Apoptygma Berzerk Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Feb 15th 2010 3:00PM by Brianne Kennedy
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In early 2009, electro-rockers Apoptygma Berzerk released their sixth full-length album, 'Rocket Science.' The album featured collaborations with Benji Madden of Good Charlotte and Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls. Spinner had the chance to speak with Stephan Groth about his band's first year attending SXSW.

Describe your sound.

Well, usually when I'm asked this question I just say electro-rock. I've been trying to find the perfect mix of electronic music and rock music. I always try to combine it in a new and interesting way. Put it this way -- if you take a band like Depeche Mode and add a bit more rock n' roll to it, then you're approximately where we are. People who are into Placebo, the Killers, the Faint, bands like that, they'll find something in Apop that they like.

How did you form your band?

I used to work in a record store, and I'm a record collector still. I was just always extremely interested in music and music history. All this geeky stuff about "Who produced this album?" and "Who's behind the scenes doing all this stuff?", you know? I never asked myself, what am I going to become when I grow up? I always just knew that I was going to be involved in the music industry in one way or the other. I come from a musical family. My brothers are all musicians, my dad is a musician and he's still putting out records, so it all came very natural. First I started out in a punk rock band that didn't go down so well [laughs]. Then I started doing different kinds of electronic music. When I was 18, I got my first record deal, and I've just been working on different bands ever since and releasing records every year under lots of names. But Apop is the project that has been the most successful.

Where did your band name come from?

The terrible band name? [laughs] When we started, it was me and a friend. We wanted to make this really extreme, strange-sounding electronic music. That was the plan. So we just needed a crazy name for this crazy kind of music that we were making. The music got less and less crazy, but the crazy band name was still there. Apoptygma has been pronounced in so many ways that I've totally given up, so it's just Apop. And the Berzerk part is because we're from Norway -- that's like an old Viking term, to go berserk. It's a crazy name and it has haunted us big-time because it's so hard to pronounce. At the same time it's a blessing because when you see it, it's so easy to remember. It's been both a blessing and a curse.

What are your musical influences?

The Velvet Underground is a big one. We're playing '80s music, in a way, but with a new touch to it. It's not strictly '80s, but of course it's very influenced by the '80s. A lot of stuff that came out in the '80s wasn't really that good, but everything that's survived has been an inspiring influence. We came out of the industrial scene. We have some electro roots, and even some goth and industrial things going on. That's originally the scene that we came out from, though it's not easy to hear all those elements anymore.

What's your music guilty pleasure?

When I was growing up, all my friends were into heavy metal and black metal and stuff like that, so it was very hard to be the only kid in the Duran Duran T-shirt.

Beatles or Stones?
The Beatles. I definitely grew up with the Beatles. What I like the most about the Beatles are their pop songs. I'm not saying the Rolling Stones didn't have any pop songs, but I think the Beatles were actually better songwriters.

If you could collaborate with any musician in the world, who would it be?

Jack White.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

Almost a year ago, we were in Russia and I got arrested. We were in the Red Square in Moscow, and you're not supposed to be laughing or making photos there. I think I was probably trying to sneak my camera out. I was with a group of about twenty people, and I was the only one they arrested. We didn't speak Russian and they didn't speak English, so we never really found out why!

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