grace (LTJ Bukem Remix 1996)
• The James Bond Theme David Arnold (LTJ Bukem Remix 1997)
• The Essence Herbie Hancock (LTJ Bukem Remix 2001)

References[link]

External links[link]

• LTJ Bukem at Allmusic
• LTJ Bukem discography at Discogs
• LTJ Bukem at rolldabeats
• LTJ Bukem interview

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010)

Anaal Nathrakh are a British extreme metal band formed in 1999 who fuse black metal, grindcore, death metal and industrial music. They are currently signed to Candlelight Records.

The name comes from Merlin's Charm of Making in John Boorman's 1981 film Excalibur. According to Michael Everson's transcription, Anaal Nathrakh means "serpent's breath".^[3]

Description[link]

Anaal Nathrakh are typically described as black metal, despite eschewing the aesthetic of many black metal bands, such as dressing in a casual manner, as opposed to the corpsepaint and spiked leather clothing traditionally favoured by the black metal subculture. The band does not publish their lyrics.

Anaal Nathrakh, like many black metal bands, draw much inspiration from the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, exemplified by such song titles as "Human, All Too Fucking Human" and "Revaluation of All Values". All of Anaal Nathrakh's music is written, recorded and produced by Mick Kenney.

Biography[link]

Anaal Nathrakh started off in 1998 as a raw black metal band. Two demos were released in 1999, Anaal Nathrakh and Total Fucking Necro. Following this, the band were signed by indie record label Mordgrimm, who released the duo's debut album, The Codex Necro, in 2001. In 2002, Anaal Nathrakh's first two demos were compiled into a single disc entitled Total Fucking Necro. This was released by the UK underground metal label Rage Of Achilles. In 2003, Mordgrimm released the band's first EP, When Fire Rains Down from the Sky, Mankind Will Reap as It Has Sown.

In 2004, Anaal Nathrakh released their second full-length album, Domine Non Es Dignus, on the French label Season of Mist. Domine Non Es Dignus showed a departure from the band's raw black metal roots. In 2006, the group's third album, Eschaton (a form of prophecy concerning the end of the world), was released. Eschaton's music continued in the same vein as Domine Non Es Dignus. This album featured guest appearances by Shane Embury of Napalm Death and Attila Csihar of Mayhem.

The album Hell Is Empty and All the Devils Are Here was released through the band's new record label, FETO Records, in October 2007.

In 2009, Anaal Nathrakh announced that they signed to record label Candlelight Records for their upcoming release of In the Constellation of the Black Widow. Commenting on the signing, V.I.T.R.I.O.L. stated, "Candlelight have shown a strong belief in Anaal Nathrakh and looking at some of the acts on their roster both past and present it seems they are capable of backing up their good intentions. With their help we hope we can finally get the planet cracked in half", and "Constellation will be faster, more insidious, more ominous, more musically dexterous and wilder than ever before. The album will feature a curve ball guest appearance from Zeitgeist Memento of Mexican extremists Repvblika."^[4] In the Constellation of the Black Widow was released in June 2009, and swiftly received many positive reviews from respected magazines and websites. It went on to be placed in numerous international "best of 2009" lists, including About.com^[2] and Terrorizer magazine.

Anaal Nathrakh released their sixth full-length album, Passion, in 2011.^[5]

Playing live[link]

Anaal Nathrakh began as a purely studio-based project; the band never looked to take Anaal Nathrakh to the stage. However, following a successful BBC Radio 1 live session with John Peel (as heard on the 2006 re-release of The Codex Necro), they sought to play live again, although only for special one-offs. They have stated they are not to become an ordinary touring band.

Anaal Nathrakh made their live debut at London's Underworld on December 15, 2005, as headliners for Terrorizer Magazine's "A Cold Night In Hell" Christmas show. This was followed by another show at Birmingham Edwards No. 8 on December 16, supported by Narcosis and Ramesses.

Since then the band has performed at several festivals and the occasional live show. Notable appearances in 2007 include the Inferno Metal Festival, the No Mercy Festival, the Damnation Festival, the Hole In The Sky festival, and a hometown show in Birmingham.

In 2008 the band embarked on a small tour, which included several UK dates, headlining the Maryland Deathfest and FETO Fest, and playing Hellfest in Clisson, France.

In 2009 Anaal Nathrakh supported Testament in London, and performed at the Brutal Assault festival, the Summer Breeze Open Air festival, and the Incubate festival.

In 2010, Anaal Nathrakh performed with Marduk on the Funeral Nation Tour, playing ten shows in the UK and Ireland.

In 2011, the band played the Candlelight Records Candlefest tour.

Band members[link]

• Irrumator (Mick Kenney) (ex-Frost, ex-Mistress, Sorrows, ex-Professor Fate, Fukpig) – guitars, bass, drums, drum programming, production
• V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (Dave Hunt) (Benediction, Mistress) – vocals

Additional live members[link]

• Ventnor (Nog) – guitar
• St. Evil (Steve Powell) (Theoktony) – drums
• Drunk (Mistress, Fukpig) – bass

Past members[link]

• Leicia – bass (1998–2000)
• Nicholas Barker – live drums (ex-Cradle of Filth, ex-Dimmu Borgir) (2004)
• Shane Embury – live bass (Napalm Death, Lock Up, Venomous Concept, Unseen Terror, Brujeria) (2004–2005)
• Danny Herrera – live drums (Napalm Death) (2005)
• Misery (Paul Kenney) (Mistress, Fukpig) – live bass

Discography[link]

• The Codex Necro (2001)
• Total Fucking Necro (2002)
• When Fire Rains Down from the Sky, Mankind Will Reap as It Has Sown (2003)
• Domine Non Es Dignus (2004)
• Eschaton (2006)
• Hell Is Empty and All the Devils Are Here (2007)
• In the Constellation of the Black Widow (2009)
• Passion (2011)

External links[link]

• Official MySpace
• Official Merchandise

References[link]

Paul Hardcastle (born 10 December 1957, London, England^[1]) is an English composer and musician, specialising in the synthesizer.

Career[link]

In the early 1980s, Hardcastle played the keyboards on several singles on the Oval record label by the dance music groups Direct Drive and First Light, before going solo.

He achieved some acclaim for his early singles, notably in 1984, the electro-funk/freestyle/instrumental track, "Rain Forest", which along with the track, "Sound Chaser" hit number two on the dance chart.^[2] "Rain Forest" also hit number five on the soul chart and number fifty-seven on the Hot 100.^[3] In 1985, he came to greater prominence with the international hit "19", a song about America's involvement in the Vietnam War and the effect it had on the soldiers who served, using sampled dialogue from an American television documentary about the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by veterans.

Hardcastle enjoyed several further hits in the UK, including "Don't Waste My Time" (with vocals by Carol Kenyon) (UK #8) and "The Wizard", a UK #15 hit that became the theme tune for BBC Television's music chart show Top of the Pops in the 80's. He also had a hit with "Just For Money", which reached #19 in the UK and featured Bob Hoskins and Laurence Olivier. Earlier, he had cut a cover version of D-Train's most influential hit "You're the One For Me", segued with his own compositions "Daybreak" and "A.M." Hardcastle also wrote the theme tune for Saturday Live, a popular entertainment show which ran from 1985-1987.

He also made the hit single "The Voyager", which was used for the BBC One programme Holiday. Paul now acknowledges he was behind the "N-N-Nineteen Not Out" track with Rory Bremner.

After 1986, Hardcastle started to specialise in television soundtracks and remixed work, for artists as such as Five Star, Barry White, Third World, Sinitta, Johnny Logan, Hiroshima and Ian Dury.

In 1988, Hardcastle released the concept album, No Winners, which focuses on the potential negative effects of the Cold War arms race. In 2000, he released Hardcastle III, which included a remake of "Rainforest" and a hit single, "Desire."

Hardcastle has also recorded several synth jazz albums, alternating releases under the artist names Kiss The Sky, The Jazzmasters, and Paul Hardcastle.^[1] Working regularly with vocalist Helen Rogers, Hardcastle has recruited several saxophonists including Gary Barnacle (on the first album), Snake Davis, Phil Todd and Tony Woods. All these albums have been played on smooth jazz radio in the United States, where some of the most played tracks include "Northern Lights", "Lost in Space", "Desire", "Shine", and "Serene". He won the Billboard Smooth Jazz Artist Of The Year award in 2008.

2010's The Jazzmasters VI track "Touch and Go", featuring his son Paul Jr. on saxophone, reached #1 on the US Billboard Jazz songs chart, becoming his tenth number one on the Smooth Jazz chart in total.

His most recent album, Hardcastle VI, released in September 2011, features yet another remake of "Rainforest" -- this time mixed with R&B legend Marvin Gaye's signature song, "What's Going On."

Personal life[link]

Hardcastle is married to Dolores Baker, and they have three children^[4]: Maxine (born April 1986^[5][6]), Paul Jr. (born August 1990^[7]), and Ritchie (born May 1997).

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Smooth jazz albums[link]

Hardcastle series

The Jazzmasters series

Kiss The Sky series

Singles[link]

• 1984: "You're the One For Me - Daybreak - A.M." (UK #41)
• 1984: "Guilty" (UK #55)
• 1984: "Rainforest" (UK #41)
• 1984: "Eat Your Heart Out" (UK #59)
• 1985: "19" (Switzerland #1 (7 Weeks) ; Norway #1 (7 Weeks) ; Germany #1 (6 Weeks) ; UK #1 (5 Weeks); Netherlands #1 (5 Weeks); New Zealand #1 (4 Weeks); Sweden #1 (2 Weeks); Austria #1; Italy #1; Ireland #1; US Dance Club Play Chart #1 (2 Weeks); France #15; U.S. #15)
• 1985 "N-N-Nineteen Not Out" as producer of Rory Bremner's parody single recorded under the name of the Commentators (UK #13)
• 1985: "Rainforest" (re-issue) (US #57 / UK #53)
• 1985: "Just for Money" (UK #19; Ireland #15)
• 1986: "Don't Waste My Time" (UK #8; Ireland #15)
• 1986: "Foolin' Yourself" (UK #51)
• 1986: "The Wizard" (UK #15; Ireland #10)
• 1988: "Walk in the Night" (UK #54)
• 1988: "40 Years" (UK #53)
• 1989: "Are You Ready" as Paul Hardcastle Sound Syndication (UK #90)
• 2011: "Rainforest"/"What's Going On - Smooth Jazz Indicator Chart (#16)
• 2011: "Easy Come, Easy Go - Smooth Jazz Indicator Chart (#1)

Complete Chart from 1981 to 2011 can be seen here.... http://www.paulhardcastle.com/charts.html ^[9]

See also[link]

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
• List of 1980s one-hit wonders in the United States
• List of performers on Top of the Pops
• List of Euro disco artists
• List of smooth jazz performers
• List of synthpop artists
• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• European website
• Trippin 'n' Rhythm Records
• [2]
• Paul Hardcastle at the Internet Movie Database