Fusing hip-hop vocals and ryhthms with classical compositions and post-industrial rock, Stromkern have been carving out a unique sound for over a decade. Founded by J. Ned Kirby in the early 1990s, initial releases (such as the 1997 debut Flicker Like A Candle) were heavily influenced by the danceable sounds of the European electro scene, but already the influences of Ned's classical training and love of hip-hop and noise were readily apparent, especially on tracks like the international hit "Heretic". The follow-up album, 1999's Dämmerung im Traum, was a more experimental affair, blending orchestral arrangements with minimal techno elements.

The band took to the road in 2000 for the first time on European club and festival tour. In 2001, with Ned now joined in the studio by Kelly Shaffer, Stromkern released the Armageddon album, their first in the States. The album spawns three singles, all of which spend the maximum alloted time in the German Alternative Charts, and the album version of "Night Riders" becomes an instant classic. Joined by Rob Wentz of Monstrum Sepsis on keys and Matt Berger on drums, Stromkern began to perform live with increasing frequency, quickly developing a reputation as a powerful live act due largely to a commitment to live performance as opposed to simple playback, the status quo for so many heavily electronic acts.

Now, almost four years after the release of Armageddon comes Stromkern's 4th studio album, Light It Up. The effects of four years of touring can be heard throughout the record, but most clearly on tracks like "Forgiven" or "Delete", with pummeling acoustic drums and guitars meshing with Stromkern's signature electronic core. The new album also marks the band's first forays into outside vocal collaborations, with Frank Spinath of Seabound guesting on the technoid "Sentinel" and Victoria Lloyd of Claire Voyant on the ballad "Hindsight". The first single "Stand Up", a classic Stromkern track packed with dense sequences and Ned's rapid-fire vocal, peaked at #4 in the German Alternative Charts and remains in regular rotation at clubs throughout the world. Lyrically, Light It Up presents Ned's reflections on the last several years spent living in the United States: war, terrorism, globalization, corruption and greed are the topics of the day.

Reminders Stand Up Light It Up