Apoptygma Berzerk (; commonly abbreviated to APB or APOP) is a Norwegian musical group. They have achieved success with a brand of

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

, and ballads backed with electronic rhythms, commonly known within the scene and referring to themselves as "

futurepop Futurepop is an electronic music genre that has been characterized as a blend of synthpop, EBM and dance beats, based on trance and techno.Peter Matzke, Tobias Seeliger: ''Das Gothic- und Dark-Wave-Lexikon.'' Schwarzkopf und Schwarzkopf, Berlin ...

". Apoptygma Berzerk has over 30 releases and won awards and Top 10 spots in Germany and

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

. Apoptygma Berzerk has toured Europe, North America, South America, Israel and Australia with bands such as

VNV Nation VNV Nation is an Irish alternative electronic project led by Ronan Harris in the roles of singer, songwriter, and producer. VNV Nation's sound combines lyrics with sounds that ranges from melodic industrial dance anthems, to haunting ballads ...

, Beborn Beton, Icon of Coil and

Unheilig Unheilig (German for "Unholy") was a German band that featured a variety of influences, including various pop and electronic styles as well as harder, nihilistic hard rock. The band was founded in 1999 and principally consisted of singer Bern ...

Formation

The band was formed by

Stephan Groth Stephan Groth (born 10 August 1971) is a Danish-Norwegian singer. He is the man behind Apoptygma Berzerk, an electronic body music act that plays in styles such as synthpop and futurepop. Groth was born in Odense but relocated with his famil ...

and Jon Erik Martinsen in 1989. One of the songs they wrote together, "Ashes To Ashes" would later be released as a

12-inch The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surfac ...

single on the Norwegian label Tatra Productions in 1991. Martinsen left the band due to creative differences. The name "Apoptygma Berzerk" has no particular meaning; frontman and founding member

claims that it was randomly picked out of a dictionary (the first word being derived from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

word ἀπόπτυγμα meaning "piece of a

tunic A tunic is a garment for the body, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the knees. The name derives from the Latin ''tunica'', the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome ...

").

Influences and style

Groth has cited influences including

Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...

Tangerine Dream Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music band founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The group has seen many personnel changes over the years, with Froese having been the only constant member until his death in January 2015. The best-known lineup ...

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Wirral Peninsula, Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboar ...

(OMD),

Jean-Michel Jarre Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and new-age genres, and is known for organising outdoor spectacles featuring his music, accompanie ...

and

John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...

. The first two albums, '' Soli Deo Gloria'' and '' 7'', were a similar style of electropop and EBM. ''

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. The general themes of the album are those of e ...

'' eschewed the dark themes of ''7'' for a lighter, less aggressive sound, and included a few experimental tracks. ''

Harmonizer Pitch shifting is a sound recording technique in which the original pitch of a sound is raised or lowered. Effects units that raise or lower pitch by a pre-designated musical interval ( transposition) are called pitch shifters. Pitch and ti ...

'' featured a softer, more synthpop-oriented direction when compared to previous albums, and their 2006 album, ''

You and Me Against the World ''You and Me Against the World'' is the fifth studio album from Norwegian electronic rock music band Apoptygma Berzerk. The album was released in 2005, and gave way to a very different sound in the band, whereas previous records had a more tradit ...

'', represented an almost complete change in style for the band. It featured a more mainstream,

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

-oriented sound, and the complete departure from the band's traditional electric synthpop and EBM roots that started with ''7''. With the release of latest album, '' Rocket Science'', Apop is still going on the rock vibe while keeping synthpop sounds like its predecessor, ''YAMATW''. Many albums feature a

hidden track In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes called a ghost track, secret track or unlisted track) is a song or a piece of audio that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, LP record, or other recorded medium, in such a way as t ...

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 "

Electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...

" by OMD is featured; similarly, ''Welcome to Earth'' features a cover of Metallica's "Fade to Black". ''

'' has a cover of "

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

" by

Kim Wilde Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer, DJ and television presenter. She first saw success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at No. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award f ...

and " Shine On" by

The House Of Love The House of Love are an English alternative rock band, formed in London in 1986 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Guy Chadwick and co-founder and lead guitarist Terry Bickers. They rose to prominence in 1987 with their first single " Shine On", r ...

. They have also recorded covers of

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

's "

Enjoy the Silence "Enjoy the Silence" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. Recorded in 1989, it was released as the second single from their seventh studio album, '' Violator'' (1990), on 5 February 1990. The single is certified Gold in the ...

Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was fir ...

's "

Trash Trash may refer to: Garbage * Garbage, unwanted or undesired waste material ** Litter, material discarded in inappropriate places ** Municipal solid waste, unwanted or undesired waste material generated in a municipal environment Arts, enter ...

", Keane's "

Bend and Break "Bend and Break" is a song performed and composed by English rock band Keane, released as the fifth and final single from their debut album ''Hopes and Fears''. Track listing #"Bend and Break" #" On a Day Like Today" #"Allemande (Live)" #"B ...

", Kraftwerk's " Ohm Sweet Ohm" and

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...

's "

Coma White "Coma White" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It is the last track from the album ''Mechanical Animals''. "Coma White" is a hard rock ballad written by the band's eponymous vocalist, Twiggy Ramirez, Madonna Wayne Gacy, Zim Zu ...

". Most recently, they have covered

Peter Schilling Peter Schilling (born Pierre Michael Schilling; 28 January 1956) is a German synthpop musician whose songs often feature science-fiction themes like aliens, astronauts and catastrophes. He is best-known for his 1983 hit single "Major Tom (Comin ...

Major Tom (Coming Home) "Major Tom (Coming Home)" (german: Major Tom öllig losgelöst}, 'Major Tom ompletely detached) is a song by singer Peter Schilling from his album '' Error in the System''. With a character unofficially related to "Major Tom", the protagonist of ...

Members

Current members

(STP a/k/a Grothesk) – vocals, programming, guitar, samples (1989–present) *Ted Skogmann – drums, additional guitar (1999–2002, 2011–present) *Jonas Groth – keyboards, production (2009–present) *Audun Stengel (Angel) – guitar (2002–2009, 2013–present)

Former members

Geir Bratland Geir "Gerlioz" Bratland (born 29 July 1970 in Narvik, Norway) is a Norwegian keyboardist for the band Dimmu Borgir (2010-) and formerly was a member of the bands God Seed, Apoptygma Berzerk, The Kovenant, and Satyricon. Discography/Performances ...

– keyboards, backing vocals (1995–2009) *Fredrik Brarud – drums (2002–2009) *Brandon Smith – guitar (2009) *Jon Erik Martinsen – keyboards (1989) *Per Aksel Lundgreen – keyboards (1990–1994) *

Anders Odden Anders Odden (born 20 December 1972) is a Norwegian musician. He is the co-founder and guitarist of the Norwegian death metal band Cadaver (1988–1993; 1999–present), and is the bass player for Norwegian black metal band Satyricon (2009–pre ...

– guitars (1992–1999, 2003–2006) *Fredrik Darum – live guitar (1999–2001) *Thomas Jakobsen – drums (2009–2011)

Live members

* Leandra Ophelia Dax – keyboards (2010–present)

Other collaborators

*Vegard Blomberg of View *Pål Magnus Rybom of

Echo Image Echo Image is a Norway, Norwegian synthpop band from Fredrikstad. The band started in the summer of 1997 when Pål Magnus Rybom and Jon-Ivar Berg started experimenting with electronic music. That summer the two of them recorded a demo. Berg left ...

Claudia Brücken Claudia Brücken (born 7 December 1963) is a German singer and songwriter. She is best known as the lead vocalist of the synth-pop band Propaganda. In 1996, Brücken started working with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark co-founder Paul Humphrey ...

Propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

Benji Madden Benjamin Levi Madden ( né Combs; born March 11, 1979) is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the band Good Charlottefor which he has received various awardsas well as pop rock collaboration the Madden Brother ...

Good Charlotte Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of twin brothers Joel Madden (lead vocals) and Benji Madden (guitar and vocals), Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin (g ...

Amanda Palmer Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer (born April 30, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is the lead vocalist, pianist, and lyricist of the duo The Dresden Dolls. She performs as a solo artist and was also a ...

The Dresden Dolls The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer (lead vocals and piano; additional: keyboards, harmonica, ukulele) and Brian Viglione (drums and backing vocals; ad ...

* Emil Nikolaisen of

Serena Maneesh Serena-Maneesh (previously spelled Serena Maneesh, sometimes shortened to S-M) is a Norwegian alternative rock band from Oslo. Biography The team of musicians who each contribute to the band's sound is organized around songwriter Emil Nikolaisen ...

Håvard Ellefsen Mortiis is an electronic 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. Mortiis started as the ...

Mortiis Mortiis is an electronic 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. Mortiis started as the ...

* Kurt Ebelhäuser of

Blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

Anneli Drecker Anneli Marian Drecker (born 12 February 1969, in Tromsø, Norway) is a Norwegian singer and actress from the city of Tromsø. She is the frontwoman for the dream pop band Bel Canto. Life and career Drecker's father Peter, a German from Bielef ...

Bel Canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...

*Vile Electrodes

Line-up changes

Per Aksel Lundgreen joined Apoptygma Berzerk in 1990, and remained an active member until 1994. He has since pursued numerous other musical projects, most recently joining

Rossetti's Compass Rossetti's Compass is a synthpop and EBM music band created in November 2010 by the British musician Mark Warner. It was conceived from a desire to explore different directions in the electro musical sphere, from pure synthpop to dark and men ...

as a permanent member in March 2013. Anders Odden has been the most reoccurring member of Apop, joining in the live lineup in the early 1990s, and reappearing several times during the next 15 years, both live and in the studio. Geir Bratland also joined in the first part of the 1990s. In 1999, Fredrik Darum and Ted Skogman joined the band for the Welcome To Earth album and world tour. In 2001, Fredrik and Ted were replaced with Fredrik Brarud and Angel. The 2006 release You And Me Against The World and 2009's Rocket Science, are the only albums to feature other persons than main man Stephan as part of the band (Geir Bratland, Angel, Fredrik Brarud and Anders Odden on You And Me Against The World, and without Anders on Rocket Science). In July 2009 Angel, Geir and Fredrik departed from the Apoptygma Berzerk lineup. 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 wrote 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 3 September 2009, Stephan wrote on the official site: In 2010, Leandra Ophelia Dax (the only female member of the band thus far) stood in for Jonas during the support tour for German band

. In 2011, Thomas Jakobsen was replaced by Ted Skogman, and Angel came back, replacing Brandon (though Brandon has appeared live a few times after this, e.g. in Mexico City 2014).

Discography

Studio albums

* '' Soli Deo Gloria'' (1993) * '' 7'' (1996) * ''

'' (2000) * ''

'' (2002) * ''

'' (2005) * '' Rocket Science'' (2009) * ''Exit Popularity Contest'' (2016) * ''SDGXXV'' (2019)

References

External links

* *
Apoptygma Berzerk
Metropolis Records *
Interview with Stephan Groth of Apoptygma Berzerk on NXLive.co.uk

Italian Fanbase of Apoptygma Berzerk on Facebook.com
{{Authority control Norwegian rock music groups Norwegian electronic music groups Norwegian industrial music groups Electronic body music groups Norwegian synthpop groups Norwegian pop music groups Musical groups established in 1989 1989 establishments in Norway Musical groups from Fredrikstad Musical groups from Sarpsborg Metropolis Records artists Dependent Records artists Futurepop music groups GUN Records artists