VNV Nation: Difference between revisions

|Name name = VNV Nation

|Img image = Vnv-nation-new-city.jpg

|Img_capt landscape = yes
| caption = VNV Nation Live at New City, Edmonton, September 2007

|Background background = group_or_band

|Origin origin = [[London]], [[England]]

'''VNV Nation''' is an [[Irish electronic music]] bandgroup originallyled fromby [[Wexford]]Ronan and [[LondonHarris]], now basedin[[Hamburg]],the that combines elementsrolesof[[trance (music)|trance]]singer, [[synthpop]]songwriter and [[electronic body music]] (EBM)producer, intowith whatlive theymembers callbeing [[futurepop]].keyboardists EarlierMike worksWimer alsoand includeDavid some [[electro-industrial]] influences. The members are [[Ronan Harris]]Gerlach and [[Markpercussionist JacksonChris (musician)|Mark Jackson]]Roberts. The "VNV"acronym in the group's name stands for '''"Victory, notNot Vengeance''', in keeping with the group's [[motto]], "''One should strive to achieve; not sit in bitter regret.<ref>www.{{Cite web|url=https://vnvnation.com/biography|title=Biography propaganda- The sectionName|website=vnvnation.com|access-date=2023-02-11}}</ref>''"

1999's ''[[Empires (VNV Nation album)|Empires]]'', released in 1999, was their breakthrough album, gaining them widespread commercial success (and topping the German DAC charts for seven weeks).<ref andname="dac-albums-99">{{cite almostweb single|title=DAC Top 50 Albums 1999 |url=http://www.public-handedlypropaganda.de/charts/1999/dac_alb50.html spawning|website=Trendcharts aoHG genre|publisher=AMC ofAlster similarMusik artists.Consulting GmbH While|access-date=20 inJanuary the2022 vein|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010418190612/http://www.public-propaganda.de/charts/1999/dac_alb50.html of|archive-date=18 theirApril previous2001 two|date=2000 works,|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Empires'' expandedon the band's bombastic, melodic synthesizer lines and incorporated tighter song organization with verses and catchy chorusesstructures. Furthermore, the harsher 'sheet metal instrumentals' of albums like ''Praise the Fallen'' were largely gone, and the music as a whole was far more complex with multiple-layered arpeggios and pads. ThisThe album was composed using onlya onemix synthesizerof analog and digital synthesizers, and an [[Ensoniq ASR-10]] sampler. Notable analog synthesizers used on (the legendaryalbum included the [[ARP 2600]], which was used for most of the sounds on the tracks "Firstlight," "Arclight," and "Standing," the SCI [[Sequential Circuits|Pro One]], and an [[Oberheim OB-1]]. Digital synthesizers used were the [[Roland JP-8000]], [[Access Virus]] (used almost exclusively on the track "Darkangel"), [[Korg Trinity]], the EMU Proteus 2000 and twothe (rather[[Roland lowJV-quality) samplers1080]].

Their 2002 album, ''[[Futureperfect]]'', while retaining many industrial elements represented a departure in many ways, largely away from EBM and towards synthpop,trance evenand incorporating some elements of [[trance music|trance]]synthpop. Furthermore, someSome neoclassical instrumental pieces were included in the album. ThisAround shiftthis causedtime theirRonan mainstreamHarris popularityand to[[Apoptygma increaseBerzerk]]'s stillStefan further,Groth butwere alienatedcredited somewith ofcoining theirthe fansterm who"[[futurepop]]" preferredto describe their earlier harsher and darker sound,.<ref>{{cite leading toweb|url=http://sortedmagazine.com/Sordid.php3?nID=261|website=Sortedmagazine.com|title=Beingasomewhatlittle weakenedbit reputationproductive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite inweb|url=http://releasemagazine.net/Spotlight/spotlightvnvnation.htm|title=VNV theNation "underground"- musicRelease communityMusic Magazine Spotlight|website=Releasemagazine.{{Factnet|access-date=March 20072016-05-16}}</ref> NonethelessThis shift caused their mainstream popularity to increase still further, theybut embarkedalienated onsome severalof highlytheir successfulfans worldwho tourspreferred intheir 2002earlier harsher and 2003darker sound. Notably, the album was produced using mainlyonly software synthesizers instead of hardware synthesizers. Some hardwareIt was used,the butfirst theVNV majorityNation ofalbum instrumentsmade usedentirely werewith software programssynthesizers.

Their 2005 album, ''[[Matter + Form]]'', expanded on the soundscape established with ''Futureperfect'' while also adding a harder and more mechanical sound in some songs. Notable for this harder-edged sound was the first single ''"Chrome''". Also of note is the lack of effects applied to the vocals, a departure from previous albums, which allows [[Ronan Harris]]' voice more space in the mix. Of course, thereThere were also several songs with a softer and more pensive theme. Some songs even had a slight "rock" feeling to them, mostly withfrom how drum sequences and bass- lines were arranged, the most obvious example being the album-closingfinal song, ''"Perpetual''". The instrument assortment of instruments used in the production was much expandedlarger uponthan fromon previous albums. andWhile everythingmostly fromcomposed theusing Accesssoftware Virussynthesizers, toseveral adifferent custom-made analoganalogue modular synthesizersynthesizers andwere severalused, softwarealong synthesizerswith werean usedarray of vintage effects. This album was also the first time the band used an outside producer. Both ''Matter + Form'' and "Chrome" peaked at #1 on the DAC Albums and Singles charts, respectively.<ref name="dac-albums-05">{{cite web |title=DAC Top 50 Albums 2005 |url=http://charts.trendcharts.de/jahrescharts2005/DAC/top50.html |website=Trendcharts oHG |publisher=AMC Alster Musik Consulting GmbH |access-date=20 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423220622/http://charts.trendcharts.de/jahrescharts2005/DAC/top50.html |archive-date=23 April 2008 |date=2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="dac-singles-05">{{cite web |title=DAC Top 100 Singles 2005 |url=http://charts.trendcharts.de/jahrescharts2005/DAC/index.html |website=Trendcharts oHG |publisher=AMC Alster Musik Consulting GmbH |access-date=20 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423203707/http://charts.trendcharts.de/jahrescharts2005/DAC/index.html |archive-date=23 April 2008 |date=2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

VNV Nation's latestnext studio album iswas ''[[Judgement (VNV Nation album)|Judgement]]'' and was, released to the worldon [[April4]], [[April 2007]]. Containing 10ten tracks, it continued the evolution of the VNV Nation sound. While written and recorded in VNV Nation's own studio, located in the now defunct Soundfactory Studios in Hamburg, the album production took advantage of the main studio's facilities through the use of its collection of vintage microphones and effects, and mixing the album on the studio's ADT console.

On [[April25]], [[April 2007]], at the soldoutsold-out show at The Metro in Chicago, Ronan Harris has stated that the rumorsrumours about ''Judgement'' being the last album were false and that more was to come and that ''Judgement'' was just the beginning.

At the alternative electronic music festival [[Infest (festival)|Infest]] in [[Bradford]] on [[26August26]], 2007, just after the death[[murderof[[Sophie Lancaster]], RonanHarris dedicated the song "Illusion" to her and contacted the family soon afterwards to offer his condolences.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v={{YouTube|-JWd-XRYVN4 Youtube video - |VNV Nation -– Illusion}} Infest 2007. RonanHarris dedicated this song to Sophie Lancaster]</ref><ref>[{{Cite news|url=http://www.therossendalefreepressrossendalefreepress.co.uk/news/s/232/232140_parents_tribute_to_loving_daughter.html ''532140_parents_tribute_to_loving_daughter|publisher=Rossendale Free Press|title=Parents'' - "Parents’ tribute to loving daughter" |date=30 August 2007]}}</ref>

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