Archive (band)
| Archive | |
|---|---|
Archive in 2012.
|
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Trip hop, electronica, progressive rock, new prog, shoegaze, |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | Island |
| Website | archiveofficial |
| Members | Danny Griffiths Darius Keeler Rosko John Dave Pen Pollard Berrier Maria Q Jonathan Noyce Steve Harris Smiley Steve Davis Holly Martin Mickey Hurcombe |
| Past members |
Roya Arab Suzanne Wooder Craig Walker Lee Pomeroy Dale Davis |
Archive are a musical group based in London, England, whose music spans electronic, trip hop, avant-garde, post-rock and progressive rock. Over their twenty-year history, the band has released ten studio albums and enjoyed established success throughout Europe, while remaining little-known in their native Britain.
Archive was formed in 1994 as a trip-hop band when Darius Keeler and Danny Griffiths formed up with Roya Arab and rapper Roski John. After releasing a few singles on their own label, they broke up in early 1996 following a dispute. A few months later, the group reformed with new personnel and began recording their debut album. Londinium was released on Island Records in September 1996. The album featured a mix of dark trip hop, electronica, string arangements and classically influenced songwriting. However, creative differences on the follow up resulted in the band once again breaking up.
In 1997, Keeler and Griffiths regrouped and continued Archive with another female singer, Suzanne Wooder. In 1999, Archive released their second studio album on Independiente, entitled Take My Head. The album features a mix of pop and symphonic trip hop, far more melodic than its predecessor. Due to differences of musical taste with an undisclosed number of producers the band tried to work with on the album, they have described it as their least favorite album the band recorded.
In 2000, Keeler and Griffiths and Dan began to demo new tracks for further studio production. After establishing a new sound to work with, the boys placed an advert in Mojo magazine, looking for a new lead singer. Craig Walker answered the advert and immediately began working with the band and singing on the tune that Darius wrote, entitled, "Again".
Between 2002 and 2005, the band released three studio albums with Walker to further growing popularity and critical acclaim. "You All Look The Same To Me" (2002), "Noise" (2004), and "Michel Vaillant" were albums that marked a turning point of the Archive sound that gradually turned away from their roots in electronica and trip hop and towards more of a psychedelic and progressive style. One of the three composed albums was the soundtrack to the French film Michel Vaillant, released in November 2003. In winter of 2014, teaser music from the band's upcoming album was used for a TV advertisement for Meetic.
...
Wikipedia