Archive (band)

For other uses, see Archive (disambiguation).

Archive
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Trip hop Electronica Progressive music New prog
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Island
Members
Danny Griffiths Darius Keeler Dave Pen Pollard Berrier Maria Q Jonathan Noyce Rosko John Steve Harris Smiley Steve Davis
Past members
Roya Arab Suzanne Wooder Craig Walker

Archive is a musical group based in London, England, whose music spans electronic, trip-hop, avant-garde, post-rock^{[citation needed]} and progressive rock. Over their sixteen-year history, the band has released eight studio albums and enjoyed established success throughout Europe, while remaining little-known in their native Britain.

History

The collective of Archive was originally formed by Darius Keeler and Danny Griffiths in 1994 from the ashes of the UK breakbeat act, Genaside II. Together with the female singer Roya Arab and the young rapper Rosko John, the band released their first album "Londinium" on Island Records in 1996, a mix of dark trip hop (in a similar vein to Massive Attack), electronica and, naturally, their breakbeat and hardcore roots, but with the unequivocal match of string arrangements and almost baroque and classically influenced songwriting. The album received moderate critical acclaim, but due to artistic differences, the band split up later that year. In Q magazine, Peter Gabriel was quoted as saying, "Londinium was one of my most favourite albums of the year."

In 1997, Keeler and Griffiths continued Archive with another female singer, (Suzanne Wooder). In 1999, Archive released their second studio album, entitled "Take My Head": a mix of pop and symphonic trip-hop, far more melodic than its predecessor. Due to differences of musical taste with an undisclosed number of producers that Darius and Dan tried to work with on this particular album, the band have described this album as their least favourite of their albums.

In the year 2000 to 2001, Darius and Dan began demo-ing new tracks for further studio production. After establishing a new sound to work with, the boys placed an advert in Mojo magazine, looking for a new lead singer. Craig Walker answered the advert and immediately began working with the band and singing on the tune that Darius wrote, entitled, "Again." Between 2002 and 2005, the band released three studio albums with Walker to further growing popularity and critical acclaim, including an advancement in an already established following in France and Poland. "You All Look The Same To Me" (2002), "Noise" (2004), and "Michel Vaillant" were albums that marked a turning point of the Archive sound that gradually turned away from their roots in Electronica and Trip-Hop and towards more of a psychedelic and progressive style. One of the three composed albums was the soundtrack to the French film Michel Vaillant, released in November 2003.

Archive began their European tour in November 2004 without Walker, posting on their website that Walker would not be joining the band as he has left Archive due to personal differences.

In autumn of 2004, Archive announced that Dave Pen (BirdPen) would replace Walker on the Noise tour. During this same tour, Keeler and Griffiths met the singer Pollard Berrier (formally of the band Bauchklang) at one of their shows in Vienna, Austria. Pollard had given Darius a Demo CD of his own written material, with the intention of starting another project with Dan and Darius. Because of the latter circumstances, the three began writing and rehearsing together, and were recording in Southside Studios, London, by September 2005.

A new modern era for Archive had begun with Darius, Dan and Pollard all writing and co-writing seven tracks and Dave Pen co-writing three, on the album, "Lights." Maria Q sang on three (including backing) tracks. From this point on, Archive was no longer a "front-man-band," but a "collective" of individual artists contributing to what is now an established sound. The album "Lights" was released in May 2006 and received high critical acclaim in France, Switzerland, Greece and Poland. Archive enjoyed predominantly sold-out gigs on their "Lights" Tour, as well as high acclaim at festivals around Europe.

In May 2009, Archive came back in full force, releasing their most acclaimed album to date, "Controlling Crowds I-III." "Controlling Crowds" reached number one in the French charts for a week, number one in Greece, number two in Switzerland and number 5 in Luxembourg. The single, "Bullets," was their most acclaimed single to date and reached the charts in Greece, Poland, Switzerland, France, and Germany. The biggest surprise of this album was the readmission of one of the original members, Rosko John, who adds an unforeseen depth to the seventh studio album.

In September 2009, they released a follow-up album, "Controlling Crowds: Part IV," along with the single, "The Empty Bottle."

Archive continues to tour on the "Controlling Crowds" tour, having already sold out some fifty concerts from September 2009 - February 2010, and will continue to tour extensively for the 2010 Summer Festival Season.

In 2010 Darius Keeler and Danny Griffiths produced 3 songs for French singer Mylène Farmer. The tracks are Leila, Light me up and Diabolique mon ange and are part of her 8th album Bleu Noir, released on 6 December 2010.

Archive are currently working on their forthcoming eighth studio album (not including Michel Vaillant) in London and Paris, with a release date of "To Be Decided." Though whispers of a 2012 release have not been discredited, the possibilities are intriguing, considering Archive is with new management and has finished and completed its deal with Warner Music. Their home of the UK may have an official release at last.

Members

Current lineup

• Darius Keeler - songwriting, synthesizer, piano, programming, arrangements
• Danny Griffiths - songwriting, synthesizer, samples, programming, arrangements
• Pollard Berrier - songwriting, vocals, guitar, programming, arrangements
• Dave Pen - songwriting, vocals, guitar
• Maria Q - vocals
• Rosko John - songwriting, vocals, MC
• Steve Harris - guitar, backing vocals
• Jonathan Noyce - bass
• Steve ("the menace") Davis - bass
• Smiley/ Steve Barnard - drums
• Tom Brazelle - harmonica

Former members

• Craig Walker - vocals, guitar
• Matheu Martin - drums
• Suzanne Wooder - vocals
• Roya Arab - vocals
• Lee Pomeroy - bass

Discography

Studio albums

• Londinium (1996)
• Take My Head (1999)
• You All Look the Same to Me (2002)
• Noise (2004)
• Lights (2006)
• Controlling Crowds [Part I-III] (2009)
• Controlling Crowds – Part IV (2009)

Soundtracks

• Michel Vaillant by Archive (soundtrack from Michel Vaillant) (2003)

Live albums

• Live at Paris/France Inter (2002)
• Unplugged (2005)
• Live for 3 nights at Le Nuits Botanique Festival - Brussels May 2005 (2005, promo)
• Live at the Zenith (2007)
• Live at La Géode (only sold by French FNAC) (2010)
• Live 2010 Ancienne Belgique, Brussels 17th January 2010 (only sold by ConcertLive.com) (2010)
• Live 2010 Le Zenith, Paris 23rd January 2010 (only sold by ConcertLive.com) (2010)

Live DVD

• Live at the Zenith (deluxe package) (2007)
• Live in Athens (sold at PledgeMusic.com) (2011)

EPs

• The Absurd EP (2002)

Singles

• Londinium (1996)
• So Few Words (1996)
• You Make Me Feel (1999) — UK #160
• The Way You Love Me (1999)
• Take My Head (1999, promo)
• Cloud in the Sky (2000)
• Again (2001/2002) — UK #159
• Numb (2002) — UK #127
• Goodbye (2002, promo)
• Men Like You/Meon (2003)
• Friend (2003)
• Get Out (2004)
• Fuck U (2004, promo)
• Sleep (2004, promo)
• Live at the Ancienne Belgique — "Pulse"/"Numb" (2005, promo)
• System (2006, promo)
• Fold (2006, promo)
• Sane (2006, promo)
• Bullets (2009)
• Kings of Speed (2009, promo)
• The Empty Bottle (2009)
• Lines (2009, promo)

References

i.e. music ltd

External links

• Official Website
• Band's Official MySpace
• Interview on German/Austrian/Swiss culture channel 3sat with Danny Griffiths & Rosko John (Cologne, 23.10.2009)