Collection 4 THE NORTH

I had her album “These Things Take
Time” (2009) on constant repeat for
about one month solid and I can still
listen to it now from start to finish, it’s
not very often I find a new record like
that. I think it’s her frank, simple and
witty lyrics that you can so easily
relate to, themes of broken love, everyday
observations and emotions.
It’s an endearing melancholy that
pulses through her stripped back
and unpretentious instrumentation:
simple drum claps, melodic synth
lines, repetitive and dreamy supporting
her voice, she’s almost speaking
her words to you and just doing
her thing in a completely honest
and unapologetic way, it couldn’t
be more effective. Based out of Berlin
she also has a collection of equally
quirky makeshift music videos online
and proved that first album wasn’t
just a fluke when she released her
brilliant second full length, “History”
(2011) the same way she puts out
all her music, on her own label ‘Dark
Skies Association’.
The mysterious Swedish born siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson
and Olof Dreijer are cited by millions of electronic
acts across the world as a source of inspiration and
arguably sparked off a whole sub-culture of our time...
but no matter how many poor imitations I’ve searched
through never have I come across anything else quite
like it. Nobody really knows much about them, they keep
themselves and their influences
extremely private, but
at the end of the day who
cares. Their self titled debut
was a gentle introduction to
the pair who later unleashed
the full fury of their electoneon
nightmare corridors
in “Deep Cuts” (2004) and
“Silent Shout” (2007) that
twist before you in ways that
would make even the great
David Lynch’s toes curl. It’s
unsettling for sure, but just as
playful as it is horrible. For me
it’s their intuitive mix of samples,
patience, a shed load
of good taste and of course
those distinctive vocals that
make their sound so impossible
to replicate (and as if
anyone would even dare..)
Every note seems to have
its place, and you couldn’t
rewrite it any other way. It’s
been nearly a decade since
their last release, and staying
true to their own habits
(despite the album title) their
new album has been kept
close to their chests until a
teaser video was posted on
their website late last year.
We can now confirm that
they are releasing “Shaking
The Habitual” in April 2013...
You have no idea how
happy this makes me.
168
Molly Nilsson
Vintage Pop Perfection
The Knife
Masterminds of electronica
Editor’s Pick
Listen to it all, from start to finish, then go
back and start again… If I HAVE to pick
one, it’s maybe either… “Forest Families”
(Silent Shout) or “A Lung” but please,
don’t make me choose!
www.theknife.net
Editor’s Pick
I think there’s not a
soul in Berlin who
can’t relate to the
words of “(Won’t
Somebody) Take
Me Out Tonight”…
feel free to prove me
wrong. “You always
hurt the one you
love” from “History” is
a brilliant track too.
www.darkskiesassociation.org