Big changes are happening at Project Pitchfork. Over the weekend, the band’s official Facebook page posted a message stating that cofounder and keyboardist Dirk Scheuber is no longer with the band.
It appears to be an amicable split. The post is in German, but here is part of the message translated into English:
“As some of you may have already learned, Project Pitchfork and Dirk ‘Scheubi’ Scheuber parted ways at the end of last year by mutual agreement. You just grow apart, both musically and personally. Not only because of the spatial separation, Scheubi has not been involved in the album production for many years, and he has been pursuing his own project for some time. We wish him the best of luck and success!”
Scheuber’s solo project is taking off
This is probably best for Scheuber. As the message states, he’s been working on a solo project that is steadily releasing good music and growing its own fanbase. Scheuber’s latest album, Numb, arrived last month and includes excellent songs like “Tetatest” and “Prediction.”
On Sunday, Scheuber released a new music video featuring one of Numb’s standout tracks, “Mindflux.” The video features a live performance of the song with Scheuber doing a fine job as frontman.
Scheuber has been very active lately. In addition to the new album Numb, he recently collaborated with new artist Danny Wollank for a pair of excellent songs called “Burn the Sun” and “Never Been Missed.”
I named “Burn the Sun” number 14 on my list of the best synthpop songs of 2020.
What’s next for Project Pitchfork?
As for Project Pitchfork, the message on their Facebook page says nothing will change. Scheuber’s departure means Peter Spilles is the band’s sole remaining original member and its primary creative force. Third member Jürgen Jansen, who joined in 1996, remains in the band as far as I can tell, but his participation in album production is unclear.
The message also suggests that an upcoming album is in the works, along with possible live shows. Like everything else, that’s impacted by COVID-19, so we might not get further details until after the pandemic ends.
Project Pitchfork’s last two albums both arrived in 2018: Akkretion and Fragment, the first two parts of a planned trilogy. Presumably, Project Pitchfork’s next album will be part three. Akkretion included the song “Ascension,” which was made into an incredibly creative video.
