Ego Likeness is an American

darkwave Dark wave (also typeset as darkwave) is a music genre that emerged from the new wave and post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Dark wave compositions are largely based on minor key tonality and introspective lyrics and have been perceived as be ...

industrial rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Cromagnon, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubaute ...

band from

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...

. They were formed in 1999 by artist Steven Archer and writer Donna Lynch.

History

Early work

Ego Likeness began as an experimental and dark

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow temp ...

project. A demo called ''Songs from a Dead City'', recorded on a four-track and self-produced by Archer and Lynch, was released in 1999. In 2000, Archer and Lynch took the project in a darker electronic and dance direction, resulting in a self-released full-length album entitled ''

Dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

'' under EL's own label, Angelfall.

Dancing Ferret Records

After a short hiatus from recording, a lengthy period of trial, error, revision, and many live performances, Ego Likeness signed with

Dancing Ferret Discs The Dancing Ferret entertainment group is an unofficial collective name for Dancing Ferret Discs and Dancing Ferret Concerts. It was started by Patrick Rodgers (a.k.a. DJ Ferret) in 1995 in music, 1995 with the formation of Dancing Ferret Concerts ...

for the 2004 release of ''

Water to the Dead ''Water to the Dead'' is an album by the gothic rock band Ego Likeness. Released in 2004 on Dancing Ferret Discs, the album takes a more rock approach to their established electronic sound. The name ''Water to the Dead'' was, like the band's name ...

''. This album featured the band’s electronic roots while exploring a bit of a heavier rock sound. In 2005, Ego Likeness toured

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small land ...

, and the continental US with Dancing Ferret label mates

The Crüxshadows The Crüxshadows is an American dark wave and dark synthpop band currently based in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. The band has an international following of fans and has toured North America, Europe, and Asia. History The band was o ...

, as well as performing at several festivals on the east and west coast, including Convergence 11 (San Diego CA), Dracula’s Ball (Philadelphia PA),

Blacksun Festival The Blacksun Festival was an annual 3-day goth and industrial music international festival held in New Haven, Connecticut, spread out between several different venues. History The festival started in 2005. The festival billed itself as more t ...

I (New Haven CT), Freaks United (DC), Eccentrik Festival I (Raleigh NC),

Dragon Con Dragon Con (previously Dragon*Con and sometimes DragonCon) is a North American multigenre convention, founded in 1987, which takes place annually over the Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. , the convention draws attendance of over 80,000, ...

(Atlanta GA), Ring Con (Fulda, Germany) and others. Their first album, ''Dragonfly'', was also re-released on

in 2005. In 2006, Ego Likeness released their third full-length album, ''

The Order of the Reptile The Order of the Reptile is the third full-length album by darkwave musical duo Ego Likeness. It was released on July 4, 2006 on Dancing Ferret Discs The Dancing Ferret entertainment group is an unofficial collective name for Dancing Ferret Dis ...

'', which ventured back into the realms of heavy electronica, a bit of

, some

goth rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...

, and

. 2006 also saw the release of ''

Where's Neil When You Need Him? ''Where's Neil When You Need Him?'' is a tribute album based on the works of fantasy writer Neil Gaiman. Overview The album was released on Dancing Ferret Discs on July 18, 2006. The CD has cover art by Dave McKean and extensive new liner notes f ...

'', a tribute to writer

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...

, featuring the song "You Better Leave the Stars Alone", written for the book ''

Stardust Stardust may refer to: * A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space Entertainment Songs * “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael * “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974 * “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012 * ...

''. The band toured Germany once again and the US with

and

Ayria Ayria is a Canadian futurepop/synthpop musical project formed in early 2003 by Toronto's Jennifer Parkin following her departure from the futurepop and EBM band Epsilon Minus. Biography The first Ayria album, '' Debris'', was released on Al ...

throughout the winter of 2006–2007. In 2007, Ego Likeness toured

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

and the UK with

and

Angelspit Angelspit is an electronic music band originally from Sydney, Australia, and currently based in Chicago, United States. The band was formed in 2004 by vocalists/ synthesists Destroyx (Amelia Tan) and ZooG (Karl Learmont). The band's music comb ...

. They have also often performed at sci-fi/fantasy convention

, where they are semi-regular guests along with a number of other dark alternative bands. Ego Likeness also performs regularly at Wicked Faire in Somerset, New Jersey.

''The Compass'' EPs

In 2007, Ego Likeness began self-releasing the first of four EPs, collectively titled ''The Compass''. The first, ''

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

'', featured new songs and old remixes. 2008 brought about the second of the Compass EPs, ''

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

'', as well as their single, "The Lowest Place on Earth". This was supported by a US tour throughout late winter and spring. In 2009, the ''

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''no ...

'' EP is released, featuring duet with The Dark Clan and a cover of

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

's "Down by the Water." Ego Likeness also embarked on a tour as a supporting act for

Combichrist Combichrist is an American aggrotech / industrial metal band formed in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua, who also founded the bands Icon of Coil, Panzer AG, Scandinavian Cock and Scandy. Combichrist was formed in Atlanta, Georgia and ...

and

Julien-K Julien-K is an American electronic rock band based in Long Beach, California, that began as a side project for electronic music created by Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck from Orgy, alongside Anthony 'Fu' Valcic. The band's name comes from the movie ...

. In 2012, the final EP in the Compass series, ''

East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...

'', was released. The EP contained two original tracks, a cover of

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Poli ...

's "Tea in the Sahara", and seven remixes from various artists including

and

Komor Kommando Sebastian R. Komor (born 7 May 1976) is a Polish-born, Norwegian-raised electronic musician, best known for his collaborative work in Icon of Coil and Zombie Girl. A prolific artist, Komor has also released electronic music under a variety of sol ...

Metropolis Records

2010s

Ego Likeness were signed to

Metropolis Records Metropolis Records is a record label founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pen ...

and released their fourth album, ''

Breedless Ego Likeness is an American darkwave/industrial rock band from Baltimore, Maryland. They were formed in 1999 by artist Steven Archer and writer Donna Lynch. History Early work Ego Likeness began as an experimental and dark trip hop project. A ...

'', on April 13, 2010.Ego Likeness Official Site
Egolikeness.com. Retrieved April 26, 2012. The album received critical acclaim from music magazines ''ReGen'' and ''Reflections of Darkness''. Ego Likeness has also contributed to multiple volumes of the cancer-benefit compilations, ''Electronic Saviors''. On August 14, 2012, the first single, "Treacherous Things" for the upcoming album "When the Wolves Return" was released along with a music video for the song directed by Kyle Cassidy. On October 29, 2013, the group announced on their official Facebook page a Winter 2013 US headlining tour with support from ''Servitior''. In 2015, "When The Wolves Return" full-length album was released, along with a single featuring a dozen remixes of the album track "New Legion."

Additional background

Ego Likeness have also shared the stage with

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his '' nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

, The Damned, Chris Connelly, Collide,

Razed in Black Razed in Black is an electronic music act created by Romell Regulacion (vocals, keyboards, guitars) and was supported in live performances by band members Chris Nelson and Raj Kapololu. The band was formed in Hawaii in 1994 and signed to Cleopat ...

Bella Morte Bella Morte is a gothic rock band that was formed in 1996 in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. They incorporate elements of metal, dark wave, deathrock, alternative and synthpop. The band's name means "beautiful death" in Italian. Acc ...

Das Ich Das Ich is a German dark wave/gothic- industrial band formed in 1989. The group, fronted by Stefan Ackermann and Bruno Kramm, were one of the prominent founders of and contributors to " Neue Deutsche Todeskunst" (''New German Death Art'') a musi ...

, Rasputina, The Start,

Iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

Decoded Feedback Decoded Feedback is a Canadian musical project which incorporates styles of electro-industrial and aggrotech. The duo releases music on the North American distributor Metropolis Records, and the European record label Infacted Recordings. Histo ...

The Azoic The Azoic is an electronic music band that was formed in Columbus, Ohio in February 1996. History In October 1996, they received a record contract from Worm Records and released their first CD, ''The Divine Suffering'', in April 1997. Shawn lef ...

More Machine Than Man More Machine Than Man is an American industrial rock / coldwave / goth rock band. It was formed by two musicians under the pseudonyms, Tasha Katrine and Tech (later changed to Robzilla). More Machine Than Man has independently released three f ...

In Strict Confidence In Strict Confidence is a German electro-industrial band. Formed in 1989, they were known as ''Seal of Secrecy'' until 1992. In Strict Confidence has been signed to several record labels, including Metropolis Records and WTII Records. History ...

New Model Army The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Thr ...

, Attriton, The Last Dance, Peter Murphy, and many others.

Other projects

Lynch has written a dark fiction novel entitled ''Isabel Burning'', released through

Raw Dog Screaming Press Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...

in 2008. She has also released two collections of poetry, ''In My Mouth'' (2000), and ''Ladies and Other Vicious Creatures'' (RDSP, 2007). Her latest, a novella called ''Driving Through the Desert'', was released on Thunderstorm Books in April 2012. Archer has released a children's book entitled ''Luna Maris'' and a steampunk fable

chapbook A chapbook is a small publication of up to about 40 pages, sometimes bound with a saddle stitch. In early modern Europe a chapbook was a type of printed street literature. Produced cheaply, chapbooks were commonly small, paper-covered bookl ...

titled ''Red King Black Rook'' in 2008. He is an accomplished visual artist whose collage-based work has appeared in numerous galleries and in ''

Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, prin ...

'' magazine. He periodically DJs at venues in Baltimore and DC, and occasionally performs with New York City's Terrorfakt. He is also the creator of the electronic/ noise project Hopeful Machines and continues to show art in various venues on the east coast. Additionally, Hopeful Machines was signed to Washington, DC-based label Radio-Active-Music in late 2008. Hopeful Machines' first hard copy album, ''::Skinless::'', was released in December 2008. Steven Archer is also the creator of the solo project Stoneburner, which incorporates elements of

experimental noise Noise music is a genre of music that is characterised by the expressive use of noise within a musical context. This type of music tends to challenge the distinction that is made in conventional musical practices between musical and non-musical ...

ethereal Ethereal may refer to: *Ethereal (horse), a horse that won Australia's Caulfield Cup as well as Melbourne Cup in 2001 *Ethereal wave, or simply ethereal, a subgenre of dark wave music *Wireshark, formerly named Ethereal, a free and open-source pack ...

, and

worldbeat Worldbeat is a music genre that blends pop music or rock music with world music or traditional music. Worldbeat is similar to other cross-pollination labels of contemporary and roots genres, and which suggest a rhythmic, harmonic or textural c ...

. Stoneburner's output explores themes of

neurodiversity Neurodiversity refers to diversity in the human brain and cognition, for instance in sociability, learning, attention, mood and other mental functions. It was coined in 1998 by sociologist Judy Singer, who helped popularize the concept al ...

as well as social issues such as

abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

and

anti-racism Anti-racism encompasses a range of ideas and political actions which are meant to counter racial prejudice, systemic racism, and the oppression of specific racial groups. Anti-racism is usually structured around conscious efforts and deliberate ...

, and has included homages to media such as

Donna Tartt Donna Louise Tartt (born December 23, 1963) is an American novelist and essayist. Early life Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta, the elder of two daughters. She was raised in the nearby town of Grenada. Her f ...

's ''The Secret History'' and Peter Watts' ''Blindsight''. In 2021, Steven Archer was nominated and became a finalist for a

Bram Stoker Award The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing. History The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since ...

for his graphic novel adaptation of

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

's ''Masque of the Red Death''. Archer and Lynch are also the creators of the experimental/instrumental/spoken word outfit The Trinity Project.

Personal lives

Steven Archer and Donna Lynch have both raised hairless

sphynx cat The Sphynx cat (pronounced , ) also known as the Canadian Sphynx, is a breed of cat known for its lack of fur. Hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation, and the Sphynx was developed through selective breeding of these anim ...

s. In addition, they are both ordained ministers of the

Universal Life Church The Universal Life Church (ULC) is a non-denominational religious organization founded in 1962 by Kirby J. Hensley,James R. Lewis, The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions' (2001), p. 769-70.U.S. Department of the Army, ''Religious R ...

. Donna Lynch has also been open about her struggles with

mood disorders A mood disorder, also known as an affective disorder, is any of a group of conditions of mental and behavioral disorder where a disturbance in the person's mood is the main underlying feature. The classification is in the '' Diagnostic and Stati ...

fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia (FM) is a medical condition defined by the presence of chronic widespread pain, fatigue, waking unrefreshed, cognitive symptoms, lower abdominal pain or cramps, and depression. Other symptoms include insomnia and a general hype ...

, and

Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the '' Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus '' Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema ...

. Steven Archer is openly on the

autism spectrum The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

, and has advocated for increased public understanding of both the creative potential of autistic individuals and the stigma autistic individuals face.

Members

Current

*Steven Archer – lead guitar, programming, vocals, music, words *Donna Lynch – vocals, piano, words, music *Mindcage Rick – live drums, rhythm guitar *Mike K. Johnson – live drums

Past

*Justin "Dingo" Sabe – keytar, synths, noise *Adam Goode – bass *Tim McCracken – keyboards *Dave O'Donnell – drums *Jenny Mettee – rhythm guitar, cello *Stephanie Kim – violin *Jerome Lintz – drums *Nick "Konchog Nyima" vonZoll – drums *Dan Mullin – rhythm guitar *Amanda Mason – keyboards, backing vocals *Shaun Mason – rhythm guitar *Magpie Killjoy – drums

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

*''

'', 2007 *''

'', 2008 *''

'', 2009 *''

'', 2012 *''Compass'', 2016

Singles

*"The Lowest Place on Earth" 2008 *"Treacherous Thing" 2012 *"New Legion" 2015

Remixes by Ego Likeness

*"When I Cared" –

The Perfects ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

on the rerelease of the album ''Future Automatic'' *"Cassandra" –

on the album ''

Fortress in Flames A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

'' *"Terribly When" – The Last Dance on the album ''Reflections of Rage'' *"Tarnished" –

Black Tape for a Blue Girl Black Tape for a Blue Girl (often stylized as black tape for a blue girl) is an American dark wave band formed in 1986 by keyboardist/songwriter Sam Rosenthal, the founder of Projekt Records. Their music takes on elements of dark wave, ether ...

on the single "The Scarecrow" *"Inside of You, In Spite of You (Ti Bon Ange Mix)" –

ThouShaltNot ThouShaltNot were an American electronic band formed in 1998. Their core lineup consisted of Alex Reed, Aaron Fuleki, and Jeremy Long. The band's musical style blended elements of post-punk, gothic rock, industrial, and synthpop. Based in Pittsb ...

on the single "The Projectionist" *"Vena Cava"-

on the CD ''

Krankhaus ''Krankhaus'' (comes from "Krankenhaus" which is German for ''Hospital'') is the debut studio album by Australian electro-industrial band Angelspit. It was self-released on 6 June 2006, and re-released on 30 January 2007 with a bonus remix di ...

'' *"Demon"- Hypofixx on the album ''After December'' *"Mantra (Shades of Grey version)"-

The Machine in the Garden ''The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral Ideal in America'' is a 1964 work of literary criticism written by Leo Marx and published by Oxford University Press. The title of the book refers to a trope in American literature represe ...

on the album ''XV''

Guest appearances

Little Drummer Boy "The Little Drummer Boy" (originally known as "Carol of the Drum") is a popular Christmas song written by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. First recorded in 1951 by the Trapp Family, the song was further popularized by a ...

" – With Nicki Jaine on the CD

Projekt Records Projekt is a Portland, Oregon-based independent record label started by Sam Rosenthal in 1983. Projekt releases music in the styles of darkwave, ambient, shoegaze, gothic rock, ethereal, dream-pop, and dark cabaret. Projekt artists include ...

' ''Holiday Single 1'' *''

Then and Again ''Then and Again'' is the fourth studio album by Cuban American dark cabaret singer Voltaire, released on October 26, 2004, through Projekt Records. Contrasting with most of Voltaire's albums, on which his songs are mostly humorous and satirica ...

'' –

* "

The NeverEnding Story ''The Neverending Story'' (german: Die unendliche Geschichte) is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. The novel was later adapted into several ...

" – The Dark Clan on the ''Goths on a Boat'' EP. * "

Princess Chaos Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning wiktionary:principal, principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. ...

" –

on "

Hideous and Perfect ''Hideous and Perfect'' is third studio album by Australian electro-industrial band Angelspit. Released on 9 September 2009, it marks the shortest time between two consecutive Angelspit albums, with '' Blood Death Ivory'' being released in 200 ...

" * "

The World Below ''The World Below'' is a science fiction novel by British writer S. Fowler Wright. It was first published in 1929 by Collins. The novel was originally intended as a trilogy, but the third part was never written. The first part was originall ...

" – Aioboforcen on Dedale *''

Raised By Bats ''Raised by Bats'' is the tenth studio album by Cuban American dark cabaret singer Voltaire, released in 2014. The album's production was crowdfunded by Voltaire's fans all over the world via a successful Indiegogo campaign; it would reach U ...

'' –

Compilation appearances

*''Asleep By Dawn Magazine Presents: DJ Ferret's Underground Club Mix #1'' *''The Best of Radio Free Abattoir'' *''Dancing In The Dark: 10 Years Of Dancing Ferret'' *''Dancing In The Dark: 2006'' *''

'' 2006 *'' Electronic Saviors: Industrial Music To Cure Cancer'' *'' Electronic Saviors: Industrial Music to Cure Cancer Vol. 2'' *"Gothic Spirits 12"

References

External links

Official website

Ego Likeness Live Journal

Hopeful Machines: Steven Archer's Atmospheric Electronica side project
{{Authority control 1999 establishments in Maryland Dependent Records artists Electronic music duos American industrial rock musical groups Metropolis Records artists Music based on Dune (franchise) Musical groups established in 1999 Musical groups from Maryland Musical quartets