early breakbeat and techno. He quit school to pursue a sonic education, and started on a career path that would see him influence the scene that so clearly touched him in the first place. After his Dad nicked his gear off him as penance for his non-orthodox scholarly aspirations, K used his mate Teebee's PC to make tunes for Hopa and Bones' A-Level imprint. After developing contact with Moving Shadow and Rugged Vinyl, K released Jazzassins 'Compass' for R&S Records in 1997.

Releases followed on Beatservice and Audio Couture, and in '98 K signed to Certificate 18 as Polar, releasing 'Mind Of A Killer' on the label's 'Hidden Rooms 2' compilation. This track was snapped up by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Amon Tobin, and Fabio, and highlighted the direction of Polar's venture into glacial soundscapes and haunting programming. The mini LP '37 Degrees and Falling' followed, with the influence of K's home environment of Norway ever present in his sound, and planting him firmly on the musical map with intense atmospherics and powerful beat arrangements. Singles 'Mind Of A Killer', 'Skydiver', and '5am', released throughout 2000, illustrated the irrevocable, irreversible slide back from the thaw, heading into numbing yet taut K-hole serenity. 2001 saw the release of the acclaimed 'Still Moving' album, achieving support and recognition from a wide spectrum of scenes, not just from within drum n bass:

"Polar's second is an album of crisp techstep and breakbeat…If there was an equivalent of the Sirens in Norse mythology, then this is the sound they'd make." (Independent On Sunday)

The 'White Chambers' EP was released in December '01: this was three cuts of deep, downtempo electronica. Moody, emotional and brooding - like a film noir soundtrack infused with hip hop and drum'n'bass - the tracks were lifted from the CD version of 'Still Moving' and created waves throughout the electronic world, with Polar being hailed as "Kruder & Dorfmeister on an iceberg" (Seven Magazine).

Now based in San Francisco, the breakbeat chameleon is as busy as ever, notching up remixes for Nos, Teebee, Pieter K and John Tejada, and releases on Metaformal, Breakbeat Science, and Thermal Recordings. As well as all this, K found time to set up his own label with Certificate 18 labelmate and fellow Norwegian Teebee in 2000, and things continue to go from strength to strength, with Subtitles on it's 23rd release.

K has also released a track on breakbeat imprint Fat Records, under the guise of Jef Dam. 'Does It Really Matter' was Ministry's Breakbeat Single of the Month in Jan '02 proving the artist's transcendental powers of production:

"Norwegian Kjetil Dale Sagstaad rewrites the script, with two tunes fusing techno atmospherics to booming UK garage basslines…[reminiscent] of classic breakbeat house on labels like Warp. Pure class, and a must for future breaks fans. 10/10" Ministry Magazine

2002 signals the release of K's third album. 'Out Of The blue', due to be released in July, is hypnotic, groovy, dark and deeply electronic. It's Polar at his very finest, with a deft touch in every detail of every sound: trademark wintery keys and synths soaring over the rolling crystalline breaks. It is a departure from the darkside for K, and lends itself to deep rolling breakbeats of all persuasions. You know it's Polar, but you don't know how he makes those sounds cut so deep.