Delerium is a Canadian

new-age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consid ...

ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

al duo that formed in 1987, originally as a side project of the influential industrial music act

Front Line Assembly Front Line Assembly (FLA) is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 in music, 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. FLA has developed its own sound incorporating elements of electronic body music and electro-industrial. The ba ...

. Throughout the band's history, their musical style has encompassed a broad range, including dark ethereal ambient

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

, voiceless industrial soundscapes, and electronic pop music. They are best known for their worldwide hit "

Silence Silence is the absence of ambient hearing, audible sound, the emission of sounds of such low sound intensity, intensity that they do not draw attention to themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense can be exten ...

". The band is known to feature female guest vocalists on their albums since their 1994 album ''

Semantic Spaces ''Semantic Spaces'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian industrial/electronic music group Delerium in 1994. Guest musicians on the album include Greg Reely and Kristy Thirsk. Thirsk was dubbed "The Voice of Delerium" for providing vocals to " ...

''.

Members and history

Delerium has traditionally been a two-person project, but the only constant member throughout its history has been

Bill Leeb Wilhelm Anton "Bill" Leeb (born 21 September 1966, in Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian-Canadian electronic musician and record producer. He is best known for being a founding member of the industrial music group Front Line Assembly and Deleri ...

. Leeb was an early member of industrial music pioneers

Skinny Puppy Skinny Puppy was a Canadian electro-industrial band formed in Vancouver in 1982. The group was among the founders of the industrial rock and electro-industrial genres. Initially envisioned as an experimental side-project by cEvin Key (Kevin Crom ...

, but after he left in 1986 he went on to create his own project,

, with collaborator Michael Balch. Later, the two worked on the side project Delerium and released their first album, ''

Faces, Forms & Illusions ''Faces, Forms & Illusions'' is the debut studio album by the Canadian ambient/electronic music group Delerium that was released on January 6, 1989 on the Dossier label. The album was re-issued in 1997 on Cleopatra Records with the bonus track "D ...

''. After Balch left both Front Line Assembly and Delerium, Leeb worked with

Rhys Fulber Nowell Rhys Fulber (born October 10, 1970) is a Canadian electronic musician and producer. He is a member of Front Line Assembly and Delerium, along with Bill Leeb. He also records under his own name and under the name Conjure One. Biograph ...

, and the two released several albums under the Delerium moniker; these years saw a gradual stylistic change from darker ambient to a more danceable sound. After the release of ''

Karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...

'', Fulber left to pursue other interests, and Leeb teamed up with producer Chris Peterson to release ''

Poem Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

''. 2003, however, saw the reunion of Leeb and Fulber for the release of ''

Chimera Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to: * Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals * Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilicia ...

'', followed by '' Nuages du Monde'' in 2006. In contrast to Leeb and collaborators' other projects, Delerium has included several guest

vocalists Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

since the release of ''

''. These have included mostly women, such as

Kristy Thirsk Kristy Thirsk is a platinum-selling Canadian singer-songwriter best known for her work with Delerium. Rose Chronicles Thirsk was the singer and a co-writer for the band Rose Chronicles, which was signed to Nettwerk in the 1990s. Rose Chronicles ...

(of Rose Chronicles),

Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing (album), Surfacing'' (1997), for which she won two G ...

Leigh Nash Leigh Anne Bingham Nash ( ; born June 27, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter who is the lead vocalist for the Christian alternative rock band Sixpence None the Richer and was also a member of Fauxliage. Her debut solo album, ''Blue on ...

(of

Sixpence None the Richer Sixpence None the Richer is an American Christian alternative rock band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, and eventually settled in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their songs " Kiss Me" and " Breathe Your Name" and their cover ...

), Elsieanne Caplette (of Elsiane),

Lisa Gerrard Lisa Germaine Gerrard ( ; born 12 April 1961) is an Australian musician, singer and composer and member of the group Dead Can Dance with music partner Brendan Perry. She is known for her unique singing style technique (glossolalia). She has a ...

(sampled only),

Jaël Jaël (aka Jaël Malli; born Rahel Krebs; 19 August 1979 in Bern, Switzerland) is a Swiss musician who was the frontwoman and lead singer of the band Lunik from 1998 to 2013. She worked several times with Delerium, co-writing, and singing "Aft ...

(of Swiss band

Lunik Lunik () is a band from Switzerland. There are currently three members. Lunik started in 1997 with Adi Amstutz, Luk Zimmermann, Mats Marti, Walo Müller and Anton Höglhammer. Singer Jaël joined the band in 1998 and Anton Höglhammer left the l ...

Camille Henderson Camille Henderson is a Canadian pop singer. She played the role of Shirley in Sandy Wilson's 1985 Canadian film '' My American Cousin''. She went on to become part of the Vancouver-based pop group West End Girls from 1991 to 1993. Following her ...

Nerina Pallot Nerina Natasha Georgina Pallot (born 26 April 1974) is a British singer, songwriter and producer, who has released eight albums and over a dozen EPs. She was nominated for British Female Solo Artist at the 2007 BRIT Awards and nominated for an ...

Emily Haines Emily Savitri Haines (born 25 January 1974) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is the lead singer, keyboardist and songwriter of the rock band Metric and a member of the musical collective Broken Social Scene. As a solo artist, she has pe ...

(of

Metric Metric or metrical may refer to: Measuring * Metric system, an internationally adopted decimal system of measurement * An adjective indicating relation to measurement in general, or a noun describing a specific type of measurement Mathematics ...

), Jacqui Hunt (of

Single Gun Theory Single Gun Theory was an Australian electronic dance music band formed in 1986. Founding mainstay members were Jacqui Hunt on lead vocals; Kath Power on vocal melodies and synthesiser; and Peter Rivett-Carnac on guitar, synthesiser and sampling ...

Isabel Bayrakdarian Isabel Bayrakdarian (; born February 1, 1974) is a Lebanese-born Canadian operatic soprano of Armenian descent who now resides and works in the United States. Early life Born in Zahlé, Lebanon, into an Armenian family, she moved to Canada as a ...

and

Shelley Harland Shelley Ann Harland-Wright (born as Shelley Ann Harland, Caterham, Surrey) is an English singer-songwriter and producer. She started her music career in New York and performed mononymously as Harland. She then moved to Australia and released ma ...

. Other than Leeb, only three males have contributed vocals to a Delerium album:

Matthew Sweet Sidney Matthew Sweet (born October 6, 1964) is an American alternative rock/power pop singer-songwriter and musician who was part of the burgeoning music scene in Athens, Georgia, during the 1980s before gaining commercial success in the 1990 ...

("Daylight", on ''Poem''), Greg Froese ("Apparition", on ''Nuages du Monde''), and Michael Logen ("Days Turn into Nights", on ''Music Box Opera''); in addition, the noted

griot A griot (; ; Manding languages, Manding: or (in N'Ko script, N'Ko: , or in French spelling); also spelt Djali; or / ; ) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. Griots are masters of communicatin ...

Baaba Maal Baaba Maal (, born 13 June 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July ...

was sampled ("Awakenings, on "

Spiritual Archives ''Spiritual Archives'' is the fifth studio album by Delerium, released on June 12, 1991, through Dossier. Track listing The re-issue on the Hypnotic label omits "Barren Ground" in the album's artwork, but it is included on the actual disc. Th ...

"). The

Mediæval Bæbes The Mediæval Bæbes is a British musical ensemble founded in 1996 by Dorothy Carter and Katharine Blake. It included some of Blake's colleagues from the band Miranda Sex Garden, as well as other friends who shared her love of medieval music. ...

provided the vocal track for, and starred in the video of, ''Aria''; the vocals are an adapted version of the vocals from "All Turns to Yesterday" on the Bæbes' ''

Worldes Blysse ''Worldes Blysse'' is the second album by British vocal group Mediæval Bæbes The Mediæval Bæbes is a British musical ensemble founded in 1996 by Dorothy Carter and Katharine Blake. It included some of Blake's colleagues from the band ...

'' album. They are also featured on two tracks from Delerium's 2006 album, ''Nuages du Monde''. In addition to these two mainstays, related collaborations between Leeb and Fulber, Peterson, and/or Balch include

Equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun appears directly above the equator, rather than to its north or south. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise directly east and set directly west. This occurs twice each year, arou ...

, Intermix,

Noise Unit Noise Unit is a Canadian industrial band, founded by Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly as a side project. The band has seen several changes in line-up, with Bill Leeb being the only permanent member. History Noise Unit's first album, ''Grinding i ...

Pro-Tech ''Orbiting Cathedrals'' is the only album by ''Pro>Tech'', a side project of Canadian industrial musician Bill Leeb with the help of industrial musician Chris Peterson. The project was launched in 1997 in the wake of the release of the album '' ...

, and Synæsthesia, among others. In addition, in 2007 Leeb and Fulber collaborated with Leigh Nash under the name

Fauxliage __NOTOC__ ''Fauxliage'' is a musical project consisting of Canadian electronic musicians Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber, both of Delerium and Front Line Assembly, and Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer in 2007. The vocals are performed exclusively ...

. Rhys Fulber has also maintained a solo project

Conjure One Conjure One is a Canadian electronic music project, headed by Rhys Fulber, better known as a member of Front Line Assembly and Delerium. History After performing with Front Line Assembly at the 1996 Roskilde Festival, Fulber left the band to pu ...

since his temporary exit from Delerium.

Music

The single "

", featuring vocals by

, reached number three on the UK

music chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, ofte ...

s. In 2000, three years after ''Karma'' was released, notable DJs such as

Tiësto Tijs Michiel Verwest (; born 17 January 1969), known professionally as Tiësto ( , ), is a Dutch DJ and record producer. He was voted "The Greatest DJ of All Time" by ''Mix (magazine), Mix'' magazine in a 2010/2011 poll amongst fans. In 2013, h ...

and

Airscape Airscape is a Belgian Trance music, trance act composed of Johan Gielen. Formerly including Sven Maes, the group also recorded as Svenson & Gielen () and several other pseudonyms. The original two-man group dissolved in 2005, each going solo. In ...

produced

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

es of "Silence", which generated interest and gained considerable radio

airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...

for the original track, albeit most airplay was for the remixes. In 2003, Delerium embarked on their first tour, with vocals performed by

and Shelley Harland. In January 2005, Delerium performed at the ''One World''

benefit concert A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate h ...

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

for the 2004 Asian tsunami, where "Silence" was performed live for the first time with

. The song has been described as one of the greatest trance songs of all time.

Awards

Delerium has received two

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

s for Best Dance Recording: in 1998 for "Euphoria (

Rabbit in the Moon Rabbit in the Moon is an American electronic music group that formed in 1991. Their style draws from psychedelic trance, house music and breakbeat, along with other diverse influences. They were among the first to mix theatrical stage perform ...

Mix)", and in 2000 for "Silence".

Discography

Albums / EPs

* ''

'' (Dossier, 1989), LP / CD * ''

Morpheus Morpheus ('Fashioner', derived from the meaning 'form, shape') is a god associated with sleep and dreams. In Ovid's ''Metamorphoses'' he is the son of Somnus (Sleep, the Roman counterpart of Hypnos) and appears in dreams in human form. From the ...

'' (Dossier, 1989), LP / CD * ''

Syrophenikan ''Syrophenikan'' is the third studio album by Canadian ambient/electronic music group Delerium in 1990. Track listing External links * Syrophenikan' at Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information abo ...

'' (Dossier, 1990), LP / CD * '' Stone Tower'' (Dossier, 1991), LP / CD * ''

'' (Dossier, 1991), CD * ''

Euphoric Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and danci ...

'' (Third Mind, 1991), EP / CD * ''

Spheres The Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellite (SPHERES) are a series of miniaturized satellites developed by MIT's Space Systems Laboratory for NASA and US Military, to be used as a low-risk, extensible test bed for t ...

'' (Dossier, 1994), CD * ''

'' (Nettwerk, 1994), CD (August 23) * '' Spheres 2'' (Dossier, 1994), CD * ''

'' (Nettwerk, 1997), LP / CD (April 22) * ''

'' (Nettwerk, 2000), LP / CD (November 21) * ''

'' (Nettwerk, 2003), CD (June 24) * '' Nuages du Monde'' (Nettwerk, 2006), CD (October 3) * ''

Music Box Opera ''Music Box Opera'' is the thirteenth studio album by Canadian new age/electronic music group Delerium Delerium is a Canadian new-age ambient electronic musical duo that formed in 1987, originally as a side project of the influential indu ...

'' (Nettwerk, 2012), CD (October 30) * '' Mythologie'' (Metropolis Records, 2016), LP/CD (September 23) * ''Signs'' (Metropolis Records, 2023), LP/CD (March 10)

Singles

Compilations

* ''Reflections I'' (Dossier, 1995), CD * ''Reflections II'' (Dossier, 1995), CD * '' Archives I'' (Nettwerk, 2002), 2CD * '' Archives II'' (Nettwerk, 2002), 2CD * '' Odyssey: The Remix Collection'' (Nettwerk, 2001), 2CD * ''The Best Of'' (Nettwerk, 2004), CD * ''Remixed: The Definitive Collection'' (Nettwerk, 2010), CD * '' Voice (An Acoustic Collection)'' (Nettwerk, 5 Oct. 2010) CD * '' Rarities & B-Sides'' (Nettwerk, 21 April 2015)

Online exclusive

* "Above the Clouds" (2003), a download-only song featuring Shelley Harland available through iTunes Music Store and other

online music store A digital music store is a business that sells digital audio files of music recordings over the Internet. Customers gain ownership of a license to use the files, in contrast to a music streaming service, where they listen to recordings withou ...

Music videos

* "Flowers Become Screens" (1994)directed by William Morrison * "Incantation" (1994) * "Euphoria (Firefly)" (1997) * "Duende" (1997) * "Silence" (

Mix) (2000) * "Underwater" (

Rank 1 Rank 1 is a Dutch trance group founded by Piet Bervoets and Benno de Goeij in 1999. Although Piet & Benno had worked together since 1997, Rank 1 was the first project which saw them achieve commercial success beyond the Trance scene. Widely reg ...

Remix) (2000) * "Aria" (2000) * "Innocente" (

Lost Witness Lost Witness is the English trance producer and DJ Simon Paul (also known as Si Paul), working in collaboration with songwriter Edward Barton, writer of the 1983 Jane & Barton single, "It's a Fine Day" (later covered by Opus III in 1992), a ...

Remix) (2001) * "Underwater" ( Above & Beyond's 21st Century Remix) (2002) * "After All" (2003) * "After All" (

Svenson & Gielen Airscape is a Belgian trance act composed of Johan Gielen. Formerly including Sven Maes, the group also recorded as Svenson & Gielen () and several other pseudonyms. The original two-man group dissolved in 2005, each going solo. In 2009, Airsca ...

Edit) (2003) * "Angelicus" (2007) * "Lost and Found" (2007) * "Dust in Gravity" (2009) * "Dust in Gravity (

Sultan & Ned Shepard Sultan and Shepard (stylized as Sultan + Shepard) are a Canadian electronic music duo who frequently collaborate in record production, songwriting, and remixing. Biography Background Sultan, born Ossama Al Sarraf, lived in Kuwait, Cyprus, and Eg ...

Remix)" (2009) * "Monarch" (2012) * "Days Turn into Nights" (2013) * "Chrysalis Heart" (2013) * "Glimmer" (2015) * "Stay" (2018) * "In the Deep" (2023)

Remixes

Tara MacLean Tara Margaret Charity MacLean (born October 25, 1973) is a Canadian musician, singer, and composer. Her songs as a solo artist include "Evidence", "If I Fall (Tara MacLean song), If I Fall", and a cover of the Christmas song "Light of the Stabl ...

– "Divided" (2000) *

Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano singer and actress. Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, she made ...

– "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (2001) * Sasha Lazard – "Awakening" (2002) *

Clint Mansell Clinton Darryl Mansell (; born 7 November 1963) is an English musician, singer, and composer. He served as the lead vocalist of alt-rock band Pop Will Eat Itself. After the band's dissolution, Mansell moved to the United States and embarked on ...

– "Requiem for a Dream Soundtrack - Deluxed" (2002) *

– "Waiting" (2003) * Phildel – "Comfort Me" (2013)

Third-party compilations that include Delerium

* ''Space Daze: The History & Mystery of Electronic Ambient Space Rock'' (Cleopatra, 1994), 2CD (featured the song "Dark Matter" from the album ''Spheres''). * '' The Crow: Stairway to Heaven'', 1998 (featured the song "Silence" in one episode). * ''

Brokedown Palace ''Brokedown Palace'' is a 1999 American drama film directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and starring Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, and Bill Pullman. It deals with two American friends imprisoned in Thailand for alleged drug smuggling. Its title is t ...

'' Soundtrack (Island, 1999), CD (prominently featured "Silence"). * ''

Tomb Raider ''Tomb Raider'', known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an Action-adventure game, action-adventure video game series created by British video game developer Core Design. The franchise i ...

'' Soundtrack (Elektra / Wea, 2001), CD (featured a slightly stripped "Laras mix" of "Terra Firma"). * ''Best of Mystera'' (Polys, 2000), 2CD * ''Doctor Death's Volume IV: The Marvels of Insect Life'' (C'est la Mort, 1990) CD (featured the song "A Certain Trust"). * ''Faeries: A Musical Companion to the Art of Brian Froud'' (RCA, 2002) CD (featured the song "Nature's Kingdom").

References

External links

Delerium Delerium is a Canadian new-age ambient electronic musical duo that formed in 1987, originally as a side project of the influential industrial music act Front Line Assembly. Throughout the band's history, their musical style has encompassed a ...

Billboard.com ''Billboard'' (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to the ...

Mindphaser.com
Delerium, Front Line Assembly, Conjure One, Decree and side projects website. * {{Authority control Canadian house music groups Canadian techno music groups Canadian ambient music groups Worldbeat groups Musical groups from Vancouver Musical groups established in 1987 Canadian remixers Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year winners Third Mind Records artists 1987 establishments in British Columbia Nettwerk Music Group artists