Ahh, The Knife. Where to start. I have been having a love affair with
The Knife, and Karen Dreijer's solo project,
Fever Ray, for over a year now. Caitlin introduced me to this eerie, electronic music, and I have been in musical awe ever since. The Knife consists of two members,
Olof Dreijer and
Karin Dreijer Andersson, a brother-sister duo from Sweden (I have been noticing a very positive trend of art coming from Sweden...).
A short warning: this is not music for the light-hearted. This stuff is weird, sometimes bordering on, sometimes seeping in creepy, and it's very experimental. If you want to give The Knife or Fever Ray a try, start with some earlier music, like their debut album
The Knife (2001), or
Deep Cuts (2003). In particular, try listening to the songs "
Heartbeats" or "
Pass This On".
When I first listened to The Knife, I have to admit that I was a bit turned off by it. It was just so different from music I had previously listened to (I was never really one to go for synth over traditional instruments). Outside of listening to lots and lots of
Radiohead, I had never been interested in having electronic elements in music. The Knife stretched the boundaries of my musical experience, which is part of why I like them SO much. I don't know how many people out there relate to this, but when I'm initially turned off by music, I challenge myself to give it at least a few good listens before I dismiss it. So I listened again and again, and soon enough, I couldn't stop listening to The Knife.
A few months ago, I had the great opportunity to see Karin Dreijer Andersson perform music from
Fever Ray at the
Metro in Chicago. This show was simply awe-inspiring. Andersson is not one to give shout-outs to the crowd or speak in between songs; she is performing from the moment she steps on stage to the moment she leaves. To get a sense for the props on stage, lighting design and the costumes worn by all members of the band (including Karin), check out the
Triangle Walks video on the
official Fever Ray website.
So, today, I finally decided to try to take one of these synthed-out songs and cover it on guitar and voice. The original of the song covered here,
"Na Na Na", is one of the more low-key songs on the album,
Silent Shout (2006). The original opens with a lone repeated phrase on (almost positively electronic) steel drum, and is quickly joined by Karin's electronically altered voice (Karin's use of a pitch shifter and octave filter for her vocals is the norm). The song progresses with an added vocal layer, a bass line, synth "strings", and a "shaker" keeping steady beat with the eighth notes. The effect is (as usual) eerie, and when this short, 2 minute 30 second song is over, I am left wanting more.
There is a
review of Silent Shout and a
7-minute clip from The Knife's Charles Darwin inspired "electro-opera" titled
Tomorrow, In A Year at
pitchfork.com.
So, have a listen to my cover, and if you are not familiar with The Knife or Fever Ray, give it a listen, too!
