Archive – With Us Until You’re Dead (2012)

Some years ago, I was sitting in a bar, licking my drink, when something hit my ears: “Pray to God I think of a nice thing to say, But I don’t think I can so fuck you anyway…” I said, wow! Asked the bartender who are these guys, he actually didn’t knew, but searched on the playlist and told me: Archive. Fuck! So, I dig them out and I had one of the most wonderful surprises of that windy and rainy autumn, I had five albums to knock myself off. That song, “Fuck U” was from their “Noise” album released in 2004. Archive was formed by Darius Keeler and Danny Griffiths in 1994 from the ashes of the UK breakbeat act, Genaside II. Together with the female singer Roya Arab and the young rapper Rosko John, they released their first album “Londinium” on Island Records in 1996, a gloomy mix of dark Trip Hop and Electronica in a similar vein to Massive Attack, flavored with their the sounds of their roots of Breakbeat and Hardcore. Peter Gabriel was quoted as saying, “Londinium was one of my most favourite albums of the year.” In 1997 Roya Arab was replaced by Suzanne Wooder and two years later they released their second studio album, entitled “Take My Head”, a more Pop and melody oriented material with a smoother approach of Symphonic Trip-Hop.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6nbFZtxAL4&w=545&h=409]

Only in 2000-1, Darius and Dan began to work on new tracks and reaching through an add placed in Mojo magazine, they found anew lead singer in the person of Craig Walker. The follow up three studio albums, “You All Look The Same To Me” (2002), the soundtrack “Michel Vaillant” (2003), and “Noise” (2004) has bring to the band further growing popularity and critical acclaim. They sound that gradually turned away from the initial Electronica and Trip-Hop and towards more of a Psychedelic and Progressive style incorporating often Rock and many Experimental/Avant-garde elements. In autumn of 2004, Archive announced that Dave Pen (BirdPen) would replace Walker on the Noise tour. During this same tour, Keeler and Griffiths met the singer Pollard Berrier (formally of the band Bauchklang), and Pollard had given Darius a Demo CD of his own written material. Eventually the three began writing and rehearsing together, and were recording in Southside Studios, London, by September 2005. A new era for Archive had begun with Darius, Dan and Pollard all writing and co-writing seven tracks and Dave Pen co-writing three, on the album, “Lights”, while Maria Q sang on three tracks. Archive was no longer a “front-man-based-band,” but a “collective” of individual artists contributing to what is now an established sound. The album “Lights” was released in May 2006 and received high critical acclaim in France, Switzerland, Greece and Poland. In May 2009, Archive release their umost acclaimed album to date, “Controlling Crowds I-III”, and the follow-up album, same year in September, “Controlling Crowds: Part IV”; one of the best albums of 2009. Archive currently are: Darius Keeler – songwriting, synthesizer, piano, programming, arrangements Danny Griffiths – songwriting, synthesizer, samples, programming, arrangements Pollard Berrier – songwriting, vocals, guitar, programming, arrangements Dave Penney – songwriting, vocals, guitar Maria Q – vocals Holly Martin – vocals Rosko John – songwriting, vocals, MC Steve Harris – guitar, backing vocals Jonathan Noyce – bass Steve (“the menace”) Davis – bass Smiley / Steve Barnard – drums Tom Brazelle – harmonica. “With Us Until You’re Dead” it’s another exciting, colorful trip through different styles and genres, one minute it feels like a sophisticated Sting album with a more edge cutting, experimental sound, in the very next moment they may turn into a dark ambiental exploration or a furiously raging Rock band. Keeps the listener attention sober throughout, “With Us Until You’re Dead” it’s more related to King Crimson then to Massive Attack, but still manage to merge their Trip-Hop roots with classic Progressive Rock build-ups and Psychedelic flavored soundscapes with explosive beats. It’s Archive, it’s Magic, it’s one of the most exciting and beautiful albums of 2012.

Tracklist:

01 – Wiped Out
02 – Interlace
03 – Stick Me in My Heart
04 – Conflict
05 – Violently
06 – Calm Now
07 – Silent
08 – Twisting
09 – Things Going Down
10 – Hatchet
11 – Damage
12 – Rise
13 – Aggravated Twisted Fill
14 – Soul Tired

Archive – Official Site
Archive @ MySpace
Archive @ Tumblr
Archive @ Facebook
Archive @ Twitter

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcK4n-DqlQI&w=545&h=307]