[1] During the recording of Rammstein's third studio album, Mutter, in 2000, tension and frustration within the band led Richard Kruspe to the idea of forming a side project where he could exercise full creative control.

On 27 July 2007, Kruspe made an appearance on Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson's radio show on BBC in promotion of their debut album.

[6] In June of that year, Joe Letz, who had appeared in the band's video for "My World" as a drummer, announced on social media that Kruspe had been working on a new album.

In January 2014, Kruspe announced that twenty tracks had been recorded for the album and that mixing would be performed in Los Angeles alongside Ben Grosse, with a projected release in the summer of 2014.

[7] Silent So Long was released on 9 December, 2014, and featured Mikko Sirén as the band's new drummer, in addition to guest vocals from Lemmy, Marilyn Manson, Jonathan Davis and Peaches.

Emigrate's third album, A Million Degrees, was released on November 30, 2018, and featured Kowalewicz, Till Lindemann and Cardinal Copia as guest vocalists, in addition to production and instrumental contributions by Sky van Hoff.