Icon of Coil
Encyclopedia
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 (now Moonitor and Zombie Girl
) bandmate Sebastian Komor
to perform live. With the release of Shallow Nation, the band's first single, Komor joined full-time. In 2000, Christian Lund joined the live lineup. Later that year the band's first full-length album, Serenity is the Devil
, was released, which climbed to number one on the Deutsche Alternative Charts
. Shortly thereafter, Lund became a full-time band member.
Before they started working on their second release IOC did programming for the Apoptygma Berzerk
track "Starsign". Soon afterwards, they traveled to Germany, with live member Jon Holm, to support Apoptygma on their Welcome to Earth tour 2000 at their gigs in Frankfurt, Cottbus and Leipzig before going back to Norway to play together at Rockefeller in Oslo.
One Nation Under Beat debuted in the top 20 on the DAC-chart (Deutsch Alternative Chart) for eight weeks and peaked at number three.
In late spring of 2000 at a gig in Uddevalla, Sweden, Christian Lund joined the band as a live-member and went on stage with Andy and Seb for the first time. Along with being the vocalist for his En Route project, Christian had a background from a melodious EBM Fredrikstad-band called Elected By Fear where he played together with Fredrik Hansen from Echo Image (who also played at that gig) and Marius Johnsen from Centravibe.
in November 2000, which reached number three on the DAC-chart, the band went to Germany together with Beborn Beton. With nine gigs, positive feedback from the audience and very good reviews on the debut album, IOC gained a following in the synth/industrial scene.
Shortly afterward, the album crossed the Atlantic and was released in North America
by Metropolis Records
. On March 29, 2001, the band itself followed and boarded a plane to Chicago
. The song Situations Like These from the (then) forthcoming Seren EP was played live for the first time to an American audience.
The summer started with a successful show in Leipzig
, Germany
, at Wave-Gotik-Treffen. The following festivals included CSD
, Zillo Festival, Xtreaktor Festival, Eurorock, Infest
and ended at M'era Luna.
Situations Like These became a big club hit and the band was ready for a second tour (this time in a Nightliner touring bus) of North America with VNV Nation
. The leg began in Chicago on the 16th of November. Icon of Coil, VNV Nation
and the rest of the crew continued up to Canada
, down the east coast to Florida
, through Texas
to the West coast and Hollywood, where they did their 15th show. The four-week tour ended in Edmonton
, Canada.
, which was released in April 2002 and stayed at number one on the DAC for several weeks. IOC then performed at two more festivals: The Dark Jubilee Festival in London
, and later as the Sunday headliner for Synthpop Goes the World in Toronto
, Canada
.
, was released. Icon of Coil then released their remix album Uploaded And Remixed
at the tail end of 2004, which featured new mixes of songs from their first two records and two exclusive tracks.
Icon of Coil announced at their recent Sydney show that they will be writing new material.
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...
electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
band. The band was established as a solo project in 1997 by Andy LaPlegua
Andy LaPlegua
Andy LaPleguaa, born September 15, 1975 in Fredrikstad, Norway, is a musician originally known for being founder and lead vocalist of the futurepop band Icon of Coil...
who was joined by former Sector 9 (now Moonitor and Zombie Girl
Zombie Girl
Zombie Girl is a Canadian electro-industrial/industrial rock project, initially composed of Renee Cooper, the eponymous Zombie Girl and formerly Sebastian Komor her exproducer. She is now however a solo act who uses various live musicians and writing new Zombie girl tracks without Komor. Started in...
) bandmate Sebastian Komor
Sebastian Komor
Sebastian R. Komor is a Polish born, Norwegian raised EBM/Industrial musician, best known for his collaborative work in Icon of Coil and Zombie Girl...
to perform live. With the release of Shallow Nation, the band's first single, Komor joined full-time. In 2000, Christian Lund joined the live lineup. Later that year the band's first full-length album, Serenity is the Devil
Serenity is the Devil
Serenity is the Devil is the first studio album by Icon of Coil; it was released in 2000.-Track listing:# "Activate" - 5:26# "Regret" - 5:04# "Shallow Nation" - 4:46# "Down on Me" - 4:05# "Former Self" - 4:51# "Everlasting" - 5:22...
, was released, which climbed to number one on the Deutsche Alternative Charts
Deutsche Alternative Charts
The Deutsche Alternative Charts is the primary record chart for Germany's alternative music scene. The charts cover genres ranging nu metal to Britpop, from rock music to alternative electronic...
. Shortly thereafter, Lund became a full-time band member.
Formation
In 1997 Andy LaPlegua established the project, Icon of Coil, which was primarily a concept built around a logo, graphic design and music. Soon after the inception, the music soon turned out to be the most important part of the concept and LaPlegua invited Sebastian Komor, who he had worked with before on the project Sector 9, (now called Moonitor) in 1996, to work with him on the project as a live member. After just a couple of gigs and the release of IOC’s first single, "Shallow Nation", Seb became a full-time member.Shallow Nation (2000)
Shallow Nation, released early in 2000, sold out the first thousand copies after only two weeks in the stores, which resulted in a deal with the Norwegian record label Tatra Records. Around that same time Tatra Records released the compilation Sex, Goth & Electronics, to which IOC contributed an exclusive version of their song "Repeat It".Before they started working on their second release IOC did programming for the Apoptygma Berzerk
Apoptygma Berzerk
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...
track "Starsign". Soon afterwards, they traveled to Germany, with live member Jon Holm, to support Apoptygma on their Welcome to Earth tour 2000 at their gigs in Frankfurt, Cottbus and Leipzig before going back to Norway to play together at Rockefeller in Oslo.
One Nation Under Beat debuted in the top 20 on the DAC-chart (Deutsch Alternative Chart) for eight weeks and peaked at number three.
In late spring of 2000 at a gig in Uddevalla, Sweden, Christian Lund joined the band as a live-member and went on stage with Andy and Seb for the first time. Along with being the vocalist for his En Route project, Christian had a background from a melodious EBM Fredrikstad-band called Elected By Fear where he played together with Fredrik Hansen from Echo Image (who also played at that gig) and Marius Johnsen from Centravibe.
Serenity is the Devil (2000–2001)
After the release of IOC's first full-length Serenity is the DevilSerenity is the Devil
Serenity is the Devil is the first studio album by Icon of Coil; it was released in 2000.-Track listing:# "Activate" - 5:26# "Regret" - 5:04# "Shallow Nation" - 4:46# "Down on Me" - 4:05# "Former Self" - 4:51# "Everlasting" - 5:22...
in November 2000, which reached number three on the DAC-chart, the band went to Germany together with Beborn Beton. With nine gigs, positive feedback from the audience and very good reviews on the debut album, IOC gained a following in the synth/industrial scene.
Shortly afterward, the album crossed the Atlantic and was released in 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...
by Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based record label, distributor, and mail-order store specializing in the post-industrial field such as electro-industrial, synthpop, futurepop, darkwave, and gothic musical genres....
. On March 29, 2001, the band itself followed and boarded a plane to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The song Situations Like These from the (then) forthcoming Seren EP was played live for the first time to an American audience.
The summer started with a successful show in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, 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...
, at Wave-Gotik-Treffen. The following festivals included CSD
CSD
CSD may refer to:*Cali Swag District*California School for the Deaf*Cambridge Structural Database*Canonical signed digit*Canteen Stores Department *Canteen Stores Department *Carbonated Soft Drink*Cat scratch disease...
, Zillo Festival, Xtreaktor Festival, Eurorock, Infest
Infest
Infest may refer to:*Infest can mean to overly populate, much in the same way that cockroaches do. See Overpopulation #Wild animal overpopulation.*Infest , a 2000 hard rock album by Papa Roach*Infest , American hardcore band...
and ended at M'era Luna.
Situations Like These became a big club hit and the band was ready for a second tour (this time in a Nightliner touring bus) of North America with 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...
. The leg began in Chicago on the 16th of November. Icon of Coil, 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...
and the rest of the crew continued up to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, down the east coast to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, through Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to the West coast and Hollywood, where they did their 15th show. The four-week tour ended in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Canada.
The Soul is in the Software (2002)
During their tours, the band found the time to write material for their second album, The Soul is in the SoftwareThe Soul Is in the Software
The Soul is in the Software is the second full-length album by Icon of Coil; it was released in 2002.-Track listing:# "Comment" - 0:27# "Thrillcapsule" - 6:03# "Violations" - 4:32# "In Absence" - 5:02# "Access And Amplify" - 4:59...
, which was released in April 2002 and stayed at number one on the DAC for several weeks. IOC then performed at two more festivals: The Dark Jubilee Festival in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and later as the Sunday headliner for Synthpop Goes the World in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Machines Are Us (2004) and Uploaded And Remixed (2004)
In 2004, their third album, Machines Are UsMachines Are Us
Machines Are Us is the third feature-length album by Icon of Coil; it was released in 2004. "Android" was released prior to Machines Are Us, and an Ep for "Shelter" was included in the limited edition version of Uploaded And Remixed....
, was released. Icon of Coil then released their remix album Uploaded And Remixed
UploadedAndRemixed
Uploaded and Remixed is a remix album by Icon of Coil; it was released in 2004. It was released as a 2 CD special edition, with the Shelter EP. The Uploaded and Remixed CD featured tracks from the first 2 albums, Serenity is the Devil', 'The Soul is in the Software...
at the tail end of 2004, which featured new mixes of songs from their first two records and two exclusive tracks.
Present & Future
Icon of Coil reunite sporadically for live performances.Icon of Coil announced at their recent Sydney show that they will be writing new material.
Discography
- Shallow Nation (MCD) (2000)
- One Nation Under Beat (MCD) (2000)
- Serenity is the DevilSerenity is the DevilSerenity is the Devil is the first studio album by Icon of Coil; it was released in 2000.-Track listing:# "Activate" - 5:26# "Regret" - 5:04# "Shallow Nation" - 4:46# "Down on Me" - 4:05# "Former Self" - 4:51# "Everlasting" - 5:22...
(2000) - Seren EP (2001)
- Access and Amplify (MCD) (2002)
- The Soul is in the SoftwareThe Soul Is in the SoftwareThe Soul is in the Software is the second full-length album by Icon of Coil; it was released in 2002.-Track listing:# "Comment" - 0:27# "Thrillcapsule" - 6:03# "Violations" - 4:32# "In Absence" - 5:02# "Access And Amplify" - 4:59...
(2002) - Android (MCD) (2003)
- Machines Are UsMachines Are UsMachines Are Us is the third feature-length album by Icon of Coil; it was released in 2004. "Android" was released prior to Machines Are Us, and an Ep for "Shelter" was included in the limited edition version of Uploaded And Remixed....
(2004) - Machines Are Us (2CD) Limited edition (2004)
- Uploaded And RemixedUploadedAndRemixedUploaded and Remixed is a remix album by Icon of Coil; it was released in 2004. It was released as a 2 CD special edition, with the Shelter EP. The Uploaded and Remixed CD featured tracks from the first 2 albums, Serenity is the Devil', 'The Soul is in the Software...
(2004) - Uploaded And Remixed / Shelter Ep (2CD) Limited edition (2004)
- I-II-III (2006)