Arktis were a legendary German heavy blues rock band, formed in March 1973 by guitarist Klaus Blachut, singer Karin Töppig, bassist Klaus Göllner and drummer Harry Kottek. The musicians were from the Bonn area and had previously played in various other groups. The quartet decided to record an LP at their own expense as a promotional tool, with the aim of securing a contract with a major label. They recorded their self-titled debut album in October 1973 in just two days at the Tonstudio am Dom in Cologne. The studio owner, Martin Hömberg, acted as sound engineer.

Released later that same year, the album features hard guitar-driven blues-rock from the early 1970s enriched with freaky improvisations and psychedelic elements, underpinned by female vocals in English. Two years later they released their second album Arktis Tapes. After the band had disbanded and reformed with new members in the meantime, their third album, On The Rocks, was released in 1976, before they finally split up for good. This legendary first album, which was actually a demo and was sent out across Germany, was released in a handmade sleeve with a limited pressing of only 300 copies. This private pressing is virtually impossible to find today and is highly sought after, not only by underground collectors.