The Awakening Biography
Summary
"The Awakening" is a gothic rock band from Johannesburg, South Africa, formed in 1995 by vocalist, guitarist and producer Ashton Nyte. The band is credited in the press as 'South Africa's most successful Gothic Rock act and one of the top bands in the far broader Alternative scene.'
The band has released 8 full-length studio albums, 1 greatest hits album, 2 music videos and 2 EPs, and have received significant radio play and club rotation throughout South Africa, Europe and the USA. They became the first gothic rock band to ever headline major national festivals throughout South Africa, including Oppikoppi, RAMfest, and many others. As of 2008 the band is based in the United States.
History
Early Years - Risen
Guitarist-vocalist Ashton Nyte began his musical career as front man for the South African rock band Martyr's Image, formed in early 1994. In 1995, Nyte asked Martyr's Image bassist Jenni Hazell and guitarist Philip Booyens to join him in his new project, which was tentatively entitled 'Children of the Torch' but later changed to 'The Awakening' just prior to the band's first show in February 1996.
Immediately following the band's first performance, Nyte began production of the band's first studio album entitled "Risen". The album was recorded at Mega Music Studios in Johannesburg with producer Leon Erasmus. More concerts followed, and amidst a steady schedule of shows Nyte returned to the studio to record the band's cover of the Simon and Garfunkel song 'The Sounds of Silence.? Risen was then released. The single went to #1 on South Africa's rock charts and became a cult classic.
Gothic rock was a virtually unheard style of music in South Africa at the time, and The Awakening became both immediately famous and the focal point of much controversy. As a three-piece the band toured Africa extensively.
Request
Nyte invested in a small digital studio and began to write a follow-up for Risen. The second album titled "Request" embraced the electronic and industrial sounds of 1980s new romantic movement. The band began to achieve even more notice in the mainstream radio and media with the singles 'Maree', 'Rain' and 'Before I Leap.' "Maree" as a single sold over 5,000 copies in its first year without major label support, and also went to #1 on the SA rock charts. The band's first music video was shot for 'Rain' by director Katinka Harrod. The video was shot in the middle of winter, which posed a unique and potentially dangerous challenge for Nyte who performed under icy water during filming, was painted black in body paint, and hosed clean for other scenes. The video brought more public exposure for the band; the video was aired on several music shows throughout Africa.
In November 1998 Nyte launched record label and distribution company Intervention Arts. To fulfill the demands of international markets Nyte reissued the two previous Awakening albums as remastered editions with bonus tracks and new layouts. The albums were picked up by US and German distributors, and as a result The Awakening quickly built an international fan base. The hit single "Rain" was picked up in the USA and featured on various compilations.
Ethereal Menace
With a new five member live line up, the band created its third album, "Ethereal Menace", which utilizes elements of industrial music. This style was later dubbed as 'dark future rock' by Nyte. Ethereal Menace was released in July 1999, and achieved an enthusiastic reception: the single 'The March' was successful and another music video was produced by South African Music Awards winner, director Eban Olivier's Concrete Productions, and the video was placed in rotation on MTV Europe.
The Fourth Seal of Zeen
In December 1999, Nyte took a break from The Awakening to concentrate on releasing his first solo album entitled The Slender Nudes. Nyte returned to The Awakening in September 2000, when the band released its darkest album yet, "The Fourth Seal of Zeen". The epic album displays a range of sounds between darkwave and classic gothic rock. The song 'The Dark Romantics' became a gothic club dance floor anthem throughout the world, and remains one of the band's most beloved singles to date. In the year 2001, amidst lineup changes and tours, an EP entitled "The Fountain" was released, which echoed the atmosphere and style of Zeen. "The Fountain" single went to #4 on the South African rock charts, and charted in the top 10 for nine weeks. Nyte also released his second solo album, "Dirt Sense", in 2002, which spent 17 weeks in South Africa's charts topping out at #2.
Roadside Heretics
In June 2002 The Awakening recorded its most aggressive, guitar-driven album to date, "Roadside Heretics". Garrick van der Tuin replaced Glenn Welman as a drummer which influenced the harsher sounds. Thematically, "Roadside Heretics" deals with a discriminated-against and isolated people - a subject well known to South Africa. According to Nyte, "Roadside Heretics" marked a new era for The Awakening, as they focused on capturing their trademark live performance intensity within the album's sound. One of the album's singles, "The Maker" spent two weeks at #1 on the South African rock charts. In the same year, the band released a compilation album entitled "Sacrificial Etchings" featuring singles from 1997 - 2002 and a few previously unreleased songs including the band's hit single 'Vampyre Girl.? "Sacrificial Etchings" ranked as the 18th top album of 2003 in South Africa.
Darker Than Silence
Nyte released his third solo album titled Sinister Swing in 2003. A year later Nyte began to work on The Awakening's most ambitious album by far, entitled "Darker Than Silence", with lyrical themes about devastation and medication. Songs such as 'One More Crucifixion', 'Angelyn', and 'The Needle and the Gun' achieved a positive reception world-wide and notable success on South African and German charts. The success brought the band to tour the United States for the first time in 2004.
In July 2005, Nyte released his fourth solo album entitled Headspace with his solo band "Ashton Nyte and the Accused".
Razor Burn
In 2006 The Awakening signed a management deal with German based MCM Music, and later signed a record deal with German label Massacre Records. The Awakening then released its eighth studio album entitled "Razor Burn". With the European distribution and marketing of Massacre Records, the album received more notice than the band's previous albums as well as positive reviews from alternative music press. Intervention Arts distributed the album to South African and US markets. A second US tour followed.
Recent Events
In late 2007, Nyte relocated to the US following the band's third US tour. The band performed one of its first 2008 US shows as a headliner of HM Magazine's stage at Cornerstone Festival 2008. Nyte's fifth solo album, "The Valley", was released in South Africa in October 2008, with plans to release in the USA in late 2009.
Currently the band has announced another US tour in promotion of The Awakening's eighth studio album, "Tales of Absolution and Obsoletion" released June 2009, which promises to be the band's 'most theatrical and dramatic yet.'
Music
The Awakening's music has evolved since its early years. While "Risen" strongly emphasizes an older school of guitar-driven gothic rock, "Request" embraced electronics and the 1980s new romantic movement. 'Ethereal Menace' started the age of 'dark-future-rock' - which is, as Nyte describes, 'a hybrid of hard electronics and chunky guitars, with a strong dance floor undercurrent.? Nyte himself states David Bowie and Kate Bush as his 'personal heroes' yet points out that his musical taste is 'very broad'.
Nyte describes the band's live performance as 'a ritual - type experience based on our theatrical on-stage appearance and performance.' He further describes the 'elements of passion, beauty, poetry and theatrics? as the cornerstones of the band's live shows.
Discography
Studio albums
"Risen" (1997)
"Request" (1998)
"Ethereal Menace" (1999)
"The Fourth Seal of Zeen" (2000)
"Roadside Heretics" (2002)
Sacrificial Etchings (best of) (2003)
"Darker Than Silence" (2004)
"Razor Burn" (2006)
"Tales of Absolution and Obsoletion" (2009)
Compilation Appearances
"5FM SA Music Explosion 1" EMI
"Dark Awakening" COP International
"Unquiet Grave 2" Cleopatra Records
"Orgazmatracks 2" David Gresham Records
"Moonlight Cathedral" Cold Fusion
"Orgazmatracks 3" Alter Ego
"CMA Radio Sampler Volume 5" CMA
"Zillo Magazine Sampler" (multiple appearances)
"Orkus Club Hits"(multiple appearances)
"HM Magazine Sampler" (multiple appearances)
"The Doors Nightclub" David Gresham Records
EPs
The March (1999)
Sentimental Runaways (1999)
The Fountain (2001)
Music Videos
Rain (1997)
The March (1999)
Television Appearances
SABC:
Geraas
SA City Life
Replay
Top Billing
The Works
DSTV:
Go!
MK89
M-NET:
Live @ 5
MTV Europe:
Alternative Nation
Members
Current line up
Ashton Nyte – vocals, guitar, songwriter
Tiavi Rudow – guitar
Leesa Josza – bass
Rose Mortem – piano, keyboards
Rici7 – drums
Former members
Jenni Hazell – bass
Philip Booyens – guitar
AV – guitar
Thaun – bass
Mark Sprawson – guitar
Glenn Welman – drums
Kate Towsey – bass
Matthew Fink – keyboards
Garrick van der Tuin – drums
Frankie Clark – keyboards, bass
Marcus van der Tuin – guitar
External links
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about The Awakening.
