New Zealand Music Month 2017 Profiles
Lichtbeuger
By Sarah Kidd.
When one thinks of soul quenching industrial music, bands such as Nine Inch Nails and Ministry instantly spring to mind. However New Zealand has many of its own industrial giants lurking in the shadows, one such act being Lichtbeuger. Formed in 2011, the brainchild of Drew Lyon (of N.U.T.E fame) and Adam Colegrove, Lichtbeuger was founded with the intention of creating “some classic 90’s club EBM tracks for the hell of it”.
Influenced by definitive bands such as Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy and other assorted European EBM acts, Lichtbeuger claim that they “are not trying to create anything ground breaking” yet they have managed to craft a range of works that are quite uniquely their own. With innovative and unadulterated synth work by the master of ceremonies Lyon and powerhouse vocals provided by Colegrove the duo have amassed a loyal following. Their music has also caught the eye of more than one international act resulting in some solid support slots.
Originally called Red Lights of Damn they soon changed to the name of Lichtbeuger (which translates as ‘Light Bender/One who deflects the light’) and have never looked back since. The initial 18 months after Lichtbeugers inception was spent painstakingly constructing the original first live set which was on the 14th of September, 2012 to rave reviews. Their first international support slot came just two years later when they performed before the illustrious Velvet Acid Christ [VAC] in June of 2014.
Just over a year later and the duo had produced their debut EP Piezoelectric which was released on DSPB in late 2015. The EP’s first pressings were quickly snapped up, due to the high production value combined with the outstanding vocal style of Colegrove. Piezoelectric offers a “multitude of themes and sounds” with each and every track. Colegrove positively oozes disdain for a certain religious leader on ‘Praise Be,’ while the original synth soundwaves of ‘He Came Up’ were inspired by an episode of the Supernatural series which explores the existence of a cross roads demon. But it is Colegroves cavernous and menacing vocals on the standout track ‘Cobalt’ that truly makes the EP mandatory listening; the inspiration for the song coming from the Chinese tradition of Ghost/Spirit marriages, where the partner or even both parties are deceased. The fast paced bass beat with the infectious chorus line of “Give my body back” will penetrate the depths of your emotions, obscuring all else.
In the winter of 2016 Lichtbeuger toured with C2 through the four main cities of New Zealand, once again solidifying and building upon their already expansive fan base. This was followed by an Auckland show in April of this year where Lichtbeuger were joined by other outstanding Auckland acts such as Dying of the Light. Lichtbeuger will next be playing at Wellington’s Valhalla on the 16th of September.
This profile is a part of our NZ Music Month coverage, celebrating new and upcoming Kiwi artists. For more information on Lichtbeuger you can visit their Bandcamp, or follow them on Facebook and Soundcloud. For more information on NZ Music Month you can visit their website.
Image Credits: Feature Image courtesy of Lichtbeuger / Daniel Scott-Raynsford. Live Image courtesy of Ambient Light / Sarah Kidd