Apoptygma Berzerk
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Apoptygma Berzerk is a Norwegian synthpop/EBM/futurepop musical group. It has achieved moderate commercial success with a unique brand of gloomy, danceable gothic synthpop, 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 and Icon of Coil.
All of the band's lyrics are in English.
The name "Apoptygma Berzerk" is said by the band not to mean anything, having been picked out of a dictionary. Apoptygma is an old Greek word for the fold of a woman's garment. Technically the 'y' ought to be pronounced like a long 'u', but the band's name is universally pronounced a-pop-tig-ma.
The band was formed by Stephan Groth and Jon Erik Martinsen in 1986. They recorded a few demos, including Victims of Mutilation. Jonn Erik left the band shortly afterwards feeling unconfortable 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
- Angel Stengel - Guitar
- Jon Erik Martensen - former member during 1980s & co-writer of some of Harmonizer
- Per Aksel Lundgreen - former live Keyboardist
- Anders Odden - former live guitarist
Discography:
- Full-length albums and EPs
- The 2nd Manifesto [EP] (1992)
- Soli Deo Gloria (1993)
- Soli Deo Gloria (Remastered) (2002)
- 7 (1996)
- 7 (Remastered; No "O Fortuna" sample on Love Never Dies due to licensing problems) (2002)
- Mourn [EP] (1997)
- The Apopcalyptic Manifesto [primarily re-release of older material] (1998)
- APBL98 [live] (1999)
- Welcome to Earth (2000)
- APBL2000 [live] (2001)
- Harmonizer (2002)
- Singles Collection [2CD set of many singles] (2003)
- Unicorn [EP] & Harmonizer [DVD] (2004)
- New album in the works, with Anders Odden bringing a Rock and Roll sound...
- Singles
- Ashes to Ashes (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)
- UTEOTW Vinyl (2002)
- Suffer in Silence (2002)
- SIS Trance Remixes (2002)
- SIS Vinyl (2002)
- Videos
- 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.
- 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)
- Projects from former members
- Cronos Titan: Brides of Christ (1995) (former APB keyboardist Per Aksel Lundgreen)
- Cronos Titan: The Gregorevian EP [EP] (1996)
- 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 official website (http://www.apoptygmaberzerk.de), the berzerk web (http://www.berzerk.regio.net/), and the official German fanpage (http://www.apoptygma.de)
External links
- APOPTYGMA BERZERK (http://www.apoptygmaberzerk.de) official website
- Metropolis Records: Apoptygma Berzerk (http://www.metropolis-records.com/artists/?artist=apoptygm)
- Non-stop violence (http://members.aol.com/neurodancr/apb/) fan site