Contriva

Contriva emerged from Berlin as a group that gradually shed its early post-rock tendencies, rooted in imitation, to cultivate a singular voice within electronic pop. The project originated in the mid-'90s as a trio featuring drummer Hanns Lehmann, bassist Masha Qrella, and guitarist Max Punktezahl. Keyboardist Rike Schuberty came aboard in 1997, at which point the musicians intentionally began folding pop song frameworks into their writing. A series of understated singles and compilation appearances preceded the arrival of their debut album, Tell Me When, in 2000. The following year brought the double-disc set 8 Eyes (1996-1999) on Monika, which compiled scarce earlier recordings alongside remixes by Jan Jelinek, Superpitcher, Tom Thiel, and J. Burger. That same 2001 collection Teil 1—the debut release on the Leichtes Hören label—also spotlighted Burger’s version of the group’s “Next Time.”