Biography
Emigrate took form in the mid-2000s as a rhythm-focused vehicle for Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe and his characteristically driving guitar lines. Working in English, the band’s self-titled 2007 debut album reached the German Top Ten, after which Kruspe and his collaborators released Silent So Long in 2014, A Million Degrees in 2018, and The Persistence of Memory in 2021 during Rammstein’s recording and touring breaks.
The project first took shape in 2001 while Rammstein were promoting Mutter, when Kruspe composed a set of songs with his then-wife Caron Bernstein, yet it only moved forward once Rammstein chose to pause their activities in 2005. Alongside Kruspe, the lineup included guitarist Olsen Involtini, bassist/vocalist Margaux Bossieux, bassist/guitarist Arnaud Giroux, and drummer Henka Johansson, whose spot was later taken by Joe Letz.
The first Emigrate material surfaced in 2006 when Rammstein’s email newsletter subscribers were given the track “My World” as a free download. In 2007 the gritty, aggressive song appeared on both the Resident Evil: Extinction soundtrack and Emigrate’s self-titled Motor debut, which rose to number eight on the German charts and spawned the additional singles “New York City” and “Temptation.”
Following the release and touring cycle for Rammstein’s 2009 album Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, Kruspe resumed work on Emigrate, entering the studio with a roster of guest musicians and additional drummer Mikko Siren. The resulting 2014 release Silent So Long, issued on Vertigo, contained collaborations with Frank Delle on “Eat You Alive,” Peaches on “Get Down,” Lemmy Kilmister on “Rock City,” Marilyn Manson on “Hypothetical,” and Jonathan Davis on “Silent So Long.” After another extended pause, the project returned in 2018 with A Million Degrees on Spinefarm/Universal, featuring contributions from Billy Talent’s Benjamin Kowalewicz on “1234,” Ghost’s Cardinal Copia on “I’m Not Afraid,” and Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann on “Let’s Go.” Emigrate issued the singles “Freeze My Mind” and “You Can’t Run Away” in early 2021 ahead of their fourth studio album, The Persistence of Memory.
The project first took shape in 2001 while Rammstein were promoting Mutter, when Kruspe composed a set of songs with his then-wife Caron Bernstein, yet it only moved forward once Rammstein chose to pause their activities in 2005. Alongside Kruspe, the lineup included guitarist Olsen Involtini, bassist/vocalist Margaux Bossieux, bassist/guitarist Arnaud Giroux, and drummer Henka Johansson, whose spot was later taken by Joe Letz.
The first Emigrate material surfaced in 2006 when Rammstein’s email newsletter subscribers were given the track “My World” as a free download. In 2007 the gritty, aggressive song appeared on both the Resident Evil: Extinction soundtrack and Emigrate’s self-titled Motor debut, which rose to number eight on the German charts and spawned the additional singles “New York City” and “Temptation.”
Following the release and touring cycle for Rammstein’s 2009 album Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, Kruspe resumed work on Emigrate, entering the studio with a roster of guest musicians and additional drummer Mikko Siren. The resulting 2014 release Silent So Long, issued on Vertigo, contained collaborations with Frank Delle on “Eat You Alive,” Peaches on “Get Down,” Lemmy Kilmister on “Rock City,” Marilyn Manson on “Hypothetical,” and Jonathan Davis on “Silent So Long.” After another extended pause, the project returned in 2018 with A Million Degrees on Spinefarm/Universal, featuring contributions from Billy Talent’s Benjamin Kowalewicz on “1234,” Ghost’s Cardinal Copia on “I’m Not Afraid,” and Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann on “Let’s Go.” Emigrate issued the singles “Freeze My Mind” and “You Can’t Run Away” in early 2021 ahead of their fourth studio album, The Persistence of Memory.
Albums
Singles
