Knifeworld sign to InsideOutMusic for forthcoming new album (!!)

[frippster]

Congrats, Kavus. I've purposely avoided the streams so I can hear it all at once for realz, but all the positive reviews are really making it difficult. Got my wayside shipping notice a couple of days ago so hopefully it will arrive today.

[bill1971]

Certainly up there. Swans, Motorpsycho, Syd Arthur, Tim Bowness have all released excellent albums this year.

Never heard of Swans or Motorpycho. Guess I have something new to try.

[zombywoof]

Motorpsycho is great. I've only heard samples, but I've been impressed. I plan to get some of their music soon. Swans are definitely a mood band for me, very minimalist and repetitive. Their latest album is extremely long; I haven't even made it through the whole thing yet! It's good in chunks, though.

[polmico]

Never heard of Swans or Motorpycho. Guess I have something new to try.

Should be threads for both bands here. Check 'me out! I think the same people in this thread are in those!

[Joe F.]

An album of the year contender for me.

Great stuff!

[Nashorn]

It's definitely one of my favorite albums of the last year. Have to spin it several times a day, and I'm totally addicted to "Don't Land On Me". The drummer of our band says that he's got a new favorite band.
Yes, it's good.

[chalkpie]

review coming.....so says he.

[SuperTed]

The video looks great and sounds amazing!

Anyone know where the best place to get this media-free? Amazon have MP3 downloads but I don't see anything on Bandcamp yet.

(I'm off now before the vinyl junkies get their pitchforks out! )

[bill g]

I never jump on hype bandwagons for some reason, but this is really good stuff! I'm glad I finally got around to listening. Great subtleties and rhythm changes, and I love the horns.

[Kavus Torabi]

Thank you for all the kind thoughts. I've been somewhat overwhelmed by the response to our record so far.
It's funny and a bit strange that the idea of hype has been mentioned around this release.
I'm the same...very sceptical about hype.
I've been doing music like this for the last twenty years or so and pretty much self-released everything until now.
Given that I've been a part of Cardiacs, Guapo etc too I've had a long time to accept that this kind of thing doesn't tend to get written about much, so having extensive coverage in the likes of Prog magazine, The Quietus and that 5/5 Guardian review actually feels a bit weird although admittedly very welcome.
Ultimately, the album would have looked and sounded exactly the same had we self-released but having a company with some clout behind it has been something if an eye opener.

Just having a release that is available outside of the UK is a big enough deal. Hopefully we can start to perform outside of these miserable shores a little more now.

[chalkpie]

I'm not sure if I am still ready for a "review" of this yet to be honest, but WTF.....

First, congrats to Sir Kavus and his merry consort. I know that an album of this complexity from soup-to-nuts is a major, major undertaking, possibly on the level of trying to build an entire small village from scratch. From the writing process, to learning the parts, to creating demos, to trying to convey your ideas to other folks, to engineering the sessions, and then begging Bob to mix and master ....those crazy loons who do this sort of thing know what I'm talking about!

Speaking on behalf of the lyrics: usually I don't give a frog's fat zitted arse about most lyrics, and they are almost an afterthought, but I have been trying to decipher what Kavus (he?; you?) has written here. I won't even pretend to even understand even a fraction of them, but there are small bits here and there that I can grab onto, especially some of the references to Tim. I guess because Tim's music has become such a huge part of my life over the past few years since discovering Cardiacs, I feel like a have a personal mission to try to delve just a bit deeper than usual and to comprehend what these words are about, and they are GOOD! I tried writing lyrics some while back and for me it was akin to having some of the worst constipation ever, so hats off my friend for writing words that I know have such value and meaning in your life AND for not making them sound like melted Velveeta in the process!

Musically speaking, its impossible to even begin to write about what is on display here, but there is an aspect that I really appreciate that I don't think has been touched on before, and that is both the arranging and form of these tunes. I truly love the way these tunes develop - there is thematic development on display here in a very thoughtful manner. Kavus (he? you?) will state an idea, but then take that idea into further realms by embellishing the arrangement, restating said theme in some sort of variation, cool modulations, etc etc but all is accomplished in a way that flows beautifully. Nothing feels forced, and each tune has real organic nature and in the way it is presented to the listener. The arrangements or "orchestration" is another stellar aspect of these tunes to my ears, and give them real replay value over the long haul. This band has like, what, 15 people but it never sounds claustrophobic, and that is very tough challenge indeed. I think kudos must also go to Bob that (he? you?) are a big part of this due to the mix being open and airy. Lots of color throughout, great textural and timbral odds-and-ends that poke their head out like a gopher, look around, maybe spit, smile, or perhaps yell an obscenity, then right back down the hole to do whatever gophers do. A really great example of what I am trying to get at would be starting at around 3:40ish in "Don't Land on Me" - a great arpeggiated guitar part in some sort of counterpoint with the Rhodes with these horn bursts, and then check out the harmonies on the guitar/keys on the figure right at 4:00 and on - now that is brilliant shit! Also dig the main riff in 11/4 (YES it's 11/4!) and the drum simultaneously banging away in 4/4. Well, its little moments like these that make this album truly great.

Favorite tunes? Difficult as the whole thing is really strong, but I would say that "This Empty Room Was Once Alive" is a fucking masterpiece in itself. What a tune. Possibly the odd duck of the entire work, but such an eerie and dark vibe that I just can't help and get giddy over. Actually this tune and the closing "I'm Hiding...." may be may fav's at this point if I had a container of Ketchup pointed at my temple, BUT this can and probably will change over time as I become more friendly with this album in general. See, I told you I probably wasn't ready for a review yet.

Another thing I love: the guitar tones. Yeah baby. That expensive guitar that Kavus (he? you?) talks about in the cardiacs diaries really paid off I think. Did you wear that fluffy white coat while you played it? Well, I could go on but I guess I'll spare you right now from any further verbal vomit.

The result: Such a STELLAR album and well-deserving of a much larger audience than currently knows this band even exists. I hope Outside/In can rectify that wrong and promote this thing to hell and take these lads into the limelight so more folks can appreciate Sir Kavus and his Merry Consort AND his expensive guitar.

Kavus - I love this album and you should be proud as a fucking peacock in heat over it. Cheers mate

[chalkpie]

PS - I'm probably not ready to review this yet.

[olivetti]

Got it today!
Absolutely fab!
Great songs!
and
great production/mix/master
love it that you have to turn it up,
lots of dynamic!
bravo!

[Modry Effekt]

Excellent.I just ordered LP.

[Steve F.]

It's funny and a bit strange that the idea of hype has been mentioned around this release. <snip>
Ultimately, the album would have looked and sounded exactly the same had we self-released but having a company with some clout behind it has been something if an eye opener.

Always remember that a huge percentage of the people here who mention/complain about hype are the same people here who think that 17 minute 'prog-rawk' epics would be #1 on the charts, like they once were (or, more properly said, like they were once) if only the record labels would 'properly promote' prog-rawk.

Then a record label does 'properly promote' something and, suddenly, it's all hype.

You're welcome. No charge for this one. Love from me to you.

[Scrotum Scissor]

DUZZAT MEAN THERE AREN'T ANY 47-MINUTE MULTI-PART PRAWG EPICS ON HERE TO TOP'EM CHARTS?

[B D]

Great songs! !

I agree! Great album, very happy Kavus asked me to do it.

and
great production/mix/master
love it that you have to turn it up,
lots of dynamic!
bravo!

Thanks, I'm glad you notice! I think it's funny that some people have mentioned they "have to turn it up", the funny thing is - this isn't because my mixes and masters are "too quiet", it's (mostly, but not only) because a LOT of others are crushed to death by too much digital limiting which flattens out the sound to a mushy digital paste and makes you have to turn the volume knob on your stereo lower, which is supposedly somehow good. Anyway, DON'T GET ME STARTED on that topic or I'll be here all day typing. The work speaks for itself and I'm happy about that!

BD
www.bdrak.com

[NogbadTheBad]

Bob, the production sounds great, very dynamic and all the instruments clear. Love the wind instruments.

[chalkpie]

I agree! Great album, very happy Kavus asked me to do it.



Thanks, I'm glad you notice! I think it's funny that some people have mentioned they "have to turn it up", the funny thing is - this isn't because my mixes and masters are "too quiet", it's (mostly, but not only) because a LOT of others are crushed to death by too much digital limiting which flattens out the sound to a mushy digital paste and makes you have to turn the volume knob on your stereo lower, which is supposedly somehow good. Anyway, DON'T GET ME STARTED on that topic or I'll be here all day typing. The work speaks for itself and I'm happy about that!

BD
www.bdrak.com

Bob, I didn't really mention your mixing of "Empry Room" specifically but its stellar. The tune itself actually has a Skull Mailbox vibe, which you know how much I utterly loathe that album ....still my favorite BD album, and an utter masterpiece in every possible detail imaginable. Desert island disk, and possibly the best ReR album in existence. Haha - that would upset the apple cart, right if the boss heard it??!! Go ahead and tell him I said so.

OK, but anyway, the mix in this tune really is wonderful and really absorbs me in and takes me on that "journey" maaaaaaaaaa'aaaaaaaaan, especially on 'phones. I actually haven't even spun this thing on my B&W's yet, but this track will be first. So its almost a combination of Kavus the chef and Bob the waiter. Wow, what a horrible analogy, but at least I didn't use rabbit genitalia as a metaphor, so you could have done worse. I'm also a hammer dulcimer slut and love that instrument - is that actually a hammer dulcimer? You done good, real real good.

[Kavus Torabi]

It's a Santoor, which is effectively a hammer dulcimer from Iran, or if you will 'Persia'.
Would that I could play it properly.
The scraping violin sound is me bowing it too.

[mkeneally]

Listened to the album again on the way back to the US and "Empty Room" made me gasp. Devastating. So many kudos, Kavus and Bob.

[spacewaltzer]

I have three questions (for now):

1. Are the lyrics available somewhere online (for those with aging eyes)?

2. Was the music scored out before recording?

3. Has Tim Smith heard the album?

[Kavus Torabi]

1) Not as far as I know
2) Not scored on paper but composed, yes.
3) Probably by now. I gave him a copy on Monday

[chalkpie]

It's a Santoor, which is effectively a hammer dulcimer from Iran, or if you will 'Persia'.
Would that I could play it properly.
The scraping violin sound is me bowing it too.

Oh yeah....I have disc or two of some ragas played on the santoor (I think?).

[Scrotum Scissor]

Got it today. It'll accompany me to the seaside in a week's time, when I'm visiting a buddy who's succumbing to pancreatic cancer on the island where he lives. I'll have drinks and Knifeworld in his honour.

That good.