Knife, The (1930), a novel by Peadar O'Donnell. Set in east Donegal, 1916-23, it deals with the impact of the
The Knife
| Irish Literature Companion: The Knife |
| Artist: The Knife |
Group Members:
Similar Artists:
Influenced By:
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Formal Connection With:
- Formed: 1999, Sweden
- Genres: Rock
- Representative Albums: "Deep Cuts," "Silent Shout," "The Knife"
- Representative Songs: "Heartbeats," "Silent Shout," "You Take My Breath Away"
Biography
A brother and sister duo hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, the Knife takes inspiration from vintage synth pop and forward-thinking electronic music, crafting a sound that is equally unsettling, playful, and beautiful. Olof and Karin Dreijer formed the Knife in 1999 and worked on their music in their home studios, releasing their first single, Afraid of You, in 2000 and their 2001 self-titled debut album on their own Rabid Records label. In 2003, the Knife was nominated for two Grammis, one for Best Pop Group of the Year and one for Best Pop Album for their second album, Deep Cuts. However, the Dreijers boycotted the ceremony, sending two people in gorilla costumes to protest the dominance of male acts in the music industry. They also released the Hanna Med H Soundtrack later that year. In 2004, the Knife began work on their third album in unusual locations, including a former carbon dioxide factory and the vaults of Stockholm's Grand Church, before finishing their sessions in a more conventional studio. The following year, José González's cover of the Deep Cuts single "Heartbeats" (which was from his 2003 album Veneer) appeared in a commercial for Sony's Bravia and became a hit, earning more acclaim for the Dreijers outside of Sweden. Early in 2005, the Knife performed their first-ever live show at London's ICA, appearing with Rex the Dog (who also did a remix of González's version of "Heartbeats") and playing in front of video created for the event by artist Andreas Nilsson. His work also appeared on How I Found the Knife, a DVD/CD set that included all of the band's videos, short films, and remixes, which was released that summer. The Knife and Nilsson teamed up again for the video for the title track of the group's third album, Silent Shout, which was released in early in 2006 in Sweden and that summer in the U.S. (by Mute) and U.K. (by Brille). The Knife's darkest, most ambitious work to date, the album featured singles such as We Share Our Mother's Health, which included a mix by Trentemøller. The duo played a handful of European, Scandinavian, and North American dates in 2006, accompanied by more of Nilsson's visuals. That fall, Mute reissued The Knife and Deep Cuts. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide| Discography: The Knife |
| Wikipedia: The Knife |
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| The Knife | |
|---|---|
 The Knife performing at Sónar in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Sweden |
| Genres | Minimal techno Electronic Electropop Electroclash (early-mid) |
| Years active | 1999 – present (on hiatus) |
| Labels | Rabid, Brille, Mute |
| Website | official site |
| Members | |
| Karin Dreijer Andersson Olof Dreijer |
|
The Knife are an electro pop duo from Sweden that formed in 1999.[1] They consist of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records.
Contents |
History
Formed in 1999, the group first gained international recognition when José González covered their song "Heartbeats" on his 2003 album, Veneer. The cover was used by Sony in a commercial for Bravia television sets, and released as a single in 2006. The group commented on this in a Dagens Nyheter article, claiming that Sony paid a large sum of money to use the song. Despite the group's anti-commercial views, they justified the transaction by citing their need for money to establish a record company.
The Knife's song "We Share Our Mothers' Health" from their album Silent Shout was featured by the iTunes Store as a free song of the week in late 2006. This song was also featured in the ABC series Ugly Betty, as well as an episode of CSI: NY. In August 2007, "Heartbeats" was featured on an episode of the HBO series Entourage.[2]
Having never before performed live, The Knife went on tour in 2006, and after selling out shows worldwide, a DVD of the tour was announced. The DVD was released in Sweden on November 8, 2006, and is titled Silent Shout: An Audio Visual Experience.
Silent Shout was named the best album of 2006 by Pitchfork Media.[3]
At the Grammis awards in January 2007, The Knife won in all six categories they were nominated in: Composer of the Year, Music DVD of the Year, Producer of the Year, Pop Group of the Year, Album of the Year and Artist of the Year. Again, they did not attend the award ceremony.
In an interview during the Silent Shout tour, Olof announced that the band would be going on a three-year hiatus, during which he would resume work on previously-started songs for Coolof, his solo DJ project.[citation needed]
Relationship with the media
One of the group's distinguishing characteristics is their unwillingness to cooperate with the media or the mainstream music scene. The group rarely makes public appearances, most of their promotional photos feature the members wearing masks, usually venetian masks and until recently, they outright refused to perform live concerts. The group has shown themselves in public wearing masks formed as birds' beaks, similar to the traditional Venetian Medico Della Peste (plague doctor) masks worn during Carnival.
The Knife won a Grammis award as best pop group of the year 2003, but they boycotted the ceremony by sending two representatives of another artist group dressed as gorillas with the number 50 written on their costumes as a protest against male dominance in the music industry.[4] Their album Deep Cuts was also nominated for a Grammis as the best record of the year 2003, although that award went to The Cardigans.
Influences
The Knife have listed David Lynch, Aki Kaurismäki, Korean cinema, Trailer Park Boys, Donnie Darko, Doom, and Black Hole as inspirations for their work.[5][6]
Fever Ray
In 2008, Karin Dreijer Andersson announced that she would release a solo album under the name Fever Ray in March 2009. The album was digitally released (on iTunes and via other outlets) in advance of this.
Discography
Main article: The Knife discography
- The Knife (2001)
- Deep Cuts (2003)
- Hannah med H Soundtrack (2003)
- Silent Shout (2006)
Awards
| Year | Awards | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Nöjesguiden’s Stockholm Award | Music Category |
| Swedish Hit Music Awards | Best Video “Heartbeats” | |
| Swedish National Radio P3 “Gold” | Group of the Year | |
| Grammis | Pop Group of the Year | |
| 2004 | Manifest Awards | Pop Rock |
| Scandinavian Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) | Song of the Year "Heartbeats" | |
| 2006 | Pitchfork Media | Album of the Year |
| Manifest Awards | Dance/House Techno of the Year | |
| Live Performers of the Year | ||
| 2007 | Swedish National Radio P3 “Gold” | Group of the Year |
| Dance of the Year | ||
| Grammis | Artist of the Year | |
| Pop Album of the Year “Silent Shout” | ||
| Songwriters of the Year | ||
| Pop Producers of the Year | ||
| Music-DVD of the Year "Silent Shout: An Audiovisual Experience" | ||
| Pop Group of the Year | ||
| SAMA | Song of the Year "Marble House" | |
| Album of the Year "Silent Shout" |
See also
References
- ^ http://www.theknife.net/o0ooooo.html
- ^ "Entourage Music: Season 04: Episode 52 "Snow Job"". HBO. http://www.hbo.com/entourage/music/season04/episode52.html. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
- ^ "The 50 Albums of 2006". Pitchfork Media. 2006-12-19. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/40007/Staff_List_Top_50_Albums_of_2006/page_5. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
- ^ Jack Foley, "The Knife: Swedish duo hoping to cut it in synth-pop world," indieLondon, http://www.indielondon.co.uk/music/mu_knife_bio.html
- ^ Pytlik, Mark (2006-07-24). "Interview: The Knife". Pitchfork Media. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/37270-interview-the-knife. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
- ^ The Knife - Videography
External links
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