Rockhal, Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg 4th November 2019
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It’s been an extraordinary 25 years for ARCHIVE, spanning 12 studio albums that encapsulate restlessly inventive shifts in sound, vision and personnel that has ensured the music has remained fresh, dynamic and absorbing. To celebrate their anniversary ARCHIVE release ‘25’, a deluxe box set highlighting 43 tracks over six vinyl discs (or four CDs), with eight new compositions, including lead-off single ‘Remains Of Nothing’, a collaboration with Southampton’s Band Of Skulls. The vinyl box set also includes a 10” EP and exclusive 7” single (a collaboration with Steve Mason ex Beta Band), plus a 160 page book of contemporary interviews with current and former band members and photos from ARCHIVE’s private collections.
Since their formation in Croydon, South London in 1994, ARCHIVE have operated as masters of their own destiny, eschewing prevailing trends for a more unique musical blend of their own. Founder members Darius Keeler and Danny Griffiths, who had previously worked together in pioneering drum & bass outfit GENASIDE II, joined forces with South London Rapper Rosko John, and Iranian-born singer Roya Arab, for 1996’s trip-hop tinged and critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Londinium’. By 2002 and the third album ‘You All Look The Same To Me’, the line-up had evolved further; Wooder had been replaced by Dubliner Craig Walker, and the music had broadened out, with cinematic and progressive traits coming to the fore: as Keeler recalls, “We got increasingly confident and ambitious.” Key evidence is the first of ARCHIVE’s side-long epics, the 16-minute ‘Again’, which despite its length became ARCHIVE’s breakthrough track at European radio.
Most recently, ‘The False Foundation’ (2016) was a darkly foreboding work, built around an underlying theme of “cults, false prophets and communities build on sand” according to Pen, musically the album represented a return to a rawer, more analogue sound. The tour that accompanied ‘The False Foundation’ was ARCHIVE’s most ambitious to date, it saw the band playing inside a giant cube of visual projections, to packed audiences right across Europe. And so to 2019, and the ‘25’ retrospective; as well as an opportunity to take stock of the journey so far, Keeler very much views the project as an opportunity to push on, reinforcing the concept of change and collaboration in the process. Says Keeler, “It’s been a great opportunity to collaborate with some new people, I think the track with BAND OF SKULLS (‘Remains Of Nothing’) is one of the best things we’ve ever done, and working with Steve Mason was a real honour too.”
‘Remains Of Nothing’ was co-written and sung with Emma Richardson and Russell Marsden of Southampton’s BAND OF SKULLS, whilst ‘Lightning Love’ is a shared venture with ex BETA BAND member Steve Mason. ‘25’ also introduces Welsh singer Lisa Mottram (aka Cherryshoes in her solo career) to the ARCHIVE collective, as it continues to push forward. For 25 years, ARCHIVE have been on an incredible journey: musical, spiritual and emotional. Says Griffiths, “It’s hard to fathom how we’ve stayed together all this time, but it’s remarkable, it’s longer than many marriages! I think it’s because Darius and I constantly challenge each other, there’s a mutual respect and understanding of where we want to go, and emotionally what we want to experience.” Says Keeler “I’m really proud of the work we’ve done as a collective over the years, and I’m excited to be celebrating that work in 2019. It really is all about the music!”
Additional Concert Info
Doors: 20:00
Start: 20:30
Tickets: are available for 35€ plus charges (pre-sale) via rockhal.lu
Info: https://www.rockhal.lu/events-tickets/rock-pop/show/detail/ARCHIVE-3/
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/222180985399816/
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