Apoptygma Berzerk
Encyclopedia
Apoptygma Berzerk is a Norwegian
musical group. They have achieved success with a brand of synthpop
, and ballads backed with electronic rhythms, commonly known within the scene and referring to themselves as "futurepop". Apop has won awards and top-10 spots in Germany
and Scandinavia
. Apoptygma Berzerk has toured Europe
, North America
, South America
, Israel
and Australia
with bands such as VNV Nation
, Beborn Beton
, Icon of Coil
and Unheilig
.
The band was formed by Stephan Groth
and Jon Erik Martinsen in 1989. Together they wrote several songs, one of them "Ashes To Ashes" would later be released as a 12-inch single on the Norwegian label Tatra Productions
in 1991. Jon Erik left the band shortly afterwards feeling uncomfortable with the direction of the band's music.
and 7 were a similar style of electropop and EBM
. Welcome to Earth
included a few tracks that sound experimental, getting away from the band's roots slightly. Harmonizer
featured a softer, more synthpop-oriented direction when compared to previous albums, and their 2007 album, You and Me Against the World
, represented an almost complete change in style for the band. It featured a more mainstream, indie rock
-oriented sound, and the complete departure from the band's traditional electric synthpop and EBM roots that started with 7.
Many albums feature a hidden track
that can be accessed by fast forwarding through many minutes of silence on the last album track. For instance, on 7, one can hear a remix of Nonstop Violence after Love Never Dies (Part II).
The band also features cover songs on several of their albums. For example, on the American version of 7 a cover of OMD's
"Electricity
" is featured; similarly, on Welcome to Earth, the band has a cover of Metallica's "Fade to Black"
. You and Me Against the World
has a cover of "Cambodia
" by Kim Wilde
and "Shine On
" by The House Of Love
. They have also made a cover of Depeche Mode
's Enjoy the Silence
, Keane's Bend And Break
, Kraftwerk
's Ohm Sweet Ohm and Marilyn Manson
's "Coma White
".
With the release of latest album Rocket Science apop still going on the rock vibe while keeping close with synthpop sound like its predecessor YAMATW.
In August 2009, Brandon Smith (frontman from the electronic rock band The Anix) confirmed that he was joining the band on guitar for the US and Canada legs of the upcoming tour. source- www.theanix.com
Brandon writes on the forum saying, "this is just going to be a test run type of tour, to see how well Apop does in the US, Canada, and South America. I will be playing guitar for them on this tour."
On September 3, 2009, Stephan wrote on the official site:
. Frontman and founding member Stephan Groth
claims that it was randomly picked out of a dictionary
(apoptygma being derived from the Ancient Greek
word ἀπόπτυγμα meaning "piece of a tunic
"). The first word of the name is pronounced a-pop-tig-ma.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
musical group. They have achieved success with a brand of synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
, and ballads backed with electronic rhythms, commonly known within the scene and referring to themselves as "futurepop". Apop has won awards and top-10 spots in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. Apoptygma Berzerk has toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
with bands such as VNV Nation
VNV Nation
VNV Nation are a British/Irish electronic music band originally from Dublin, Ireland and Essex, United Kingdom and now based in Hamburg, Germany. They combine elements of electro-industrial, trance, synthpop and electronic body music . The members are Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson...
, Beborn Beton
Beborn Beton
Beborn Beton is a German synthpop band founded in 1989, with their first album release in 1993. Their debut named Tybalt is a compilation of the best tracks written in the first three years of their band history and was very well received in the electronic music scene. In 1995 the follow-up album...
, Icon of Coil
Icon of Coil
Icon of Coil is a Norwegian electronic music band. The band was established as a solo project in 1997 by Andy LaPlegua who was joined by former Sector 9 bandmate Sebastian Komor to perform live. With the release of Shallow Nation, the band's first single, Komor joined full-time. In 2000, Christian...
and Unheilig
Unheilig
Unheilig is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band with various pop and electronic influences. The band founded in 2000 and now consists of principally Der Graf , with his live musicians Licky, Henning Verlage and Potti.-Early years 1999–2009:In 1999, together with Grant Stevens Unheilig (German for...
.
The band was formed by Stephan Groth
Stephan Groth
Stephan Groth is the man behind Apoptygma Berzerk, an electronic dance music act that plays in styles such as synthpop, ebm, and futurepop...
and Jon Erik Martinsen in 1989. Together they wrote several songs, one of them "Ashes To Ashes" would later be released as a 12-inch single on the Norwegian label Tatra Productions
Tatra Productions
Tatra Productions is a record label based in Norway, best known as the home of recording artist Apoptygma Berzerk between 1991 and 2001. Other notable artists featured on the label include Boytronic, De Press, Gothminister, Icon of Coil, Magenta, and When....
in 1991. Jon Erik left the band shortly afterwards feeling uncomfortable with the direction of the band's music.
Current members
- Stephan GrothStephan GrothStephan Groth is the man behind Apoptygma Berzerk, an electronic dance music act that plays in styles such as synthpop, ebm, and futurepop...
(STP a/k/a Grothesk) – Vocals, Programming, Guitars, Samples (1989–present) - Thomas Jakobsen – Drums (2009–present)
- Brandon Smith – Guitar (2009–present)
Former Members
- Geir BratlandGeir BratlandGeir Bratland is the former keyboardist for the Norwegian band Apoptygma Berzerk and session keyboardist for The Kovenant and Satyricon. He is currently a touring keyboardist for Dimmu Borgir, under the stage name of Gerlioz.-External links:...
– KeyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocals (1995–2009) - Fredrik Brarud – DrumDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
s (2002–2009) - Audun Stengel (Angel) – GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2002–2009) - Anders OddenAnders OddenAnders Odden , is a musician. He is the guitarist of Doctor Midnight & The Mercy Cult and as well as multi-instrumentalist and songwriter for Magenta...
– Guitar (1992–1999, 2003–2006) - Jon Erik Martensen – Keyboard (1989)
- Per Aksel Lundgreen – Keyboard/manager (1991–1994)
- Fredrik Darum – Producer, live guitar (1999–2001)
- Ted Skogmann – Drums and guitar (1999–2002)
Live Members
- Leandra Ophelia Dax – Live keyboards (2010–present)
- Jonas Groth – Live keyboards, arranging (2010–present)
Other collaborators
- Vegard Blomberg of View
- Pål Magnus Rybom of Echo ImageEcho ImageEcho Image was a Norwegian synthpop band. The band unofficially started in 1997 when Pål Magnus Rybom started experimenting with electronic music. Later that year Fredrik Hansen joined and Echo Image was officially formed with Trine Bilet joining towards the end of the year providing backing vocals...
- Claudia BrückenClaudia BrückenClaudia Brücken is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups Propaganda and Act. Since 1996 she has been working with OMD member Paul Humphreys, first without a name, since 2004 as Onetwo...
of PropagandaPropaganda (band)Propaganda is a German synthpop group, formed in 1982. They were one of the initial roster of acts signed to Trevor Horn's ZTT label, between 1984 and 1986, during which they released the critically acclaimed album A Secret Wish.... - Benji MaddenBenji MaddenBenji Madden is an American guitarist and backup vocalist for the band Good Charlotte, which he co-founded with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden.-Early life:...
of Good CharlotteGood CharlotteGood Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin... - Amanda PalmerAmanda PalmerAmanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer , sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls...
of The Dresden DollsThe Dresden DollsThe Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione... - Emil NikolaisenEmil NikolaisenEmil Nikolaisen is a musician and producer from Norway. He is frontman, bandleader, songwriter, guitarist & singer of the well-known Norwegian alternative rock band Serena-Maneesh....
of Serena ManeeshSerena ManeeshSerena-Maneesh is an alternative rock band from Oslo, Norway.- Significance of the Name:... - Håvard Ellefsen of MortiisMortiisMortiis is a band from Notodden, Norway fronted by Håvard Ellefsen, who is also known as the namesake of the band. The name is a misspelling of the word 'mortis', which is the pronunciation used by the band. However, Mortiis started as the solo project of Ellefsen as a means to convey a story...
- Kurt Ebelhäuser of BlackmailBlackmail (band)Blackmail is a German indie rock band from Koblenz, Germany which was started briefly in 1993. Blackmail are singer Mathias Reetz, brothers Kurt Ebelhäuser and Carlos Ebelhäuser and drummer Mario Matthias...
- Anneli DreckerAnneli DreckerAnneli Marian Drecker is a German-Norwegian singer and actress from the city of Tromsø. She is the vocalist for the seminal dream pop band Bel Canto. In the fall of 2006 Bel Canto celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the first album with several concerts...
of Bel CantoBel Canto (band)Bel Canto is a Norwegian music duo, originally a trio, fronted by Anneli Drecker, and signed originally to Crammed Discs.-Biography:Their first two records were licensed to Nettwerk Records in Canada and its second album was licensed to IRS/MCA Records...
Style
The first two albums, Soli Deo GloriaSoli Deo Gloria (album)
-Bonus tracks:...
and 7 were a similar style of electropop and EBM
Electronic body music
Electronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
. Welcome to Earth
Welcome to Earth
Welcome to Earth is the third studio album by Norwegian futurepop band Apoptygma Berzerk. It was released on February 22, 2000 on Metropolis Records but was earlier released on Tatra Records....
included a few tracks that sound experimental, getting away from the band's roots slightly. Harmonizer
Harmonizer (album)
Harmonizer is the fourth studio album by Norwegian futurepop band Apoptygma Berzerk. It was released on February 29, 2002 on Metropolis Records and WEA International.-Track listing:*All hidden tracks are part of track 12.-Concept:...
featured a softer, more synthpop-oriented direction when compared to previous albums, and their 2007 album, You and Me Against the World
You and Me Against the World
-North America:-Tour Edition:The "Australian Tour Edition" of the album released to coincide with the band's tour of that country in late 2006 contains the following tracklisting:-References:...
, represented an almost complete change in style for the band. It featured a more mainstream, indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
-oriented sound, and the complete departure from the band's traditional electric synthpop and EBM roots that started with 7.
Many albums feature a hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
that can be accessed by fast forwarding through many minutes of silence on the last album track. For instance, on 7, one can hear a remix of Nonstop Violence after Love Never Dies (Part II).
The band also features cover songs on several of their albums. For example, on the American version of 7 a cover of OMD's
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
"Electricity
Electricity (OMD song)
"Electricity" is the debut single of the New Wave and synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It is notable for having been recorded numerous times. The earliest versions are live recordings by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys' previous group The Id. The song is one of the OMD's most...
" is featured; similarly, on Welcome to Earth, the band has a cover of Metallica's "Fade to Black"
Fade to Black (song)
"Fade to Black" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the first promotional single from its second studio album, Ride the Lightning...
. You and Me Against the World
You and Me Against the World
-North America:-Tour Edition:The "Australian Tour Edition" of the album released to coincide with the band's tour of that country in late 2006 contains the following tracklisting:-References:...
has a cover of "Cambodia
Cambodia (song)
"Cambodia" is the fourth single by British singer Kim Wilde. It was released at the end of 1981; a year in which Wilde had already scored three highly successful hit singles and a best-selling debut album....
" by Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
and "Shine On
Shine On (song)
"Shine On" is the first single Ryan Cabrera released from his 2005 studio album You Stand Watching. The song is a discussion of Cabrera's former relationship with Ashlee Simpson. In the song, Cabrera tells Simpson that he was never good enough for her but he still loves her. The music video for...
" by The House Of Love
The House of Love
The House of Love is an English alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, the band rose to prominence in the UK as a leading indie rock band in 1988 and split up in 1993, eventually reforming a decade later in 2003. The band is best known for its detailed psychedelic guitar sound and for the...
. They have also made a cover of Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
's Enjoy the Silence
Enjoy the Silence
"Enjoy the Silence" is Depeche Mode's twenty-fourth UK single, released on 16 January 1990, and the second single from the then upcoming album Violator....
, Keane's Bend And Break
Bend and Break
"Bend and Break" is a song performed and composed by English rock band Keane and was released as the sixth and last single from their debut album Hopes and Fears...
, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
's Ohm Sweet Ohm and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
's "Coma White
Coma White
"Coma White" is a song by the band Marilyn Manson. It is the last track from the album Mechanical Animals. Despite only being released as a promo single, a video was shot in the wake of the Columbine tragedy controversy surrounding the band, and it also provided a preview of the Holy Wood project...
".
With the release of latest album Rocket Science apop still going on the rock vibe while keeping close with synthpop sound like its predecessor YAMATW.
Line up changes
In July 2009 Angel, Geir and Fredrik departed from the Apoptygma Berzerk lineup. The coming tour in the USA is going to happen with a yet unknown lineup along with only remaining member, Stephan Groth.In August 2009, Brandon Smith (frontman from the electronic rock band The Anix) confirmed that he was joining the band on guitar for the US and Canada legs of the upcoming tour. source- www.theanix.com
Brandon writes on the forum saying, "this is just going to be a test run type of tour, to see how well Apop does in the US, Canada, and South America. I will be playing guitar for them on this tour."
On September 3, 2009, Stephan wrote on the official site:
Name
The name "Apoptygma Berzerk" either has a secret meaning or does not mean anything. The name is reminiscent of the word apophthegm, which means a statement that speaks one's mind - which would make the title mean a berserk manifestoManifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
. Frontman and founding member Stephan Groth
Stephan Groth
Stephan Groth is the man behind Apoptygma Berzerk, an electronic dance music act that plays in styles such as synthpop, ebm, and futurepop...
claims that it was randomly picked out of a dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
(apoptygma being derived from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
word ἀπόπτυγμα meaning "piece of a tunic
Tunic
A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles...
"). The first word of the name is pronounced a-pop-tig-ma.
Studio albums
- Soli Deo GloriaSoli Deo Gloria (album)-Bonus tracks:...
(1993) - 7 (1996)
- Welcome to EarthWelcome to EarthWelcome to Earth is the third studio album by Norwegian futurepop band Apoptygma Berzerk. It was released on February 22, 2000 on Metropolis Records but was earlier released on Tatra Records....
(2000) - HarmonizerHarmonizer (album)Harmonizer is the fourth studio album by Norwegian futurepop band Apoptygma Berzerk. It was released on February 29, 2002 on Metropolis Records and WEA International.-Track listing:*All hidden tracks are part of track 12.-Concept:...
(2002) - You and Me Against the WorldYou and Me Against the World-North America:-Tour Edition:The "Australian Tour Edition" of the album released to coincide with the band's tour of that country in late 2006 contains the following tracklisting:-References:...
(2005) - Rocket Science (2009)
External links
- Apoptygma Berzerk Official website
- Apoptygma Berzerk Metropolis Records
- Interview with Stephan Groth of Apoptygma Berzerk on NXLive.co.uk