Odense, Denmark. Stephan Groth was born with music in his blood. His father was a successful blues musician and his mother was a DJ. It was inevitable that Stephan should follow in their musical footsteps, but fortunately in electronica rather than the blues. In 1986 the family moved to Norway where Stephan soon began experimenting with electronic body music and started Apoptygma Berzerk.
In 1991, Norwegian underground label Tatra presented the first single "Ashes to ashes". Three years later Apoptygma's debut album, "Soli deo gloria", was released and surpassed all expectations. The critical acclaim in the underground press was tremendous.
Apoptygma went on hiatus after the second album "7", the result of Stephan being drafted to work in Norway's civil-service system for a mandatory 14-month tour of duty. However, Apoptygma struck back in style with the singles "Mourn" and "Paranoia" and US interest in Apoptygma increased.
North America was given the chance
to sample the future of electronic dance music when Metropolis released the compilation "The apopcalyptic manifesto" and not much later Apoptygma embarked on their first US tour.
During the 1998 European tour, Apoptygma recorded all of the shows and released the first live album "APBL98". To complement the music, the album came with a media disc that featured tour films, interviews, videos and rarities, and was mixed with quotes from the tour itself. Stephan wanted something for those who had been unable to catch Apoptygma live or who wanted something to help re-live the experience.
Apoptygma returned to the studio and emerged with a highly successful
dance floor single, "Eclipse". The following album, "Welcome
to earth", a delirious combination of modern trance with electro values
released in 2000, deservedly both debuted and stayed at #1 in the German
alternative charts.
It's success across Europe and North America was equally complete, and the following tour took Apoptygma to ecstatic crowds across both continents, as witnessed on the second live documentary "APBL2000", released by the band's own label Hard:Drive on CD, and by Dependent on DVD and VHS.
Enter 2002, Apoptygma returned to re-enforce their dominance with the single
"Until the end of the world" and the fourth full-length studio album
"Harmonizer", both released by SubSpace Communications. Co-produced
by renowned producer Alon Cohen this truly showcases Apoptygmas's best effort
yet. Thick, full electronic textures adhere to persuasive beats, which enable
one to loose themselves within Stephan's lyrics and vocals. Electro, synthpop,
trance, and electronic body music sounds are melted and blended together to
form a harmony unlike no other.
