The Awakening (band)
Encyclopedia
The Awakening is an alternative 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
and RAMfest, and have performed to crowds of some 30,000 in their home country. As of 2008 the band has been based in the United States.
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 titled "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, 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.
. 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 his own independent record label. 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.
’’, 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
.
. 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, the EP 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.
. 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 the compilation albumSacrificial Etchings featuring singles from 1997 to 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.
, in 2003. A year later Nyte began to work on The Awakening’s most ambitious album by far, 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, Headspace
with his solo band Ashton Nyte and the Accused.
. The Awakening then released its seventh studio album, 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.
’s stage at Cornerstone Festival
2008. Nyte’s fifth solo album, The Valley
, was released in South Africa in October 2008 and in the USA in June 2010.
In 2009 the band completed another US tour in promotion of The Awakening’s eighth studio album, Tales of Absolution and Obsoletion
released June 2009, which was described as the band’s "most theatrical and dramatic yet."
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.
DSTV
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M-NET
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MTV Europe
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Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, formed in 1995 by vocalist, guitarist and producer Ashton Nyte
Ashton Nyte
Ashton Nyte is a South African born singer, songwriter, producer, composer and front man of the South African alternative rock band The Awakening. Nyte has released five solo albums both as Ashton Nyte and Ashton Nyte and the Accused in addition to his numerous releases as The Awakening...
. 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
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, including Oppikoppi
Oppikoppi
Oppikoppi is the name of a music festival held in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, near the mining town of Northam. The festival started off focusing mostly on rock music, but gradually added more genres and now plays host to a complete mixed bag of genres...
and RAMfest, and have performed to crowds of some 30,000 in their home country. As of 2008 the band has been based in the United States.
Early Years - Risen
Guitarist-vocalist Ashton NyteAshton Nyte
Ashton Nyte is a South African born singer, songwriter, producer, composer and front man of the South African alternative rock band The Awakening. Nyte has released five solo albums both as Ashton Nyte and Ashton Nyte and the Accused in addition to his numerous releases as The Awakening...
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 titled "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, 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, Request, embraced the electronic and industrial sounds of 1980s new romantic movementNew Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
. 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 his own independent record label. 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 MenaceEthereal Menace
Ethereal Menace is the third album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening released in July 1999. The album utilizes elements of industrial music, a style later later dubbed as "dark future rock" by Nyte...
’’, 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
South African Music Awards
The South African Music Awards are an annual award ceremony, run by the Recording Industry of South Africa , where accolades are presented to members of South Africa's music industry. Winners receive a statuette is called a SAMA. The event was established in 1995...
winner, director Eban Olivier's Concrete Productions, and the video was placed in rotation on MTV Europe
MTV Europe
MTV Europe is a pan-European 24-hour entertainment cable and digital television network launched on August 1, 1987. Initially, the channel served all regions within Europe being one of the very few channels that targeted the entire European continent...
.
The Fourth Seal of Zeen
In December 1999, Nyte took a break from The Awakening to concentrate on releasing his first solo album, The Slender NudesThe Slender Nudes
The Slender Nudes is the 1st studio album by South African recording artist Ashton Nyte, frontman for the Gothic Rock band The Awakening. The style is described as "Ziggy era Glam Rock with 80's-induced synthpop" and the album ranked 14th on the Top 30 Albums for 2000 in South Africa.The album...
. Nyte returned to The Awakening in September 2000, when the band released its darkest album yet, The Fourth Seal of Zeen
The Fourth Seal of Zeen
The Fourth Seal of Zeen is the 4th studio album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening, released in 2000. The album features the band's most well-known single "The Dark Romantics" as well as the singles "Eve" and "Amethyst" which became both fan and media favourites...
. 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, the EP 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
Dirt Sense
Dirt Sense is the 2nd studio album by South African recording artist Ashton Nyte, frontman for the Gothic Rock band The Awakening. Described as "stripped down, minimalist, under-produced, almost dirty", and "a powerful album with strong tunes and hard-hitting lyrics" the album contains some of the...
, 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 HereticsRoadside Heretics
Roadside Heretics is the 5th studio album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening, released in 2002.-Recording:In June 2002 The Awakening recorded its most aggressive album, Roadside Heretics. Regarding Roadside Heretics, HM Magazine wrote that "Ashton Nyte has a great understanding of...
. 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 the compilation albumSacrificial Etchings featuring singles from 1997 to 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, Sinister SwingSinister Swing
Sinister Swing is the 3rd studio album by South African recording artist Ashton Nyte, frontman for the Gothic rock band The Awakening. Described as "organic electronic / experimental" music, the album received critical acclaim for the hybrid of pre-80's electro and the "icy echoes of...
, in 2003. A year later Nyte began to work on The Awakening’s most ambitious album by far, Darker Than Silence
Darker Than Silence
Darker Than Silence is the 6th studio album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening, released in 2004.-Recording:In 2004 The Awakening began to work on its most ambitious album by far, titled as Darker Than Silence, with lyrical themes about devastation and medication...
, 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, Headspace
Headspace (Ashton Nyte album)
Headspace is the 4th studio album by South African recording artist Ashton Nyte, frontman for alternative rock band The Awakening. The album was released under the name Ashton Nyte and The Accused, representing the live line-up of five musicians including Nyte...
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 RecordsMassacre Records
Massacre Records is an independent record label based in Abstatt, Germany.The label was founded in 1991 by Torsten Hartmann. The label is specialized on bands of the harder varieties of metal...
. The Awakening then released its seventh studio album, Razor Burn
Razor Burn
Razor Burn is the 7th studio album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening, released on Massacre Records in Germany and Intervention Arts in Africa and the US in September 2006.-Recording:...
. With the European distribution and marketing of Massacre Records
Massacre Records
Massacre Records is an independent record label based in Abstatt, Germany.The label was founded in 1991 by Torsten Hartmann. The label is specialized on bands of the harder varieties of metal...
, 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 MagazineHM Magazine
HM: The Hard Music Magazine is an American bimonthly publication focusing on both Christianity and hard rock. Articles include news, album and festival reviews, posters, artists to watch, indie artist reviews, devotionals and interviews with Christian artists...
’s stage at Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
2008. Nyte’s fifth solo album, The Valley
The Valley (Ashton Nyte album)
The Valley is the 5th studio album by South African recording artist Ashton Nyte. The album was first released in 2009 to South Africa, with a US release in June 2010. While the recordings on the releases are identical, the US release features entirely different album artwork and digipak packaging...
, was released in South Africa in October 2008 and in the USA in June 2010.
In 2009 the band completed another US tour in promotion of The Awakening’s eighth studio album, Tales of Absolution and Obsoletion
Tales of Absolution and Obsoletion
Tales of Absolution & Obsoletion is the 8th studio album by the gothic rock band The Awakening, released worldwide via Intervention Arts in June 2009.-Recording:...
released June 2009, which was described as 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 romanticNew Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
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
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
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.
Studio albums
- Risen (1997)
- Request (1998)
- Ethereal MenaceEthereal MenaceEthereal Menace is the third album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening released in July 1999. The album utilizes elements of industrial music, a style later later dubbed as "dark future rock" by Nyte...
(1999) - The Fourth Seal of ZeenThe Fourth Seal of ZeenThe Fourth Seal of Zeen is the 4th studio album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening, released in 2000. The album features the band's most well-known single "The Dark Romantics" as well as the singles "Eve" and "Amethyst" which became both fan and media favourites...
(2000) - Roadside HereticsRoadside HereticsRoadside Heretics is the 5th studio album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening, released in 2002.-Recording:In June 2002 The Awakening recorded its most aggressive album, Roadside Heretics. Regarding Roadside Heretics, HM Magazine wrote that "Ashton Nyte has a great understanding of...
(2002) - Sacrificial Etchings (best of) (2003)
- Darker Than SilenceDarker Than SilenceDarker Than Silence is the 6th studio album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening, released in 2004.-Recording:In 2004 The Awakening began to work on its most ambitious album by far, titled as Darker Than Silence, with lyrical themes about devastation and medication...
(2004) - Razor BurnRazor BurnRazor Burn is the 7th studio album by the South African gothic rock band The Awakening, released on Massacre Records in Germany and Intervention Arts in Africa and the US in September 2006.-Recording:...
(2006) - Tales of Absolution and ObsoletionTales of Absolution and ObsoletionTales of Absolution & Obsoletion is the 8th studio album by the gothic rock band The Awakening, released worldwide via Intervention Arts in June 2009.-Recording:...
(2009)
Compilation appearances
- 5FM SA Music Explosion 1 EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
- Dark Awakening COP International
- Unquiet Grave 2 Cleopatra RecordsCleopatra RecordsCleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...
- 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
- Underworld Soundtrack
Television appearances
SABC:- Geraas
- SA City Life
- Replay
- Top Billing
- The Works
DSTV
DStv
DStv is MultiChoice's multi-channel digital satellite TV service in Africa, launched in 1995. It operates from two satellites over Africa, broadcasting on Ku band via Eutelsat W7 and Intelsat 7 , which only requires a small satellite dish...
:
- Go!
- MK89
M-NET
M-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
:
- Live @ 5
MTV Europe
MTV Europe
MTV Europe is a pan-European 24-hour entertainment cable and digital television network launched on August 1, 1987. Initially, the channel served all regions within Europe being one of the very few channels that targeted the entire European continent...
:
- Alternative Nation
Current line up
- Ashton NyteAshton NyteAshton Nyte is a South African born singer, songwriter, producer, composer and front man of the South African alternative rock band The Awakening. Nyte has released five solo albums both as Ashton Nyte and Ashton Nyte and the Accused in addition to his numerous releases as The Awakening...
– vocals, guitar, songwriter - Jeremy Kohnmann – guitar
- Rose MortemRose MortemRose Mortem is the fashion label of American fashion designer Rose Mortem, most widely known for her dark romantic fashion stylings, and her involvement with underground music as a promoter, musician and disc jockey....
– 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