In 1989, Stephan Groth and Jon Erik Martinsen formed Apoptygma Berzerk in Norway. They wrote several songs, one of them "Ashes To Ashes" would later be released as a 12" single on the Norwegian label Tatra Productions in 1991. Martinsen left the band shortly afterwards feeling uncomfortable with the direction of the band's music. Since then the band had many lineup changes, Groth being the only constant members.
Stephan Groth claims that the band name was randomly picked out of a dictionary. Apoptygma is an old Greek word for the fold of a woman's garment. Technically the 'y' ought to be pronounced like a long 'u', but the band's name is commonly pronounced a-pop-TIG-ma or a-pop-TEEG-ma.
Apoptygma Berzerk released six studio albums so far: Soli Deo Gloria in 1993, 7 in 1996, Welcome To Earth in 2000, Harmonizer in 2002, You and Me Against the World in 2005, and Rocket Science in 2009.
The first two albums, Soli Deo Gloria and 7 were a similar style of synthpop and EBM. Welcome to Earth featured an evolved EBM/synthpop sound. Harmonizer featured a softer, more synthpop-oriented direction. You and Me Against the World represented an almost complete change in style for the band, from EBM to indie rock-oriented sound. Rocket Science continued the rock-oriented direction of their sound.
They also released three compilations (The Apopcalyptic Manifesto in 1998, The Singles Collection in 2003 , Sonic Diary in 2006), three live albums (APBL98 in 1999, APBL2000 in 2001, Imagine There's No Lennon in 2010) and three live DVDs (APBL2000 in 2001, The Harmonizer DVD in 2004, Imagine There's No Lennon in 2010).
In total, the band issued six EPs: Victims of Mutilation in 1990, The 2nd Manifesto in 1992, Mourn EP in 1997, Unicorn EP in 2004, Black EP in 2006, and Green Queen in 2009.
List of former band members:
Jon Erik Martensen: keyboards (1989)
Per Aksel Lundgreen: keyboards/manager (1991–1994)
Anders Odden: guitars (1992-1999)
Geir Bratland: keyboards/backing vocals (1995-2009)
Fredrik Darum: producer/live guitarist (1999–2001)
Ted Skogmann: drums and guitar (1999–2002)
Fredrik Brarud: drums (2002-2009)
Audun Stengel (Angel): guitars (2002-2009)
Anders Odden: guitars (2003-2006)
Official site: http://www.apoptygmaberzerk.de
Trash
Apoptygma Berzerk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The tasteless bracelets and the dye in our hair,
Maybe it's our kookiness,
Or maybe, maybe it's our nowhere towns,
Our nothing places and our cellophane sounds,
Maybe it's our looseness,
But we're trash, you and me,
We're the lovers on the streets,
Just trash, me and you,
It's in everything we do,
It's in everything we do...
Maybe, maybe it's the things we say,
The words we've heard and the music we play,
Maybe it's our cheapness,
Or maybe, maybe it's the times we1ve had,
The lazy days and the crazes and the fads,
Maybe it's our sweetness,
But we're trash, you and me,
We're the litter on the breeze,
We're the lovers on the streets,
Just trash, me and you,
It's in everything we do,
It's in everything we do.
But we're trash, you and me,
We're the lovers on the streets,
We're the litter on the breeze,
Just trash, me and you,
It's in everything we do,
It's in everything we do...
The lyrics of "Trash" by Apoptygma Berzerk explore the idea of societal perceptions and judgments towards individuals who society deems as different. The song suggests that perhaps it is the way we dress, the music we listen to, or the way we speak that causes others to view us as lesser. However, the song embraces this idea and celebrates being different, even going so far as to call themselves trash. The song creates an anthem in which those who are deemed as outsiders can find a sense of belonging and pride in their identities.
The song also speaks to the idea of finding beauty in the things that society deems as undesirable. The line "We're the litter on the breeze," for example, takes something typically viewed as dirty and unpleasant and elevates it to something worth celebrating. The song suggests that there is beauty in imperfection and that being different can be something to be proud of.
Overall, "Trash" is a song about embracing one's identity, even if it goes against societal norms. It encourages listeners to find pride in themselves and not worry about fitting in with the mainstream.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe, maybe it's the clothes we wear,
Perhaps the reason why we are perceived as inferior is because of the clothes that we put on.
The tasteless bracelets and the dye in our hair,
People may not like the accessories and hair color that we exhibit.
Maybe it's our kookiness,
Our oddity could be the culprit.
Or maybe, maybe it's our nowhere towns,
It could be the fact that we live in remote, unremarkable locations.
Our nothing places and our cellophane sounds,
Our environment could be monotonous, dull and hence, give off a plastic vibe.
Maybe it's our looseness,
The reason could be that we don't follow social norms and act freely.
But we're trash, you and me,
Both of us are perceived as an inferior class.
We're the litter on the breeze,
We are disposable like garbage and scattered by the wind.
We're the lovers on the streets,
We engage in activity (romance) that is considered inappropriate for public settings.
Just trash, me and you,
We are labeled as being of no value, both you and I.
It's in everything we do,
Our actions are constantly perceived as inferior or of a low standard.
Maybe, maybe it's the things we say,
Perhaps our speech is the cause for our inferiority complex.
The words we've heard and the music we play,
The negative response to our choice of music and language used could be creating an unpleasant image.
Maybe it's our cheapness,
Our frugal nature could be prompting others to perceive us as inferior.
Or maybe, maybe it's the times we've had,
The life experiences we've had could be the cause of our current status.
The lazy days and the crazes and the fads,
The time we spend being idle, chasing after fleeting trends could be factors for our poor image.
Maybe it's our sweetness,
The reason could be that we are being judged as overly saccharine and insincere.
But we're trash, you and me,
We both belong to a discriminated class.
We're the litter on the breeze,
We are regarded as no better than the waste thrown around by the wind.
We're the lovers on the streets,
Our actions are labeled as those of a depraved, uneducated youth.
It's in everything we do,
Our actions and speech continue to perpetuate our image as the inferior masses.
But we're trash, you and me,
Once again, we're a part of the inferior group.
We're the lovers on the streets,
We are part of the excluded youth who are messing around outside.
We're the litter on the breeze,
We are treated as worthless pieces of garbage flying aimlessly with the wind.
Just trash, me and you,
The label of 'inferior' appears to be a permanent stain on us.
It's in everything we do,
Our image won't change until we bring about a remarkable transformation in our personalities.
Contributed by Landon R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.