Covenant (band)
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Covenant is a Swedish
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
band formed in
Helsingborg Helsingborg (, , , ) is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the cent ...
in 1988. The band is currently composed of Eskil Simonsson and Joakim Montelius (born 22 August 1969) along with touring members Andreas Catjar, Daniel Jonasson from
Dupont DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...
, and Daniel Myer from
Haujobb Haujobb is a German electronic musical project whose output has ranged drastically within the electronic music spectrum, from electro-industrial to ambient and techno. They have become a staple crossover act, bringing several forms of electro ...
. Their music comprises a mixture of
synthpop 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 a ...
and
electronic body music Electronic body music (acronymized to EBM) is a genre of electronic music that combines elements of industrial music and synth-punk with elements of disco and dance music. It developed in the early 1980s in Western Europe as an outgrowth of bo ...
. They have been releasing music since the early 1990s.


History

In the late 1970s and early 1980s,
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
and several of its subgenres became a preferred
musical style Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
among European
underground culture Underground culture, or simply underground, is a term to describe various alternative cultures which either consider themselves different from the mainstream of society and culture, or are considered so by others. The word "underground" is used ...
. It gained favor initially within major cities and eventually trickled into the continent's more secluded regions. This new wave of music was discovered at different instances by a group of friends living in
Helsingborg Helsingborg (, , , ) is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the cent ...
, a scenic town in south western Sweden. Eskil Simonsson, Joakim Montelius and Clas Nachmanson, three teenagers with mutual, youthful curiosities for science, philosophy, and matters of
existence Existence is the ability of an entity to interact with reality. In philosophy, it refers to the ontology, ontological Property (philosophy), property of being. Etymology The term ''existence'' comes from Old French ''existence'', from Medieval ...
, were all enthralled by the unique presentation and the emotional content of the music, specifically by that of bands such as
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 ...
,
The Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
,
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 ...
,
Front 242 Front 242 is a Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. Pioneering the style they called electronic body music, they are a profound influence on the electronic and industrial music genres. History Formation Fr ...
and
Nitzer Ebb Nitzer Ebb () are a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris (programming, synthesizers, drums, vocals), Douglas McCarthy (vocals), and David Gooday (drums). History Initial releases (1983–1987) The g ...
. It was after attending the first Front 242 show in Scandinavia that the trio and others familiar to them decided to start a band. The friends carried this fascination with them to university life in the historic town of
Lund Lund (, , ) is a city in the southern Swedish provinces of Sweden, province of Scania, across the Øresund, Öresund strait from Copenhagen. The town had 91,940 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 121,510 . It is the seat of Lund Municipali ...
, approximately southeast of Helsingborg. In between their academic endeavors and discussions of worldly affairs, they assembled a small recording studio in Nachmanson's bedroom and began to experiment with their own musical compositions. In 1988, the name "Covenant" was selected for the group—a name derived from the unspoken spiritual bond the trio professed to share. As Covenant, the three produced their first publicly released track, "The Replicant", by invitation of Swedish
record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
Memento Materia Memento Materia is a Swedish record label focusing on synth-, electro- and futurepop, although it also released some EBM in the 1990s. Its first release was in January 1992, and the label had put out 87 releases (according to its official nu ...
. "The Replicant" was released on a
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
in 1992, and the track thrilled label executives, prompting them to ask for a full album. In 1994, the group compiled enough songs to release the album, which became '' Dreams of a Cryotank''. ''Dreams'' was well received by critics and fans alike, and with its success, the boyhood friends decided to take their musical efforts more seriously. They upgraded and added more equipment, relocated their studio, and committed to
tour Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...
. In 1995, Covenant performed at a festival in Germany at the request of Off-Beat Records. The band impressed Off-Beat's attending A&R representative, who signed them to a record deal the following day. Excited by the prospect of broader exposure, the band members eased further away from their educational pursuits and devoted themselves to completing a new album, 1996's ''
Sequencer Sequencer may refer to: Technology * Drum sequencer (controller), an electromechanical system for controlling a sequence of events automatically * DNA sequencer, a machine used to automatically produce a sequence readout from a biological DNA sam ...
''. Later in 1996, the band released the "Stalker" single before embarking on a tour with
Haujobb Haujobb is a German electronic musical project whose output has ranged drastically within the electronic music spectrum, from electro-industrial to ambient and techno. They have become a staple crossover act, bringing several forms of electro ...
and Steril across Germany, Belgium, and Holland. With ''Sequencer'', the band sought to improve upon the weaknesses they found in ''Dreams'' by combining
sequencing In genetics and biochemistry, sequencing means to determine the primary structure (sometimes incorrectly called the primary sequence) of an unbranched biopolymer. Sequencing results in a symbolic linear depiction known as a sequence which succ ...
, diverse melodies, and commanding lyrics. It became an instant classic among many observers, some of whom boldly declared it "the best electro album of the decade." It would go on to be re-released a number of times throughout the world and remains a
club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...
favorite in many settings. Later in the year, San-Francisco-based record label
21st Circuitry 21st Circuitry was a record label based in San Francisco, California, that was founded in early 1991. The label released music from genres, such as electro-industrial, industrial rock, and other similar styles of music. The label signed a number ...
agreed to distribute Covenant's albums in the United States, expanding the band's reach in the process. As a result, the group created the ''Theremin'' EP in 1997 specifically for North American release and started to accept tour dates throughout the US and Canada. The trio's third full-length album, ''
Europa Europa may refer to: Places * Europe * Europa (Roman province), a province within the Diocese of Thrace * Europa (Seville Metro), Seville, Spain; a station on the Seville Metro * Europa City, Paris, France; a planned development * Europa Cliff ...
'', debuted in 1998. ''Europa'' carried Covenant's initially aggressive, often distorted brand of music into the beat-driven realm 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 a ...
, marking the beginning of a gradual evolution in the band's collective sound. In the U.S., the album peaked at #101 on the
CMJ CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
Radio Top 200 and reached #3 on the CMJ RPM charts. Also in 1998, they sued the Norwegian
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
/
Industrial metal Industrial metal is the fusion of heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Prominent industrial metal acts include Ministry, Nine In ...
band
The Kovenant The Kovenant is a Norwegian industrial metal band from Hamar. The band originally formed as a symphonic black metal act known as Covenant in 1993, but in 1999 were forced to change their name to The Kovenant due to a dispute with a Swedish elec ...
(then known as ''Covenant'') for the rights to the name "Covenant", arguing that they had established use of the name first and forcing the Norwegian band to change the spelling of their name. Covenant spent 1999 touring, changing record labels, and on the preparation of another album. Off-Beat Records went out of business, and
Dependent A dependant is a person who relies on another as a primary source of income. A common-law spouse who is financially supported by their partner may also be included in this definition. In some jurisdictions, supporting a dependant may enabl ...
was created by former Off Beat employees. Together with a few selected former Off-Beat acts, Covenant joined Dependent. In addition, Covenant were signed with SubSpace Communications in Sweden, effectively ending their tenure with Memento Materia. Meanwhile, 21st Circuitry Records ceased operations, leading the three to find a new home in America with
Metropolis Records Metropolis Records is a record label founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1993 by the late Dave Heckman. The label's all-electronic format closely tracked with European contemporaries, such as Off Beat, and, since 1995, has been instrumenta ...
(Metropolis had bought the rights to the 21st Circuitry back catalogue). Shortly thereafter, the band's first three albums and the ''Theremin'' EP were re-issued in the US under the Metropolis label. '' United States of Mind'' was released in 2000, and with it, Covenant's tendencies strayed further into synth pop. Also released that year was a stand-alone single, ''Der Leiermann. ''Sung to the tune of the album track ''Like Tears in Rain'', it was a version of the German
Art song An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such songs ...
of the same name. The song was originally a poem by
Wilhelm Müller Johann Ludwig Wilhelm Müller (7 October 1794 – 30 September 1827) was a German lyric poet, best known as the author of ''Die schöne Müllerin'' (1823) and ''Winterreise'' (1828), which Franz Schubert later set to music as song cycles. Life ...
, set to music by
Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...
as part of the poem cycle "Die Winterreise". S. Alexander Reed asserts that this point in Covenant's career marks a distinct break from previous work in an attempt to project a sense of the "sublime built on wonder, rather than abjection." A live album, ''Synergy'', was released later in the year which featured tracks from the band's first four albums. The group continued with 2002's '' Northern Light'', which they portrayed as having a more sombre, cold sound in comparison to their earlier offerings. In another transition between labels, the European release of ''Northern Light'' was handled by
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
's Ka2 division rather than Dependent or Subspace. (The US release was through Metropolis.) Whilst they continued to produce music together, Montelius and Simonsson took up residence in separate countries; Montelius residing in
Barcelona, Spain Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, and Simonsson living in Berlin, Germany. Nachmanson remained in Helsingborg. Covenant released their sixth studio album, '' Skyshaper'', in March 2006 to an overall positive reception. The band toured Europe prior to the album's release and toured the United States beginning in September 2006. In March 2007, Covenant announced that Nachmanson would not be touring with the band and his replacement would be Daniel Myer of
Haujobb Haujobb is a German electronic musical project whose output has ranged drastically within the electronic music spectrum, from electro-industrial to ambient and techno. They have become a staple crossover act, bringing several forms of electro ...
. In an interview with Side-Line magazine Covenant's Joakim Montelius said he was not sure if Clas would still continue with Covenant. In October 2007, Covenant released the road movie "In Transit" on DVD. It contained material from the world tour undertaken in support of the album "Skyshaper" and documented the band's travels in Europe, North America, South America and across Russia over a period of 18 months. The band confirmed Clas' departure in the DVD documentary. In January 2011, Covenant released their seventh studio album, '' Modern Ruin'' — the first album by the band with Myer as a core member. The band released a new EP, "Last Dance" in June 2013. The band released their new album, titled "Leaving Babylon" in September 2013. In April 2015, the band embarked on a North American tour to promote their eighth album, Leaving Babylon. The band, joined on tour by an opening band called "The Labrynth," performed in approximately 20 cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C, and Austin.
Slug Magazine ''SLUG'' – an acronym for ''SaltLakeUnderGround'', is a free monthly magazine based in Salt Lake City, Utah. SLUG Magazine features music, lifestyle, arts and events with interviews, reviews, and articles. Established in 1989, SLUG Magazine ha ...
favorably reviewed the 6 April show in Salt Lake City, describing Covenant's stage presence as "exquisite" and "just as powerful as their music." In October 2015, Covenant headlined the Gothic Meets Klassik festival in Leipzig, Germany, along with British synthpop band
Mesh A mesh is a barrier made of connected strands of metal, fiber, or other flexible or ductile materials. A mesh is similar to a web or a net in that it has many attached or woven strands. Types * A plastic mesh may be extruded, oriented, ex ...
and songwriter and electronic musician Anne Clark. In November 2016, they released their ninth studio album The Blinding Dark. It was accompanied by a tour in Europe and, in 2018, the UK. and the U.S. In February 2019, the band commenced a ten-city tour through Germany, starting in Berlin on 7 February. The "Fieldworks Tour 2019" show stops offered a new
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
record called the "Fieldworks: Exkursion EP". The EP features five tracks, each written by a member of the band, and one song in collaboration with French electro-industrial newcomer Grabyourface. According to the band's Facebook page, this EP is intended to be the first of an upcoming cycle of records associated with the "Fieldworks" theme. Tracklist: 1. Pantheon, 2. All That Is Solid Melts into Air, 3. False Gods ft Grabyourface, 4. Popol Vuh, 5. Das Nibelungenlied (Erstes Abenteuer). The new music was inspired in part by sounds collected at an electricity plant, according to an interview conducted by a writer for the magazine Zero. "This time we wanted to use the sounds we have collected for many years, from exotic places on the six continents we have visited as a band, as well as the mundane hum of everyday life, as stepping stones for the songs," Joakim Montelius explained in an interview published on Gruftbote. The band headlined the final day of the Terminus Festival in
Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
on 28 July 2019 and then embarked on a set of five U.S. shows in Seattle (30 July), Portland (31 July), Los Angeles (2 August), Oakland (4 August), and Denver (6 August), respectively.


Personnel


Current members

* Eskil Simonsson (founding member) – lead vocals, lead composition,
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
,
lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...
, production,
synths A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
* Joakim Montelius (founding member) – lead lyrics, composition, production, synths, backing vocals (quit touring in 2010, now writing and working in the studio) * Andreas Catjar - synths, guitar, composition (2013-) * Daniel Jonasson – composition, lyrics, synths (2011-) * Daniel Myer – engineering, production, composition, lyrics, synths, backing vocals (2006-2012, 2016-)


Former members

* Clas Nachmanson – engineering, production, synths, backing vocals (left in 2007)


Discography


Studio albums

* '' Dreams of a Cryotank'' (December 1994) * ''
Sequencer Sequencer may refer to: Technology * Drum sequencer (controller), an electromechanical system for controlling a sequence of events automatically * DNA sequencer, a machine used to automatically produce a sequence readout from a biological DNA sam ...
'' (May 1996; March 1997, 2nd ed.; July 1999, US version) * ''
Europa Europa may refer to: Places * Europe * Europa (Roman province), a province within the Diocese of Thrace * Europa (Seville Metro), Seville, Spain; a station on the Seville Metro * Europa City, Paris, France; a planned development * Europa Cliff ...
'' (April 1998) * '' United States of Mind'' (February 2000) – #9 DAC Top 50 Albums Charts, Germany * '' Northern Light'' (September 2002) * '' Skyshaper'' (March 2006) – #4 DAC Top 50 Album Charts, Germany * '' Modern Ruin'' (January 2011) * ''Leaving Babylon'' (September 2013) * ''The Blinding Dark'' (November 2016)


Live albums

* ''
Synergy Synergy is an interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. The term ''synergy'' comes from the Attic Greek word συνεργία ' from ', , meaning "working together". History In Christia ...
'' (November 2000) * '' In Transit'' (October 2007)


Singles and EPs

* ''Figurehead'' (October 1995) * ''Stalker'' (December 1996) * ''
Theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
'' EP (1997) * ''Final Man'' (February 1998) * ''Euro'' EP (October 1998) – #18
CMJ CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
RPM Charts, U.S.; #34 DAC 1999 Singles Charts, Germany * ''It's Alright'' (November 1999) :A single which was released on
vinyl record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
and limited to 500 copies. * ''Tour De Force'' (December 1999) – #4 DAC 1999 Singles Charts, Germany * ''Der Leiermann'' (January 2000) – #2 DAC 2000 Singles Charts, Germany :Released simultaneously with the ''Dead Stars'' single in Germany. * ''Dead Stars'' (February 2000) * ''Travelogue'' (February 2000) :Included in the ''United States of Mind'' box set. * ''Call The Ships To Port'' (August 2002) – #93 Offizielle Deutsche Charts, Germany * ''Bullet'' (December 2002) * ''Ritual Noise'' (January 2006) – #64 Offizielle Deutsche Charts #64; #1 DAC Singles * ''Brave New World'' (September 2006) – #1 DAC Singles * '' Lightbringer (feat. Necro Facility)'' (October 2010) * ''Last Dance'' (June 2013) * ''Sound Mirrors'' (August 2016) * ''Fieldworks: Exkursion EP'' (February 2019)


Theremin

''Theremin'' is an EP released by Covenant in 1997 by the American label
21st Circuitry 21st Circuitry was a record label based in San Francisco, California, that was founded in early 1991. The label released music from genres, such as electro-industrial, industrial rock, and other similar styles of music. The label signed a number ...
. It compiled tracks which were, for the most part, previously unavailable in the US. It was re-released by
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...
in July 1999. * Track 1 was previously released on the German and American releases of '' Dreams of a Cryotank''. * Tracks 2, 3, 4, and 7 were previously released on the ''Figurehead'' EP. * Track 5 was previously released on the Swedish and German releases of ''Dreams of a Cryotank''. * Track 6 was new to this release.


Other releases

* '' United States of Mind'' Limited Box (February 2000) :A boxset which included ''United States of Mind'' and the ''Travelogue'' single. * ''
Synergy Synergy is an interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. The term ''synergy'' comes from the Attic Greek word συνεργία ' from ', , meaning "working together". History In Christia ...
'' Limited Box (November 2000) :A boxset which included ''Synergy'', a booklet with live pictures and lyrics for every released Covenant song, a band interview on VHS cassette tape, a "
Bloody Mary Bloody Mary originally referred to: * Mary I of England (1516–1558), Queen of England and Ireland, so called because of her persecution of Protestants Bloody Mary may also refer to: Film * '' Urban Legends: Bloody Mary'', a 2005 horror fi ...
" recipe, and seven live recorded tracks; limited to 4000 copies. * ''Bullet'' DVD (January 2003) :A DVD featuring a music video for the song "Bullet" along with
making of In cinema, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a type of documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK (electronic press kit) vid ...
footage. * ''
Project Gotham Racing 4 ''Project Gotham Racing 4'' is a racing video game developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released exclusively for the Xbox 360 in October 2007. Development history ''Project Gotham Racing 4'' was accident ...
'' Soundtrack (November 2005) :The band contributed the ''Skyshaper'' track "20 Hz" to a compilation which included other rock and electronic artists (listed
here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a TV ...
). * ''Festival'' Soundtrack (2001) : Playing at a concert visited by one of the main characters * '' Wir sind die Nacht'' Soundtrack (2010) : Music for a club scene (released also on the limited edition of their 2011 album ''Modern Ruin'')


Music videos

* "Stalker" (1996) * "Call the Ships to Port" (2002) * "Bullet" (2002) * "Happy Man" (2006)


See also

* Schaffel music


References


External links


Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Covenant Musical groups established in 1986 Swedish electronic music groups Swedish synthpop groups Electronic body music groups Metropolis Records artists Dependent Records artists Off Beat label artists