Apoptygma Berzerk – Exit Popularity Contest (Digital Album – Pitch Black Drive Productions)

Norwegian electronic band Apoptygma Berzerk’s 2016 album “Exit Popularity Contest” arrives on streaming and digital download platforms on October 27, 2026, via Pitch Black Drive Productions, ten years after its original release exclusively on double vinyl, CD and cassette through Rough Trade. Side-Line contributor Britta Pirkko reviews the album below.

Ten years ago, Apoptygma Berzerk released an album that probably raised quite a few eyebrows. No big futurepop anthems, no familiar choruses and almost no vocals. Instead, Stephan Groth returned to the electronic music that had fascinated him long before APOP became one of the most recognisable names in the scene. “Exit Popularity Contest” was a rebellion against expectations, the music industry and our desperate need for approval. And I still think it’s one of the most interesting things he has ever done.

Now, a decade later, the album is finally getting its digital release. A perfect opportunity to revisit the music, its rather unusual story and a message that seems even more relevant today than it did in 2016.

After ten long years, the rights have finally reverted to Apoptygma Berzerk, giving the band control over the album again. With physical copies largely sold out, the digital release is certainly welcome. Bandcamp gets priority: fans can purchase and download the album there ahead of its worldwide digital release.

Meet ♠TP. And forget about being popular.

Before getting into the music, we need to meet someone rather peculiar: ♠TP, the mysterious masked character at the centre of “Exit Popularity Contest.”

According to the album’s story, ♠TP has escaped his previous reality and reinvented himself on the other side of a river. His new surroundings have suffered environmental damage, his makeup has become impossible to remove, and his invented identity gradually becomes his actual personality. His ability to manipulate reality eventually attracts the attention of intelligence agencies.

Sounds bizarre? Absolutely. And I love that.

Groth has described the concept as partly autobiographical, combining personal experiences with science fiction, conspiracy theories and influences from Lars von Trier’s “The Kingdom.”

But beneath all that strangeness lies a surprisingly familiar question. Why are we so desperate for recognition? And why do we allow other people’s approval to determine our own happiness?

In interviews surrounding the original release, Stephan questioned a world in which Facebook friends, likes and popularity had become measures of personal worth. And I think he had a point.

Of course we all enjoy a compliment. Being appreciated for something we’ve worked hard on feels good. But why do we sometimes need constant reassurance? And why does somebody else’s success suddenly make our own achievements seem less important?

Social media has turned this into an almost permanent competition. There is always somebody receiving more attention, more praise or more recognition. “Exit Popularity Contest” is Groth’s rebellion against precisely that mentality. He wanted to stop allowing the music industry and other people’s expectations to define his success and concentrate on making music according to his own rules. And that freedom is just as evident in the music itself.

Back to the machines

“Exit Popularity Contest” brings together material from the three EPs “Stop Feeding The Beast,” “Videodrome” and “Xenogenesis.” Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream, John Carpenter, Vangelis and Klaus Schulze have clearly influenced its sound. Yet Groth’s own musical personality remains unmistakable.

“The Genesis 6 Experiment” opens with more than nine minutes of electronic exploration. Sequences gradually unfold, melodies emerge and disappear, and the result becomes almost hypnotic. Its title suggests biblical mysteries surrounding humanity’s origins, while the music takes the imagination somewhere between science fiction and early electronic experimentation.

“Hegelian Dialectic” is shorter, more restless and mechanical. Groth associated its theme with the idea of problem, reaction and solution, in relation to manipulation and control. The nervous rhythms fit that subject remarkably well.

“For Now We See Through A Glass, Darkly” takes its title from the Bible, referring to the limitations of human understanding. Musically, it combines darker passages with beautiful melodies. And then there’s that familiar riff from “Burnin’ Heretic”!

The story behind it is rather amusing. Groth was testing the tuning stability of his synthesizers and used the old riff to check whether their pitch would drift over time. He liked the result and incorporated it into the composition. I love details like that. A little technical experiment unexpectedly connecting two completely different periods of APOP’s history.

“Stille Når Gruppe” and “In A World Of Locked Rooms” explore more abstract territory, concentrating on electronic textures and atmosphere. The latter title especially appeals to my imagination. Locked rooms suggest isolation, restrictions and psychological barriers. Perhaps sometimes the biggest challenge isn’t finding a way out, but realising that a door can actually be opened. That’s my interpretation, of course, and one of the pleasures of instrumental music is being able to develop your own.

Admittedly, not every passage is equally gripping. Some ideas take a little longer than I would prefer to develop, but I appreciate that Groth doesn’t force them into conventional song structures.

The Cosmic Chess Match

And now we come to the composition that has fascinated me from the very beginning: “The Cosmic Chess Match” is my favourite piece of music Stephan Groth has ever created. Yes, I really mean that. Although “Atom & Eve” comes dangerously close.

The technical construction is remarkable. The sequencing, rhythmic precision and interaction between the different synthesizer parts are incredibly impressive. There is so much happening simultaneously, yet nothing sounds overcrowded. Melodies and sequences move around one another, while small rhythmic changes gradually alter the atmosphere. A detail that initially seems almost insignificant suddenly becomes part of something much bigger.

What I love most is how intelligently everything fits together. Every element has its place, and no matter how often I listen, there’s always something else worth paying attention to. The influences of Jean-Michel Jarre and John Carpenter are recognisable, but Groth gives the composition its own identity. It is melodic, complex and almost cinematic.

And then there’s the title. A cosmic chess match suggests opposing forces, strategies and consequences. Who controls the game? Who determines the rules? And what happens when somebody simply refuses to play along? Considering the album’s concept, I find those questions rather intriguing. But even without the philosophical interpretation, this is an outstanding piece of electronic music. I’m certainly no sound engineer, but I can appreciate an intelligently constructed arrangement when I hear one. For me, “The Cosmic Chess Match” is Stephan Groth at his most fascinating as a composer.

Familiar melodies and a nice surprise

“U.T.E.O.T.W. (Instrumental)” returns to more familiar APOP territory. Hearing “Until The End Of The World” without vocals reveals just how strong its melodic construction is.

“The Devil Pays In Counterfeit Money” takes us somewhere darker. Its title suggests false promises, questionable rewards and the price of chasing something that eventually turns out to have little value. Isn’t that what the popularity contest is all about?

“Rhein Klang,” composed by Groth together with Emil Nikolaisen, pays tribute to the German electronic pioneers. Kraftwerk’s influence is unmistakable in its repetitive rhythms and mechanical character. Not the album’s most surprising piece, but certainly an enjoyable one.

And finally, “U.T.E.O.T.W. (Extended Version).” Yes, this one has vocals! The Kraftwerk-inspired reinterpretation of “Until The End Of The World” has a rather charming history. During a special performance at Litteraturhuset in Fredrikstad in 2015, Groth presented several experimental compositions before finishing with this version of the APOP classic. The audience reacted enthusiastically. Stephan later joked that they were probably relieved to finally hear something familiar they could sing along to. Their reaction convinced him to include the track on the album. Audiences have continued to enjoy “Until The End Of The World” at APOP’s live shows since then, while this particular arrangement offers a very different perspective on the song. I think including it was a good decision. After so much instrumental music, hearing his voice again makes for a satisfying conclusion.

Ten years later

“Exit Popularity Contest” isn’t necessarily an album for everybody. At almost 75 minutes, it demands patience and certainly doesn’t attempt to deliver one club hit after another. But that’s exactly why I appreciate it. Here is Stephan Groth following his musical curiosity without letting expectations dictate what APOP should sound like.

And there’s something rather funny about an album originally released to celebrate the value of physical music finally arriving on streaming platforms. But the point has been made, the rights are back, and now the music can reach a wider audience.

So, if you’re only familiar with APOP’s big melodies and club favourites, give this one a chance. Preferably with decent headphones, a little patience and without checking your phone every five minutes. I suspect ♠TP would appreciate that.

The album runs ten tracks: “The Genesis 6 Experiment,” “Hegelian Dialectic,” “For Now We See Through A Glass, Darkly,” “Stille Når Gruppe,” “In A World Of Locked Rooms,” “The Cosmic Chess Match,” “U.T.E.O.T.W. (Instrumental),” “The Devil Pays In Counterfeit Money,” “Rhein Klang” and “U.T.E.O.T.W. (Extended Version).”

About Apoptygma Berzerk

Apoptygma Berzerk is a Norwegian electronic project led by Stephan Groth, active since the late 1980s and a long-standing name in the futurepop and electro-industrial scene. Side-Line has followed the band’s recent activity closely, including the 25th anniversary of its hit “Kathy’s Song” in December 2025, a limited vinyl reissue of “Kathy’s Song (Come Lie Next To Me)” via emmobiz in April 2026, and Groth’s production work for other artists, including M4C’s EP “Music For Cars” in 2025.

“Exit Popularity Contest” was first released on 7 October 2016, bringing together material from the EPs “Stop Feeding The Beast,” “Videodrome” and “Xenogenesis.” Ten years later, with the rights reverted to the band, it arrives on streaming and digital download platforms on 27 October 2026 via Pitch Black Drive Productions.