Arkarna, formed in England in the mid‑1990s by singer‑songwriter and programmer Ollie Jacobs, emerged from Jacobs’ early work as an engineer in his father’s London studio, Rollover, where he mixed for acts such as Dreadzone and Leftfield. The group’s debut single "House on Fire" was released in 1996, followed by the 1997 album Fresh Meat, which included the tracks "Eat Me" and "So Little Time" that later featured on U.S. television and film soundtracks. In 1999 the band issued the single "The Future Overrated" and in 2000 released The Family Album, from which the singles "Skin", "Rehab", and the Southeast Asian chart‑topper "Life Is Free" were issued. Arkarna signed to WEA Records under the guidance of Clive Black and Raz Gold, toured extensively across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, and performed at high‑profile festivals including Java Rockin'land in Jakarta in 2010 and the Indonesian presidential inauguration in 2014, where they were invited by President Joko Widodo to play before 250,000 attendees. The group collaborated with prominent producers such as Madonna, Trevor Horn, and William Orbit, and released "Kebyar‑Kebyar" in 2015, solidifying their presence in international electronic music scenes.
