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Project Pitchfork

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Project Pitchfork
Project Pitchfork at the Blackfield Festival 2013
Project Pitchfork at the Blackfield Festival 2013
Background information
OriginHamburg, Germany
Genres
Years active1989–present
Labels
Spinoffs
Members
  • Peter Spilles
  • Jürgen Jansen
  • Achim Färber (live drums)
  • Christian "Leo" Leonhardt (live drums)
Past members
  • Dirk Scheuber
  • Markus Giltjes
  • Yenz Schrader
  • Patricia Nigiani
  • Carsten Klatte
Websitewww.project-pitchfork.eu

Project Pitchfork are a German dark wave and electronic music group from Hamburg, Germany.

History

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First years (1990–1994)

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Project Pitchfork were formed by Peter Spilles and Dirk Scheuber. After agreeing to work together, they picked the project's name by choosing a random word from the dictionary.[1] The band gave their first performance in Hamburg in February 1990[1] and released their demo, K.N.K.A, in August. In May 1991, their debut album Dhyani was released. The band's second album, Lam-'Bras was released in February 1992 and yielded the first vocal appearance of Patrica Nigiani. Six months later, the band's third album, Entities was released. The band switched labels to Off Beat for their 1994 release Io. The album featured two singles, "Renascence" and "Carrion", and marked the first time the band entered the German Charts. The album was followed by a lengthy German tour.

The development years and success (1995–2002)

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In 1995, Project Pitchfork established their own label, Candyland Entertainment,[2] through which they would release the majority of their material as well as some side projects and bands such as Philtron and Deep Red. 1995 also saw the release of two EPs, CH'I and Corps d'Amour, and one album, Alpha Omega. The year finished off with a tour supported by Rammstein.[3] The next Project Pitchfork studio album ¡Chakra:Red! was released in 1997. It was the first album since Dhyani to be written as a group effort, rather than by Peter Spilles alone, and the first to include Jürgen Jansen as a permanent band member.[4]

Immediately after their first US tour in 1998, Project Pitchfork returned with concept album Eon:Eon, their first while signed to label EastWest, an imprint of the major label Warner Music. The album yielded three singles, "Steelrose", "Carnival", and "I Live Your Dream". With the support of EastWest, the band had greater resources available to produce videos for their music, which led to their being the first gothic industrial band to receive airplay on music TV in Germany.[5] The video for "Steelrose" earned the band a nomination for an Echo Award for Best Video National.

Between 1998 and 2001 the band built out their own studio which gave them more time to develop their next release.[6] In 2001, the band released their eighth studio album Daimonion and supported the album with a European tour. In 2002 the band released the "NUN" trilogy which consisted of album Inferno and EPs View From a Throne and Trialog. This earned the band another nomination for an Echo Award, this time for Best Alternative Act National.

Recent years (2003–present)

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Project Pitchfork returned with album Kaskade in 2005. In February 2009 the band released Dream, Tiresias! which received praise from electronic music magazine, ReGen.[7] In 2010 the band's follow up album Continuum Ride was released along with a video to support the song "Beholder." Continuum Ride was inspired by the band's US tour in 2009, particularly their experience of Detroit, whose dilapidated skyline led to a more "dark and destructive" sound than that of their previous album.[8] By 2011 Project Pitchfork ceased operating their Candyland label, having since begun releasing their work on the Trisol label.[4]

The band released Quantum Mechanics in 2011 as well as a video for the album's second track, "Lament". Later that year the band released a compilation album titled First Anthology.[9] In 2013 the band released their fourteenth studio album, Black, and a music video to accompany the song "Rain".[10] In June 2014, the band announced via their official website a new album titled Blood. To promote the record the band held a pre-release show in Hamburg. The album was released in September and featured a music video for "Blood-Diamond (See Him Running)" edited by Peter Spilles himself.[11]

In 2016, Project Pitchfork released their Second Anthology, a double CD that included one new track, several unreleased rarities, and many re-recorded and remastered tracks.[12] Also in 2016, the band released the album Look Up, I’m Down There to commemorate their 25th anniversary. The album was released in two versions: a standard CD release and a special, limited edition double CD with an 80-page art book containing complete lyrics and a short story by the fantasy author Björn Springorum.[13]

In 2018, the band released the album Akkretion, the first of what was planned to be a trilogy of albums for release that year.[14] On 12 October 2018, the second part of the trilogy, Fragment, was released.[15]

Starting in 2019, Trisol began releasing reissues of all the band's material over the previous decade from Dream, Tiresias! through Look Up, I'm Down There.[16][17]

On 2 March 2021 the band announced that cofounder and keyboardist Dirk Scheuber had left the band.[18]

In 2024 the band release “Elysium” the third and final act of cosmic electro trilogy that started with “Akkretion”. To support the album release the band will commence a German tour in April 2024 with one date in the UK during May and will play various festivals.

Members

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Current lineup

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  • Peter Spilles – vocals (1989–present)
  • Jürgen Jansen – keyboards (1996–present)
  • Achim Färber – live drums (1999–present)
  • Christian "Leo" Leonhardt - live drums (1999–present)

Former members

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  • Dirk Scheuber – keyboards (1989–2021)[18]
  • Patricia Nigiani – backing vocals, live keyboards (1992–1994)
  • Markus Giltjes – live drums (1995)
  • Yenz Schrader – drums, guitars (1998)
  • Carsten Klatte – live guitars (1999–2011)

Timeline

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Discography

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Studio albums

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  • Dhyani (1991)
  • Lam-'Bras (1992)
  • Entities (1992)
  • IO (1994)
  • Alpha Omega (1995)
  • ¡Chakra:Red! (1997)
  • Eon:Eon (1998)
  • Daimonion (2001)
  • Inferno (2002)
  • Kaskade (2005)
  • Dream, Tiresias! (2009)
  • Continuum Ride (2010)
  • Quantum Mechanics (2011)
  • Black (2013)
  • Blood (2014)
  • Look Up, I'm Down There (2016)
  • Akkretion (2018)
  • Fragment (2018)
  • Elysium (2024)

EPs

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  • Precious New World (1991)
  • Psychic Torture (1991)
  • Souls/Island (1993)
  • Little IO (1994)
  • CH'I (1995)
  • Corps D'Amour (1995)
  • Trialog (2002)
  • View From a Throne (2002)
  • Wonderland/One Million Faces (2007)

Live albums

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  • Live '97 (1997)
  • Live 2003/2001 (2003)

Singles

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  • "Carrion" (1993)
  • "Renascence" (1994)
  • "En Garde!" (1996)
  • "Carnival" (1998)
  • "Steelrose" (1998)
  • "I Live Your Dream" (1999)
  • "Existence" (2001)
  • "Timekiller" (2001) – #19 DAC Top 50 Singles of 2001, Germany[19]
  • "Awakening" (2002)
  • "Schall Und Rauch/The Future Is Now" (2005)
  • "Earth Song" (feat. Sara Noxx) (2008)
  • "Feel!" (2009)
  • "Beholder" (2010)
  • "Lament" (2011)
  • "Rain" (2013)

Compilation albums

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  • The Early Years (89–93) (1996)
  • Collector: Lost and Found (2001)
  • NUN Trilogy (2002)
  • Collector: Fireworks & Colorchange (2003)
  • First Anthology (2011)
  • Second Anthology (2016)

Videography

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  • Va I Luce (1992)
  • Entities Tour (1993)
  • Glowing Like Io – Live Performance (1994)
  • Alpha Omega – Live (1995)
  • Live '99 (1999)
  • Collector – Adapted for the Screen (2002)
  • Live 2003 (2004)

References

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  1. ^ a b Ziegler, Grant V. (24 August 2013). "Project Pitchfork: What Makes the Timekillers Tick?". ReGen Magazine. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Project Pitchfork: Precious New World". Culture Shock (2). Hackensack, NJ: Genocide Project: 21–23. 1996. ISSN 1093-1651.
  3. ^ Coldheart, Stef (5 June 2016). "Project Pitchfork: Great bands can be really great bastards". Peek-a-boo Music Magazine. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b Kruth, Xavier (18 September 2015). "Interview: Project Pitchfork". Peek-a-boo Music Magazine. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  5. ^ Palfrey, Sean (16 August 2011). "Project Pitchfork – Twenty years in the making". Terrorizer. The Dominion Magazine. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  6. ^ Filicky, Brad (2 July 2001). "Interview with Jürgen Jansen of Project Pitchfork" (PDF). CMJ New Music Report. 68 (720). New York, NY: College Media, Inc.: 32. ISSN 0890-0795. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Review :: Project Pitchfork - Dream, Tiresias!". Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  8. ^ Lindström, Patrik (23 July 2010). "Interview: Project Pitchfork". Brutal Resonance. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Trisol Presents New Album by Project Pitchfork This Summer". Peek-a-boo Music Magazine. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Project Pitchfork Wears Black". Peek-a-boo Music Magazine. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Peek-a-Boo Presents the New Clip by Project Pitchfork". Peek-a-boo Music Magazine. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  12. ^ Inferno Sound Diaries (17 April 2016). "Review: Project Pitchfork – Second Anthology". Side-Line. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  13. ^ Van Isacker, Bernard (19 September 2016). "Project Pitchfork to release new album 'Look up, I'm down there' also as a mega-limited 2CD art book". Side-Line. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  14. ^ Van Isacker, Bernard (11 December 2017). "Project Pitchfork returns with new album 'Akkretion' – here are the details". Side-Line. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  15. ^ Inferno Sound Diaries (15 December 2018). "Review: Project Pitchfork – Fragment". Side-Line. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  16. ^ Van Isacker, Bernard (4 October 2019). "Project Pitchfork continues reissue series with 2 more sets". Side-Line. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  17. ^ Van Isacker, Bernard (14 May 2020). "Project Pitchfork reissue 'Black' at the end of July on 2 double vinyl (incl. 2CD) sets". Side-Line. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  18. ^ a b Brandon, Chris (2 March 2021). "Project Pitchfork and Dirk Scheuber part ways". Synthpop Fanatic. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  19. ^ "DAC Top 50 Singles 2001". Trendcharts oHG. AMC Alster Musik Consulting GmbH. 2002. Archived from the original on 10 February 2002. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
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