Bill Leeb

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Bill Leeb

| image = 20160305-Frontline-Assembly-E-tropolis-Oberhausen-5668.jpg

| landscape = yes

| caption = Bill Leeb performing in 2016

| birth_name = Wilhelm Anton Leeb

| alias = Bill Leeb, Wilhelm Schroeder{{cite interview |last=Leeb |first=Bill |subject-link=Bill Leeb |title=Bill Leeb (musician) |type=Radio |work=RAD1Radio |url=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rad1radio/2013/05/08/bill-leeb-musician |date=8 May 2013}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|9|21|df=y}}{{cite web |url=http://www.mindphaser.com/index.php?page_id=12 |title=Mindphaser > People > Bill Leeb > Biography |last=Bauer |first=Henrik |date=24 March 2004 |work=Mindphaser.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050102224818/http://www.mindphaser.com/index.php?page_id=51 |archive-date=2 January 2005 |access-date=27 August 2014}}

| birth_place = Vienna, Austria

| origin = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

| instruments = Vocals, synthesizer, sampler, percussion

| genre = Industrial, electronica

| occupations = Musician, songwriter, composer, record producer

| years_active = 1984–present

| label = KK, Dossier, Third Mind, Wax Trax!, Roadrunner, Cleopatra, Off Beat, Metropolis, Dependent, Zoth Ommog

| associated_acts = Cyberaktif, Delerium, Equinox, Fauxliage, Front Line Assembly, Intermix, Noise Unit, Pro>Tech, Skinny Puppy, Synæsthesia

| website = http://www.mindphaser.com

}}

Wilhelm Anton "Bill" Leeb (born 21 September 1966, in Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian-Canadian{{cite journal |last=Raven |first=Daniel |date=2 June 2011 |title=Front Line Assembly Leads Cyborg Armies Through Post-Apocalyptic Soundscapes |url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2011-06-02/music/front-line-assembly-leads-cyborg-armies-through-post-apocalyptic-soundscapes/full/ |journal=Phoenix New Times |publisher=Voice Media Group |access-date=24 August 2014 |archive-date=21 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021030705/http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2011-06-02/music/front-line-assembly-leads-cyborg-armies-through-post-apocalyptic-soundscapes/full/ |url-status=dead }} electronic musician and record producer. He is best known for being a founding member of the industrial music group Front Line Assembly and Delerium.{{cite web|last1=Ankeny|first1=Jason|title=Front Line Assembly Biography|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/front-line-assembly-mn0000660941/biography|website=Allmusic|publisher=allmusic.com|access-date=13 October 2016}} Additionally, Leeb is known for his work with groups Noise Unit, Intermix, Skinny Puppy, Synæsthesia, Cyberaktif, Equinox, Fauxliage and Pro>Tech.

Career

Leeb began his musical career with industrial band Skinny Puppy in 1984 under the pseudonym Wilhelm Schroeder, contributing bass synth and occasional backing vocals to a few of their recordings and concerts. He left in 1986 and formed his own industrial project Front Line Assembly with Michael Balch, and later Rhys Fulber{{cite journal |url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/jan95/frontlineassembly.html |title=Bill Leeb: Front Line Assembly |last=Humberstone |first=Nigel |journal=Sound on Sound |publisher=SOS Publications Group |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |date=January 1995 |access-date=17 October 2014}} and Chris Peterson. Though Front Line Assembly has had consistent underground success, Leeb's most widely known efforts are through his side project Delerium, which had a major hit in the late 1990s with "Silence".{{Allmusic |class=artist |id=bill-leeb-mn0000063675 |tab=biography |label=Bill Leeb: Artist Biography by Steve Huey |first=Steve |last=Huey |access-date=17 October 2014}} Leeb composed the soundtrack to the 1999 video game, Quake III Arena, of which the expansion pack, Team Arena, was composed by his band, Front Line Assembly.

In 2017, Leeb appeared as guest singer on the single A Shiver of Want, a release of John Fryer's project Black Needle Noise.{{cite web |url=http://www.intravenousmag.co.uk/2017/05/review-black-needle-noise-w-bill-leeb.html |title=Review: Black Needle Noise w/ Bill Leeb – 'A Shiver Of Want' |last=Palfrey |first=Sean |date=3 May 2017 |website=Intravenous Magazine |access-date=4 December 2018}}

In 2022, Leeb contributed vocals for Black Asteroid's single Methane Rain.{{cite web |url=https://post-punk.com/black-asteroid-debuts-new-single-methane-rain-featuring-front-line-assembly/ |title=Black Asteroid Debuts New Single "Methane Rain" Featuring Front Line Assembly |last=Teeple |first=Alice |date=May 17, 2022 |website=post-punk.com |access-date=December 17, 2023}}

In June 2024, American label Metropolis announced Leeb's first solo album Model Kollapse, to be released on September 13, 2024.{{cite web |url=https://regenmag.com/news/news-front-line-assembly-releases-latest-warmech-remix-with-deep-infirmary-metropolis-records-announces-solo-album-debut-from-bill-leeb/ |title=Metropolis Records announces solo album debut from Bill Leeb |last=Yücel |first=Ilker |date=June 28, 2024 |website=regenmag.com |access-date=June 29, 2024}} The first single Terror Forms was released on July 9 along with a video.{{cite web |url=https://www.side-line.com/bill-leeb-launches-first-single-from-upcoming-solo-debut-terror-forms-out-now/ |title=Bill Leeb launches first single from upcoming solo debut: 'Terror Forms' – Out now |last=Van Isacker |first=Bernard |date=July 9, 2024 |website=side-line.com |access-date=July 15, 2024}} Metropolis released the second single Demons on August 9, 2024, that was also accompanied by a video.{{cite web |url=https://regenmag.com/news/news-bill-leeb-addresses-technologys-effects-on-creativity-with-second-single-and-music-video-from-upcoming-solo-debut-front-line-assembly-releases-latest-warmech-remix-with-mvtant/ |title=Bill Leeb addresses technology’s effects on creativity with second single and music video from upcoming solo debut |last=Yücel |first=Ilker |date=August 9, 2024 |website=regenmag.com |access-date=August 10, 2024}} Leeb explained that the idea of a solo album was suggested by Metropolis founder Dave Heckman, who passed away before the album's release.{{Cite web|url=https://chaoscontrol.com/bill-leeb-interview-model-kollapse/|title=Bill Leeb discusses his debut solo album, "Model Kollapse"|date=12 September 2024}}

=Dispute with Trent Reznor=

In an interview with music magazine Spin in 1992, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails made derogatory remarks about Front Line Assembly, calling them "a textbook case of a band" for industrial music and their music "monotonous, boring, uninspired bullshit".{{cite magazine |last=Greer |first=Jim |date=March 1992 |title=Nine Inches of Love |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_spin_1992-03_7_12/page/n45/mode/2up |magazine=Spin |location=New York City |publisher=Camouflage Associates |volume=7 |issue=12 |page=41 |issn=0886-3032 |oclc=970690651 |access-date=May 8, 2021 |url-access=registration}} Before the release of the issue, Reznor sent Leeb an apology letter. In one of their following issues, Spin printed part of the apology, in which Reznor expressed that he "should have thought before opening [his] mouth", along with a response from Leeb in which he implores Reznor to "think before making such ludicrous statements" and that he hopes "that others will use a little more thought before they go out of their way to put others down".{{cite magazine |author= |date=June 1992 |title=Point Blank: Letters: Pretty Hate Mail |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_spin_1992-06_8_3/page/n13/mode/2up |magazine=Spin |location=New York City |publisher=Camouflage Associates |volume=8 |issue=3 |page=12 |issn=0886-3032 |oclc=970690651 |access-date=May 8, 2021 |url-access=registration}}

=Acting=

In 1990, Leeb appeared in the trailer for the horror movie Chunk Blower together with Dwayne Goettel from Skinny Puppy,{{cite web |url=https://dangerousminds.net/comments/chunk_blower_the_unfinished_horror_film_starring_members_of_skinny_puppy |title='Chunk Blower', the unfinished horror movie starring members of Skinny Puppy |last=Hall |first=Oliver |date=January 14, 2016 |website=Dangerous Minds |access-date=May 11, 2021}} playing one of the victims of a killer. Due to the lack of funding, the movie was never made.{{cite magazine |last=Alexander |first=Chris |date=January 2014 |title=The Politic Spasmolytic |url=https://archive.org/details/Fangoria_329/page/n53/mode/2up |magazine=Fangoria |location=Atlanta |publisher=The Brooklyn Company |issue=329 |page=54 |issn=0164-2111 |oclc=46637019 |access-date=May 11, 2021}} Director Jim Van Bebber and Leeb would later use footage from the trailer in the video for the single "Virus".

Personal life

Leeb has both Austrian and Canadian citizenship and speaks English as well as German. He received education at a convent school in Austria where he learned to play the violin. He moved to Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada with his family when he was 14, where he learned English and developed a keen interest in music.{{cite interview |last=Leeb |first=Bill |subject-link=Bill Leeb |interviewer=Marija Buljeta |title=Bill Leeb talks about Front Line Assembly, Delerium and more |work=Altvenger Magazine |date=November 23, 2016 |url=http://www.altvenger.com/bill-leeb-talks-about-front-line-assembly-delerium-and-more/ |access-date=March 25, 2024}}{{cite interview |last=Leeb |first=Bill |interviewer=Rob Dyer |title=Front Line Assembly (Bill Leeb) Interview |url=http://www.dso.co.uk/aint29.htm |work=dsoaudio.com |publisher=dsomedia |date=21 August 2013 |access-date=8 August 2016}} He was a high school student at Mount Elizabeth Secondary School.{{cite interview |last=Leeb |first=Bill |subject-link=Bill Leeb |interviewer=Rev. Moose |title=Q&A with Bill Leeb |work=Outburn |location=Thousand Oaks, California |year=1999}} Leeb went to Camsoun College in Victoria, British Columbia to study journalism for two years. He lives in Vancouver.

Leeb was married to the Canadian artist Carylann Loeppky.{{cite interview |last=Loeppky |first=Carylann |title=Morpheus Music Interview - Carylann Loeppky |url=http://www.electronicmusicmall.com/Html/interviewcarylann.htm |work=Morpheus Music |date=12 November 2006 |access-date=17 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022165452/http://www.electronicmusicmall.com/Html/interviewcarylann.htm |archive-date=22 October 2014 |url-status=dead }} Loeppky was part of the tour personnel on Front Line Assembly tours "designing and selling merchandise and put together a visual presentation for the live performance." She continued to create artwork for releases by several of Leeb's projects even after the divorce.{{Allmusic |class=artist |id=carylann-loeppky-mn0002155427 |tab=credits |label=Carylann Loeppky |access-date=17 October 2014}}

Solo discography

2024 - Model Kollapse