View source for Delerium

{{short description|Canadian electronic music duo}}{{More citations needed|date=February 2025}}{{For|the defunct British record label|Delerium Records}}
{{distinguish|Delirium|Delirium (band)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Delerium
| image           = 20160305-Frontline-Assembly-E-tropolis-Oberhausen-5662.jpg
| landscape       = yes
| caption         = Delerium founder Bill Leeb in 2016
| origin          = [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], Canada
| genre           = {{flatlist|
* [[New-age music|New-age]]
* [[Electronic music|electronic]]
* [[worldbeat]]
* [[trance music|trance]]
* [[ambient house]]
* [[dark ambient]]
}}
| years_active    = {{Start date|1987}}–present
| label           = {{flatlist|
* [[List of industrial music labels|Dossier]]
* [[Third Mind Records|Third Mind]]
* [[Nettwerk]]
}}
| associated_acts = {{flatlist|
* [[Front Line Assembly]]
* [[Conjure One]]
* [[Pro-Tech]]
* [[Synæsthesia (Canadian band)|Synæsthesia]]
* [[Will (band)|Will]]
* [[Intermix (band)|Intermix]]
* [[Noise Unit]]
* [[Equinox (electro-industrial band)|Equinox]]
* [[Cyberaktif]]
* Mutual Mortuary
* [[Fauxliage]]
}}
| current_members = * [[Bill Leeb]]
* [[Rhys Fulber]]
| past_members    = * Michael Balch
* [[Chris Peterson (producer)|Chris Peterson]]
}}

'''Delerium''' is a Canadian [[New-age music|new-age]] [[ambient music|ambient]] [[electronic music]]al duo that formed in 1987, originally as a side project of the influential [[industrial music]] act [[Front Line Assembly]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100125161400/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/293660/review/6068286 Chimera : Delerium : Review : Rolling Stone<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Throughout the band's history, their musical style has encompassed a broad range, including dark ethereal ambient [[trance music|trance]], voiceless industrial soundscapes, and electronic pop music. They are best known for their worldwide hit "[[Silence (Delerium song)|Silence]]". The band is known to feature female guest vocalists on their albums since their 1994 album ''[[Semantic Spaces]]''.

==Members and history==
Delerium has traditionally been a two-person project, but the only constant member throughout its history has been [[Bill Leeb]]. Leeb was an early member of industrial music pioneers [[Skinny Puppy]], but after he left in 1986 he went on to create his own project, [[Front Line Assembly]], with collaborator Michael Balch. Later, the two worked on the side project Delerium and released their first album, ''[[Faces, Forms & Illusions]]''. After Balch left both Front Line Assembly and Delerium, Leeb worked with [[Rhys Fulber]], 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 (Delerium album)|Karma]]'', Fulber left to pursue other interests, and Leeb teamed up with producer [[Chris Peterson (producer)|Chris Peterson]] to release ''[[Poem (album)|Poem]]''. 2003, however, saw the reunion of Leeb and Fulber for the release of ''[[Chimera (Delerium album)|Chimera]]'', followed by ''[[Nuages du Monde (album)|Nuages du Monde]]'' in 2006.

In contrast to Leeb and collaborators' other projects, Delerium has included several guest [[vocalists]] since the release of ''[[Semantic Spaces]]''. These have included mostly women, such as [[Kristy Thirsk]] (of [[Rose Chronicles]]), [[Sarah McLachlan]], [[Leigh Nash]] (of [[Sixpence None the Richer]]), Elsieanne Caplette (of Elsiane), [[Lisa Gerrard]] (sampled only), [[Jaël]] (of Swiss band [[Lunik]]), [[Camille Henderson]], [[Nerina Pallot]], [[Emily Haines]] (of [[Metric (band)|Metric]]), [[Jacqui Hunt]] (of [[Single Gun Theory]]), [[Isabel Bayrakdarian]] and [[Shelley Harland]]. Other than Leeb, only three males have contributed vocals to a Delerium album: [[Matthew Sweet]] ("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]] [[Baaba Maal]] was sampled ("Awakenings, on "[[Spiritual Archives]]").

The [[Mediæval Bæbes]] 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]]'' 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 (electro-industrial band)|Equinox]], [[Intermix (band)|Intermix]], [[Noise Unit]], [[Pro-Tech]], and [[Synæsthesia (Canadian band)|Synæsthesia]], among others. In addition, in 2007 Leeb and Fulber collaborated with Leigh Nash under the name [[Fauxliage]]. Rhys Fulber has also maintained a solo project [[Conjure One]] since his temporary exit from Delerium.

==Music==
{{Listen
| type        = music
| filename    = Delerium - Silence.ogg
| title       = "Silence"
| description = 30-second sample
| pos         = right
}}
The single "[[Silence (Delerium song)|Silence]]", featuring vocals by [[Sarah McLachlan]], reached number three on the [[UK]] [[music chart]]s. In 2000, three years after ''Karma'' was released, notable [[DJ]]s such as [[Tiësto]] and [[Airscape]] produced [[remix]]es of "Silence", which generated interest and gained considerable radio [[airplay]] for the original track, albeit most airplay was for the remixes.<ref name="about.com.review">{{cite web|author=Rivaldo, Joey |url=http://dancemusic.about.com:80/od/reviews/fr/DeleriumSil2k4.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215045646/http://dancemusic.about.com/od/reviews/fr/DeleriumSil2k4.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-02-15 |title=Delerium - Silence 2004 |publisher=about.com |access-date=2008-11-10 }}</ref><ref name="mindphaser2005">{{cite web | author = Bauer, Henrik | date = August 14, 2005 | url = http://www.mindphaser.com/index.php?page_id=739 | title = Bill Leeb > Noise Unit 2005 Interview | publisher = Mindphaser.com | access-date = 2006-06-17 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060521215856/http://www.mindphaser.com/index.php?page_id=739 | archive-date = May 21, 2006 }}</ref>

In 2003, Delerium embarked on their first tour, with vocals performed by [[Kristy Thirsk]] and Shelley Harland. In January 2005, Delerium performed at the ''One World'' [[benefit concert]] in [[Vancouver]] for the [[2004 Asian tsunami]], where "Silence" was performed live for the first time with [[Sarah McLachlan]]. The song has been described as one of the greatest trance songs of all time.<ref name="about.com.review"/>

==Awards==
Delerium has received two [[Juno Award]]s for Best Dance Recording: in 1998 for "Euphoria ([[Rabbit in the Moon]] Mix)", and in 2000 for "Silence".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://junoawards.ca/awards/past-winners-nominees/|title=Past Nominees + Winners|website=The JUNO Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-06}}</ref>

==Discography==
===Albums / EPs===
* ''[[Faces, Forms & Illusions]]'' (Dossier, 1989), LP / CD
* ''[[Morpheus (album)|Morpheus]]'' (Dossier, 1989), LP / CD
* ''[[Syrophenikan]]'' (Dossier, 1990), LP / CD
* ''[[Stone Tower (album)|Stone Tower]]'' (Dossier, 1991), LP / CD
* ''[[Spiritual Archives]]'' (Dossier, 1991), CD
* ''[[Euphoric (EP)|Euphoric]]'' (Third Mind, 1991), EP / CD
* ''[[Spheres (Delerium album)|Spheres]]'' (Dossier, 1994), CD
* ''[[Semantic Spaces]]'' (Nettwerk, 1994), CD (August 23)
* ''[[Spheres 2]]'' (Dossier, 1994), CD
* ''[[Karma (Delerium album)|Karma]]'' (Nettwerk, 1997), LP / CD (April 22)
* ''[[Poem (album)|Poem]]'' (Nettwerk, 2000), LP / CD (November 21)
* ''[[Chimera (Delerium album)|Chimera]]'' (Nettwerk, 2003), CD (June 24)
* ''[[Nuages du Monde (album)|Nuages du Monde]]'' (Nettwerk, 2006), CD (October 3)
* ''[[Music Box Opera]]'' (Nettwerk, 2012), CD (October 30)
* ''[[Mythologie (Delerium album)|Mythologie]]'' (Metropolis Records, 2016), LP/CD (September 23)
* ''Signs'' (Metropolis Records, 2023), LP/CD (March 10)

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center;
|-
!style="width:3em" rowspan="2"| Year
!style="width:250px;" rowspan="2"| Single
!colspan="10"| Peak chart positions
!rowspan="2"| Album
|-
!style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|[[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref name="ausch">{{cite web
 |url=http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Delerium 
 |title=australian-charts.com - Discography Delerium 
 |publisher=australian-charts.com 
 |access-date=2009-12-29 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022185430/http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Delerium 
 |archive-date=2012-10-22 
}}</ref>

!style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|[[Ultratop|BEL (FL)]]<br /><ref name="bel-vl-ch">{{cite web
| url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Delerium
| title=ultratop.be - Discografie Delerium
| publisher=ultratop.be
| access-date=2010-03-03}}</ref>

!style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|[[Ultratop|BEL (WA)]]<br /><ref name="bel-wa-ch">{{cite web
| url=http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Delerium
| title=ultratop.be - Discographie Delerium
| publisher=ultratop.be
| access-date=2010-03-03}}</ref>

!style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|[[Canadian Singles Chart|CAN]]<br /><ref name="uschrt">{{cite web
| url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3647/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}}
| title=allmusic (( Delerium > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles ))
| publisher=Allmusic.com
| access-date=2009-12-29}}</ref>

!style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|[[GfK Entertainment charts|GER]]<br /><ref name="gerch">{{cite web
| url=http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Delerium/single?sort=entry
| title=Musicline.de - Chartverfolgung - Delerium
| publisher=Musicline.de
| access-date=2010-03-03}}</ref>

!style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|[[Irish Singles Chart|IRE]]<br /><ref name="ire-ch">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement 
 |title=Delerium Irish discography 
 |publisher=irishcharts.ie 
 |access-date=2010-09-07 
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602061251/http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement
 |archive-date=2009-06-02
}}</ref>

!style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|[[VG-lista|NOR]]<br /><ref name="norch">{{cite web
 |url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Delerium 
 |title=norwegiancharts.com - Discography Delerium 
 |publisher=norwegiancharts.com 
 |access-date=2009-12-29 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102103330/http://norwegiancharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Delerium 
 |archive-date=2012-11-02 
}}</ref>

!style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|[[Dutch Single Top 100|NLD]]<br /><ref name="nldch">{{cite web
 |url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Delerium 
 |title=dutchcharts.nl - Discografie Delerium 
 |publisher=dutchcharts.nl 
 |access-date=2009-12-29 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022090609/http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Delerium 
 |archive-date=2012-10-22 
}}</ref>

!style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="ukch">{{cite web
| url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/3873/delerium/
| title=The Official Charts Company — search for: Delerium
| publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]
| access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="zobbel-ukcharts">[http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_D.HTM Chart Log UK: D] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107001222/http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_D.HTM |date=November 7, 2015 }} Zobbel.de</ref>

!style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|[[Dance Music/Club Play|US Dance]]<br /><ref name="uschrt" />
|-
|rowspan="2"|1994
|align="left"| "Flowers Become Screens"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;"| ''Semantic Spaces''
|-
|align="left"| "Incantation"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
|rowspan="2"|1997
|align="left"| "Euphoria (Firefly)" <small>(featuring [[Jacqui Hunt]])</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="5" style="text-align:left;"| ''Karma''
|-
|align="left"| "Duende"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
|1999
|align="left"| "[[Silence (Delerium song)|Silence]]" <small>(featuring [[Sarah McLachlan]])</small>
| 6
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 1
| —
| 33
| 73
| —
|-
|rowspan="2"|2000
|align="left"| "[[Heaven's Earth]]"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 21
| —
| —
| 44
| 20
|-
|align="left"| "Silence" <small>''(reissue)'' (featuring Sarah McLachlan)</small>
| —
| 5
| 2
| 5
| 16
| 6
| 15
| 7
| 3
| 6
|-
|2001
|align="left"| "[[Innocente (Falling in Love)]]" <small>(featuring [[Leigh Nash]])</small>
| —
| 16
| 32
| —
| 94
| 19
| —
| 33
| 32
| 3
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;"| ''Poem''
|-
|2002
|align="left"| "[[Underwater (Delerium song)|Underwater]]" <small>(featuring Rani)</small>
| —
| 46
| 56
| —
| —
| 48
| —
| —
| 33
| 9
|-
|rowspan="2"|2003
|align="left"| "[[After All (Delerium song)|After All]]" <small>(featuring [[Jaël]])</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 46
| 9
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;"| ''Chimera''
|-
|align="left"| "Run for It" <small>(featuring [[Leigh Nash]])</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
|rowspan=2|2004
|align="left"| "[[Truly (Delerium song)|Truly]]" <small>(featuring [[Nerina Pallot]])</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 54
| 2
|-
|align="left"| "Silence 2004" <small>(featuring Sarah McLachlan)</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 27
| —
| —
| 38
| 1
|align="left"| ''The Best of''
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2007
|align="left"| "[[Angelicus]]" <small>(featuring [[Isabel Bayrakdarian]])</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 1
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| ''Nuages du Monde''
|-
|align="left"| "[[Lost and Found (Delerium song)|Lost and Found]]" <small>(featuring Jaël)</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 4
|-
|2008
|align="left"| "Silence 2008" <small>(featuring Sarah McLachlan)</small>
| —
| 12
| 9
| —
| 87
| —
| —
| 48
| 127
| —
|align="left"| ''[[Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan]]''
|-
| 2009
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Dust in Gravity]]" <small>(featuring [[Kreesha Turner]])</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 1
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Remixed: The Definitive Collection''
|-
| rowspan=2| 2012
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Monarch (Delerium song)|Monarch]]" <small>(featuring Nadina)</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 33
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=3| ''Music Box Opera''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Days Turn into Nights]]" <small>(featuring Michael Logen)</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 12
|-
| 2013
| style="text-align:left;"| "Chrysalis Heart" <small>(featuring [[Stef Lang]])</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
| 2015
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Glimmer (song)|Glimmer]]" <small>(featuring [[Emily Haines]])</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Rarities & B-sides''
|-
| 2016
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Ritual (Delerium song)|Ritual]]" <small>(featuring [[Phildel]])</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | ''Mythologie''
|-
| 2018
| style="text-align:left;"| "Stay" <small>(featuring [[JES (musician)|JES]])</small>
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
|2023
|"Falling Back to You" <small>(featuring [[Mimi Page]])</small>
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Signs''
|-
| colspan="13" | <small>"—" indicates the single did not chart or was not released in given territory</small>
|}

===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 (Delerium compilation album)|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]]s

===Music videos===
* "Flowers Become Screens" (1994)<ref name="william">directed by [[William Morrison (director)|William Morrison]]</ref>
* "Incantation" (1994)<ref name="william"/>
* "Euphoria (Firefly)" (1997)<ref name="william"/>
* "Duende" (1997)<ref name="william"/>
* "Silence" ([[Airscape]] Mix) (2000)
* "Underwater" ([[Rank 1]] Remix) (2000)
* "Aria" (2000)
* "Innocente" ([[Lost Witness]] Remix) (2001)
* "Underwater" ([[Above & Beyond (band)|Above & Beyond]]'s 21st Century Remix) (2002)
* "After All" (2003)
* "After All" ([[Svenson & Gielen]] Edit) (2003)
* "Angelicus" (2007)
* "Lost and Found" (2007)
* "Dust in Gravity" (2009)
* "Dust in Gravity ([[Sultan & Shepard|Sultan & Ned Shepard]] Remix)" (2009)
* "Monarch" (2012)
* "Days Turn into Nights" (2013)
* "Chrysalis Heart" (2013)
* "Glimmer" (2015)
* "Stay" (2018)
* "In the Deep" (2023)

===Remixes===
* [[Tara MacLean]] &ndash; "Divided" (2000)
* [[Sarah Brightman]] &ndash; "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (2001)
* [[Sasha Lazard]] &ndash; "Awakening" (2002)
* [[Clint Mansell]] &ndash; "Requiem for a Dream Soundtrack - Deluxed" (2002)
* [[Lunik]] &ndash; "Waiting" (2003)
* [[Phildel]] &ndash; "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]]'' Soundtrack (Island, 1999), CD (prominently featured "Silence").
* ''[[Lara Croft: Tomb Raider|Tomb Raider]]'' 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").

==See also==
* [[Fauxliage]] &mdash; a musical project made by members of the Canadian electronic music group Delerium and Leigh Nash in 2007.
* [[List of ambient music artists]]
* [[List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=delerium|chart=all}} Delerium] at [[Billboard.com]]
* [http://www.mindphaser.com/ Mindphaser.com] Delerium, Front Line Assembly, Conjure One, Decree and side projects website.
* {{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20030310010818/http://www.legendsmagazine.net/129/rhys.htm Interview w/Rhys Fulber @ Legends]}}

{{Delerium}}
{{Front Line Assembly}}
{{Chantbased}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Canadian house music groups]]
[[Category:Canadian techno music groups]]
[[Category:Canadian ambient music groups]]
[[Category:Worldbeat groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Vancouver]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1987]]
[[Category:Canadian remixers]]
[[Category:Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Third Mind Records artists]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in British Columbia]]
[[Category:Nettwerk Music Group artists]]