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Apoptygma Berzerk

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Apoptygma Berzerk

Apoptygma Berzerk is a Norwegian musical group. They have achieved success with a unique brand of upbeat, danceable synthpop, and haunting ballads backed with electronic rhythms, winning awards and top-10 spots in Germany and Scandinavia. Apoptygma Berzerk (abbreviated to APB or Apop) has toured Europe, North America, and Israel with bands such as VNV Nation, Beborn Beton and Icon of Coil.

The name "Apoptygma Berzerk" either has a secret meaning or does not mean anything, depending on which interview you read. Front-man and original member Stephan Groth claims that it was randomly picked out of a dictionary (apoptygma being an old Greek word meaning "piece of drapery"). The band's name is pronounced a-pop-tig-ma.

The band was formed by Groth and Jon Erik Martinsen in 1989. They recorded a few demos, including Victims of Mutilation. Jon Erik left the band shortly afterwards feeling uncomfortable with the direction of the band's music.

Members

  • Stephan Groth (Grothesk) - front-man and original member, largely responsible for the "APB sound"
  • Geir Bratland - Keyboard
  • Fredrik Brarud - Drums
  • Audun Stengel (Angel) - Guitar
  • Anders Odden - Guitar (rejoined the band late 2004 after having left it some years before to pursue his own musical projects)
  • Jon Erik Martensen - former member [1989-90s]] & co-writer of some of Harmonizer
  • Per Aksel Lundgreen - former member and live keyboardist 1991-1994 & co-writer of "Wrack'em To Pieces" and "Electronic Warfare". Also responsible for the bands booking and promotion from 1991-1994.

Style

The first two albums, Soli Deo Gloria 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 the latest album You and Me Against the World represents an almost complete change in style for the band. It features a more mainstream, 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 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. They have also made a cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence.

Discography

Demos

  • Victims Of Mutilation (Cassette) 1990 Slusk Records. First 20 copies numbered.

Full-length studio albums and EPs

  • The 2nd Manifesto [EP] (1992)
  • Soli Deo Gloria (1993)
  • 7 (1996)
  • Mourn [EP] (1997)
  • The Apopcalyptic Manifesto (1998)
  • Welcome to Earth (2000)
  • Harmonizer (2002)
  • 7 (Remastered) (2002)
  • Soli Deo Gloria (Remastered) (2002)
  • The Singles Collection (2003)
  • Unicorn [EP] (2004)
  • You and Me Against the World (2005)
  • Black EP (2006)
  • Sonic Diary (2006)
  • Soli Deo Gloria (Deluxe Edition) (2007)
  • 7 (Deluxe Edition) (2007)
  • The Singles Collection (Deluxe Edition) (2007)
  • Welcome to Earth (Deluxe Edition) (2007)
  • Harmonizer (Deluxe Edition) (2007)
  • Unicorn & The Harmonizer DVD (Deluxe Edition) (2007)
  • Rocket Science (2008)

Live albums

  • APBL98 (1999)
  • APBL2000 (2001)
  • APBL2000 (Deluxe Edition) (2007)

Singles

  • Ashes to Ashes 12" (1991)
  • Bitch (1993)
  • Deep Red (1994)
  • Non Stop Violence (1995)
  • Paranoia (1998)
  • Eclipse (1999)
  • Kathy's Song (2000)
  • Kathy's Song 12" I. (2000)
  • Kathy's Song 12" II. (2000)
  • Until the End of the World I. (2002)
  • Until the End of the World II. (2002)
  • Until the End of the World Vinyl (2002)
  • Suffer in Silence (2002)
  • Suffer in Silence Trance Remixes (2002)
  • Suffer in Silence 12" (2002)
  • In This Together (2005)
  • Shine On (2006)
  • Love to Blame (2006)
  • Cambodia (2006)
  • Green Queen (2008)

DVDs and VHS

  • APBL2000 (2001)
  • The Harmonizer DVD (2004)

Side projects

  • Germ, Ice Eyes on the Stretch (intro) (1992) (One track released on "Sex, Drugs & EBM" compilation. The track was made with Cadaver guitarist Anders Odden.)
  • Germ, 3-track Ultra Limited Demo (Cassette only - 10 numbered and signed copies!)
  • TB-Moonchild, Divine Penetration [CDS] (1994) ("Hard hitting monotony trance")
  • H2O, Dre:amseller [CDS] (1994) ("Chilled out trance/ambient" with Geir Bratland)
  • H2O, Fahrenheit [CDS] (1995)
  • Acid Queen, Bing [EP] (1995)
  • Acid Queen, Tranzania (1998) (DJ Applepie (Christian Grimshei), contributions from Jon Erik Martinsen)
  • Total Transformation, In Thru Out (1996) ("techno/trance")
  • Bruderschaft, Forever [CDS] (2003) (Futurepop dreamteam with DJ Rexx Arkana, Ronan Harris of VNV Nation, Sebastian Komor of Icon of Coil and Joakim Montelius of Covenant)
  • Fairlight Children, Before You Came Along [MCD] (2004)
  • Fairlight Children, 808 Bit (2004)
  • The Kovenant, Angel joining this band in 2000 and Geir Bratland in 2003.
  • Magenta - Anders Oddens other band.

Projects from former members

  • Angst Pop - Ødipus Rex and Panic At T.C.F. (CD on "Sex, Drugs & EBM Sampler) 1992 (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
  • Angst Pop - Ødipus Rex (Video Version) CD on "Melt Compilation" 1994 (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
  • Angst Pop - Viva Ta Vie CD on "Electronic Youth Vol. 3" 1994 (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
  • Cronos Titan, Brides of Christ CD (1995) (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
  • Cronos Titan, The Gregoraveian EP [EP] (1996) (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
  • Chinese Detectives - Situation CD-single 1995 (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
  • Chinese Detectives - Where Do The Boys Go? CD-single 1995 (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
  • Chinese Detectives - You Think You're A Man CD-Single 1996 (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
  • Chinese Detectives - Hit That Perfect Beat CD-Single Promo Only 1999 (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
  • Chinese Detectives - Are Kisses Out Of fashion? CD 1999 (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
  • Sweep, Sweepeepee (1997) (Jon Erik Martinsen)
  • Sweep, Emptiness, Your Loneliness (2001) (Jon Erik Martinsen)
  • Sweep, Miss You (2002) (Jon Erik Martinsen)
  • Sweep, Two Players (2003) (Jon Erik Martinsen)

Sources: apoptygmaberzerk.de,eyeliners.org, the berzerk web, and the official German fanpage.

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