VNV Nation  VNV Nation is a British alternative electronic project led by Ronan Harris in the roles of singer, songwriter, and producer. VNV Nation's sound blends poetic and thought provoking lyrics with a sound that ranges from melodic dance beats and indie-electronic anthems, to haunting ballads and post-classical soundtrack pieces. The live shows are known for their energy and positive emotion, drawing a devoted fanbase from across the musical spectrum to sold out tours and headline appearances at festivals in Europe and America. Over the course of the project's career, VNV Nation's success has continued to grow, with its last three albums charting top 10 in Germany, and its 2015 album "" achieving top five "Billboard" chart positions in the US. Ronan Harris was born in Dublin, Ireland, and lives in Hamburg, Germany. The "VNV" in the name stands for "Victory Not Vengeance", in keeping with the group's motto, "One should strive to achieve, not sit in bitter regret." On 16 November 2017, Mark Jackson, who had participated as live drummer at concerts since the mid 1990s, had left VNV Nation. The group's first release, "Advance and Follow", came out in 1995. "Advance And Follow" featured industrial electronic beats heavily influenced by middle-era EBM acts such as Nitzer Ebb and Front 242, along a mixture of danceable synthesizer melodies, and elements of orchestral music. Although it was the band's first full-length release, Harris regards "Advance and Follow" more as a set of demos than a proper album. In 2001, it was re-released as "Advance and Follow 2.0", with updated production, re-recorded vocals, and five bonus tracks, which include two Front 242 covers. Their next release, "Praise the Fallen" in 1998, continued largely in this vein, and they began to enjoy a larger degree of commercial success. During that time, Harris also wrote for the online magazine "Side-Line", of which he was the webmaster until 1999. "Empires", released in 1999, was their breakthrough album, gaining them widespread commercial success and topping the German DAC charts for seven weeks. "Empires" expanded on the band's bombastic, melodic synthesizer lines and incorporated tighter song structures. Furthermore, the harsher 'sheet metal instrumentals' of "Praise the Fallen" were largely gone, and the music as a whole was far more complex with multiple-layered arpeggios and pads.