Dark Sanctuary

Dark Sanctuary
Origin	Paris, Île-de-France,
Genres	Dark Atmospheric, Goth Opera ^[1]
Years active	1996–2009
Labels	Ancestral Craft Productions Projekt Wounded Love Records
Website	www.dark-sanctuary.com

Members	Dame Pandora Arkdae Marguerite Hylgaryss Eliane Sombre Cÿr

Past members	Marquise Ermia

Dark Sanctuary is a French Dark Atmospheric, Goth Opera ^[2] band which was formed in 1996 in Paris.

History

The band's first official release was a 20 minute single-track music CD, Funeral Cry, released in 1997. At that time, the band consisted of only two members, Arkdae on keyboards and Marquise Ermia on vocals.

In 1998, the band added additional members to their line-up: Hylgaryss (Keyboards), Sombre Cÿr (Percussion/Bass) and Eliane (Violins). Together, they recorded their debut album, Royaume Mélancolique. They also held their first concert in September 1998 near Paris.

In November 1999, they signed with Wounded Love Records, and after Marguerite (Violins) joined, recorded their 2nd album, De Lumière Et d'Obscurité, which was released in November 2000.

Right after the recording sessions, Marquise Ermia left the band to continue her studies, and a new singer, Dame Pandora, joined.

Their 3rd album, L'Être Las - L'envers Du Miroir was recorded in March 2002 and released at the beginning of 2003, a few months after the release of a two-track single. This album was a huge success in France and Germany.

After few concerts in France, the band returned to Germany to record their 4th album, Les Mémoires Blessées. This album, which was released in early 2004, confirmed Dark Sanctuary's own style while providing a deeper maturity, as well as new musical horizons.

In 2005, their first compilation album Thoughts: 9 Years In The Sanctuary was released.

Subsequently, they released two albums called Exaudi Vocem Meam - Part 1 and Exaudi Vocem Meam - Part 2, in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

As of 2009, they will be on an indefinite hiatus. They have finished recording, and shall be releasing, a collaborative effort with Victoria Francés entitled Dark Sanctuary.

Victims of illegal copying

German rapper Bushido has been charged with copying 16 songs from Dark Sanctuary.^[3]^[4] The song "Les Mémoires Blessées" was sampled by Bushido on his single "Janine" (2007) off his 6th and top-selling album Von der Skyline zum Bordstein zurück (2006). On that album Bushido sampled eight musical works of Dark Sanctuary without permission, including the songs "Les Larmes du méprisé" (used on "Hast du was bist du was"), and "L'autre Monde" (used on "Sex in the City").

On 23 March, 2010 he was convicted by the German courts, and was obliged to stop sales of the particular albums, singles and samples, including Von der Skyline zum Bordstein zurück. In addition to that, he was bound to recall and destroy all unsold copies. ^[5]

A video was leaked to the internet, by Marzel Becker and Stephan Heller, two German music critics. In the video they compared Dark Sanctuary's songs to Bushido's songs. ^[6]

Due to their split up in July 2009, the members of the band could no longer sue the rapper after this judgment. ^[7]

Discography

Albums

Royaume Mélancolique (1999)
De Lumière et d'Obscurité (2000)
L'être las - L'envers du miroir (2003)
Les Mémoires Blessées (2004)
Exaudi Vocem Meam - Part 1 (2005)
Exaudi Vocem Meam - Part 2 (2006)
Dark Sanctuary (2009)

Singles and EPs

Funeral Cry (1998)
Vie Éphémère (2002)
La Clameur du Silence (promo) (2004)

Compilations

Thoughts: 9 Years in the Sanctuary (2005)

Line-up

Current Members:

Dame Pandora - vocals
Arkdae - keyboards/guitars — (Also on the album Mournument), with the Dutch band Deinonychus)
Hylgaryss - keyboards/guitars
Sombre Cÿr - bass/percussion — (Is one of the owners of Kaosthetik Konspiration)
Alexis - Percussion

Former Members:

Eliane - violins
Marguerite - violins
Marquise Ermia - vocals

Sources

External links

Dark Sanctuary Official Site
Dark Sanctuary discography at MusicBrainz
Dark Sanctuary at last.fm
Dark Sanctuary at Encyclopaedia Metallum