Project Pitchfork

Project Pitchfork were formed by Peter Spilles and Dirk Scheuber. After agreeing to work together, they picked the project's name by choosing a random word from the dictionary.{{cite web |last1=Ziegler |first1=Grant V. |title=Project Pitchfork: What Makes the Timekillers Tick? |url=https://regenmag.com/interviews/project-pitchfork-what-makes-the-timekillers-tick/ |website=ReGen Magazine |accessdate=21 November 2020 |date=24 August 2013}} The band gave their first performance in Hamburg in February 1990 and released their demo, K.N.K.A, in August. In May 1991, their debut album Dhyani was released. The band's second album, Lam-'Bras was released in February 1992 and yielded the first vocal appearance of Patrica Nigiani. Six months later, the band's third album, Entities was released. The band switched labels to Off Beat for their 1994 release Io. The album featured two singles, "Renascence" and "Carrion", and marked the first time the band entered the German Charts. The album was followed by a lengthy German tour.

In 1995, Project Pitchfork established their own label, Candyland Entertainment,{{cite journal |title=Project Pitchfork: Precious New World |journal=Culture Shock |date=1996 |issue=2 |pages=21–23 |publisher=Genocide Project |location=Hackensack, NJ |language=English |issn=1093-1651 }} through which they would release the majority of their material as well as some side projects and bands such as Philtron and Deep Red. 1995 also saw the release of two EPs, CH'I and Corps d'Amour, and one album, Alpha Omega. The year finished off with a tour supported by Rammstein.{{cite web |last1=Coldheart |first1=Stef |title=Project Pitchfork: Great bands can be really great bastards |url=http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/interviews/project-pitchfork-2016/ |website=Peek-a-boo Music Magazine |accessdate=21 November 2020 |date=5 June 2016}} The next Project Pitchfork studio album ¡Chakra:Red! was released in 1997. It was the first album since Dhyani to be written as a group effort, rather than by Peter Spilles alone, and the first to include Jürgen Jansen as a permanent band member.{{cite web |last1=Kruth |first1=Xavier |title=Interview: Project Pitchfork |url=http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/interviews/project-pitchfork-535/ |website=Peek-a-boo Music Magazine |accessdate=21 November 2020 |date=18 September 2015}}

Immediately after their first US tour in 1998, Project Pitchfork returned with concept album Eon:Eon, their first while signed to label EastWest, an imprint of the major label Warner Music. The album yielded three singles, "Steelrose", "Carnival", and "I Live Your Dream". With the support of EastWest, the band had greater resources available to produce videos for their music, which led to their being the first gothic industrial band to receive airplay on music TV in Germany.{{cite web |last1=Palfrey |first1=Sean |title=Project Pitchfork – Twenty years in the making |url=http://www.terrorizer.com/dominion/dominionfeatures/project-pitchfork-twenty-years-in-the-making/ |website=Terrorizer |publisher=The Dominion Magazine |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=16 August 2011}} The video for "Steelrose" earned the band a nomination for an Echo Award for Best Video National.

Between 1998 and 2001 the band built out their own studio which gave them more time to develop their next release.{{cite journal |last1=Filicky |first1=Brad |title=Interview with Jürgen Jansen of Project Pitchfork |journal=CMJ New Music Report |date=2 July 2001 |volume=68 |issue=720 |page=32 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/CMJ/2001/CMJ-720-2001-07-02.pdf |access-date=24 January 2022 |publisher=College Media, Inc. |location=New York, NY |issn=0890-0795}} In 2001, the band released their eighth studio album Daimonion and supported the album with a European tour. In 2002 the band released the "NUN" trilogy which consisted of album Inferno and EPs View From a Throne and Trialog. This earned the band another nomination for an Echo Award, this time for Best Alternative Act National.

Project Pitchfork returned with album Kaskade in 2005. In February 2009 the band released Dream, Tiresias! which received praise from electronic music magazine, ReGen.{{cite web|url=http://www.regenmag.com/Reviews-1804-Project-Pitchfork-Dream-Tiresias.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416045803/http://www.regenmag.com/Reviews-1804-Project-Pitchfork-Dream-Tiresias.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-04-16|title=Review :: Project Pitchfork - Dream, Tiresias! |accessdate=2020-03-24}} In 2010 the band's follow up album Continuum Ride was released along with a video to support the song "Beholder." Continuum Ride was inspired by the band's US tour in 2009, particularly their experience of Detroit, whose dilapidated skyline led to a more "dark and destructive" sound than that of their previous album.{{cite web |last1=Lindström |first1=Patrik |title=Interview: Project Pitchfork |url=https://www.brutalresonance.com/interview/project-pitchfork-interview-jul-2010/ |website=Brutal Resonance |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=23 July 2010}} By 2011 Project Pitchfork ceased operating their Candyland label, having since begun releasing their work on the Trisol label.

The band released Quantum Mechanics in 2011 as well as a video for the album's second track, "Lament". Later that year the band released a compilation album titled First Anthology.{{cite web |title=Trisol Presents New Album by Project Pitchfork This Summer |url=http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/news/2011/trisol-presents-new-album-by-project-pitchfork-this-summer/ |website=Peek-a-boo Music Magazine |accessdate=21 November 2020 |date=22 June 2011}} In 2013 the band released their fourteenth studio album, Black, and a music video to accompany the song "Rain".{{cite web |title=Project Pitchfork Wears Black |url=http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/news/2013/project-pitchfork-wears-black/ |website=Peek-a-boo Music Magazine |accessdate=21 November 2020 |date=21 February 2013}} In June 2014, the band announced via their official website a new album titled Blood. To promote the record the band held a pre-release show in Hamburg. The album was released in September and featured a music video for "Blood-Diamond (See Him Running)" edited by Peter Spilles himself.{{cite web |title=Peek-a-Boo Presents the New Clip by Project Pitchfork |url=http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/news/2014/peek-a-boo-presents-the-new-clip-by-project-pitchfork/ |website=Peek-a-boo Music Magazine |accessdate=21 November 2020 |date=21 October 2014}}

In 2016, Project Pitchfork released their Second Anthology, a double CD that included one new track, several unreleased rarities, and many re-recorded and remastered tracks.{{cite web |author1=Inferno Sound Diaries |title=Review: Project Pitchfork – Second Anthology |url=https://www.side-line.com/project-pitchfork-second-anthology-dcd-album-trisol/ |website=Side-Line |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=17 April 2016}} Also in 2016, the band released the album Look Up, I’m Down There to commemorate their 25th anniversary. The album was released in two versions: a standard CD release and a special, limited edition double CD with an 80-page art book containing complete lyrics and a short story by the fantasy author Björn Springorum.{{cite web |last1=Van Isacker |first1=Bernard |title=Project Pitchfork to release new album 'Look up, I'm down there' also as a mega-limited 2CD art book |url=https://www.side-line.com/project-pitchfork-to-release-new-album-look-up-im-down-there-also-as-a-mega-limited-2cd-art-book-get-your-copy-here/ |website=Side-Line |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=19 September 2016}}

In 2018, the band released the album Akkretion, the first of what was planned to be a trilogy of albums for release that year.{{cite web |last1=Van Isacker |first1=Bernard |title=Project Pitchfork returns with new album 'Akkretion' – here are the details |url=https://www.side-line.com/project-pitchfork-returns-with-new-album-akkretion-here-are-the-details/ |website=Side-Line |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=11 December 2017}} On 12 October 2018, the second part of the trilogy, Fragment, was released.{{cite web |author1=Inferno Sound Diaries |title=Review: Project Pitchfork – Fragment |url=https://www.side-line.com/project-pitchfork-fragment-cd-album-trisol/ |website=Side-Line |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=15 December 2018}}

Starting in 2019, Trisol began releasing reissues of all the band's material over the previous decade from Dream, Tiresias! through Look Up, I'm Down There.{{cite web |last1=Van Isacker |first1=Bernard |title=Project Pitchfork continues reissue series with 2 more sets |url=https://www.side-line.com/project-pitchfork-continues-reissue-series-with-2-more-sets/ |website=Side-Line |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=4 October 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Van Isacker |first1=Bernard |title=Project Pitchfork reissue 'Black' at the end of July on 2 double vinyl (incl. 2CD) sets |url=https://www.side-line.com/project-pitchfork-reissue-black-at-the-end-of-july-in-2-double-vinyl-incl-2cd-sets/ |website=Side-Line |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=14 May 2020}}

On 2 March 2021 the band announced that cofounder and keyboardist Dirk Scheuber had left the band.{{Cite web |last=Brandon |first=Chris |date=2021-03-02 |title=Project Pitchfork and Dirk Scheuber part ways |url=https://www.synthpopfanatic.com/news/project-pitchfork-and-dirk-scheuber-part-ways/ |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=Synthpop Fanatic |language=en-US}}

In 2024 the band release “Elysium” the third and final act of cosmic electro trilogy that started with “Akkretion”. To support the album release the band will commence a German tour in April 2024 with one date in the UK during May and will play various festivals.

• Peter Spilles – vocals (1989–present)
• Jürgen Jansen – keyboards (1996–present)
• Achim Färber – live drums (1999–present)
• Christian "Leo" Leonhardt - live drums (1999–present)

• Dirk Scheuber – keyboards (1989–2021)
• Patricia Nigiani – backing vocals, live keyboards (1992–1994)
• Markus Giltjes – live drums (1995)
• Yenz Schrader – drums, guitars (1998)
• Carsten Klatte – live guitars (1999–2011)

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• Dhyani (1991)
• Lam-'Bras (1992)
• Entities (1992)
• IO (1994)
• Alpha Omega (1995)
• ¡Chakra:Red! (1997)
• Eon:Eon (1998)
• Daimonion (2001)
• Inferno (2002)
• Kaskade (2005)
• Dream, Tiresias! (2009)
• Continuum Ride (2010)
• Quantum Mechanics (2011)
• Black (2013)
• Blood (2014)
• Look Up, I'm Down There (2016)
• Akkretion (2018)
• Fragment (2018)
• Elysium (2024)

• Precious New World (1991)
• Psychic Torture (1991)
• Souls/Island (1993)
• Little IO (1994)
• CH'I (1995)
• Corps D'Amour (1995)
• Trialog (2002)
• View From a Throne (2002)
• Wonderland/One Million Faces (2007)

• Live '97 (1997)
• Live 2003/2001 (2003)

• "Carrion" (1993)
• "Renascence" (1994)
• "En Garde!" (1996)
• "Carnival" (1998)
• "Steelrose" (1998)
• "I Live Your Dream" (1999)
• "Existence" (2001)
• "Timekiller" (2001) – #19 DAC Top 50 Singles of 2001, Germany{{cite web |title=DAC Top 50 Singles 2001 |url=http://www.public-propaganda.de/charts/jahrescharts2001/DACSingle.html |website=Trendcharts oHG |publisher=AMC Alster Musik Consulting GmbH |access-date=20 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020210031908/http://www.public-propaganda.de/charts/jahrescharts2001/DACSingle.html |archive-date=10 Feb 2002 |date=2002 |url-status=dead}}
• "Awakening" (2002)
• "Schall Und Rauch/The Future Is Now" (2005)
• "Earth Song" (feat. Sara Noxx) (2008)
• "Feel!" (2009)
• "Beholder" (2010)
• "Lament" (2011)
• "Rain" (2013)

• The Early Years (89–93) (1996)
• Collector: Lost and Found (2001)
• NUN Trilogy (2002)
• Collector: Fireworks & Colorchange (2003)
• First Anthology (2011)
• Second Anthology (2016)

• Va I Luce (1992)
• Entities Tour (1993)
• Glowing Like Io – Live Performance (1994)
• Alpha Omega – Live (1995)
• Live '99 (1999)
• Collector – Adapted for the Screen (2002)
• Live 2003 (2004)

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Project Pitchfork}}

• {{cite web|url=http://www.project-pitchfork.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=57 |title=Project Pitchfork |website=Project-pitchfork.eu |accessdate=2020-03-24}}
• {{MusicBrainz artist|38e4df82-6079-42f8-91fa-904e0fecf78f}}
• [http://www.project-pitchfork.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=57 Full band's biography in English]

{{Authority control}}

Category:German electronic music groups

Category:German rock music groups

Category:German dark wave musical groups

Category:Musical groups from Hamburg

Category:Metropolis Records artists

Category:Trisol Music Group artists

Category:Off Beat label artists