Slow Knife are an impossible band to pinpoint. Mostly because they are incredible shapeshifters, turning into folk magicians one moment, ambient drone lords another, and then ancient Egyptian jazz deities the next. A Hymn Supreme is probably even more extreme in this aspect than most other of their releases, as it is their most experimental to date, combining two amazing longform pieces in which they show their kaleidoscopic selves at artistic peak.
Part 1. has a warm jazz feel. Lush saxophone wails guide us through a reverb drenched hall in which a priest like figure performs a spoken word sermon. Thundering timpani support his echoing words, while ambient synths make for a movie like sensation. The sermon stops, the sax goes crazier and enters free jazz territories. All the while Slow Knife skilfully holds all of our attention, and navigates us through various movie scenes within our minds.
Pt.2 brashly enters our eardrums with a completely different side of Slow Knife, the distorted pulsations reminiscent of early industrial goths like Swans or Throbbing Gristle. That fades out soon to ghostly chants, weird soundscapes, and woeful eerie noises. The track keeps reverberating the darkness of an underground tunnel system, “deep in the darkest corners of shade”, and even when we hear a beautiful female voice in the spoken word part the music sounds creepy and distorted. The musical equivalent of a fever dream.
It is a rich experience, a good and a bad trip all in one. It hints to other music scenes old and new, and conjures up images of various arthouse movies. All of that does Slow Knife make. All of it is rather wonderful and hard to put into words…a hymn supreme…quite so.
Slow Knife resides in Todmorden, UK, a place they delightedly remind us translates to “deathmurder” in German. Both parts of the duo Alex Cook, and Eleanor Battle do not hide the fact that they love the dark and mysterious, even the horrific. What drives these mysterious and hard to grasp sound creators? Who or what is Slow Knife? Let’s find out…
How is Slow Knife at the moment?
Cold like an old stone.
We are well, thanks. We’ve just released A HYMN SUPREME, an improvised album of free jazz and noise electronics, and we’re glad to have it out in the world.
Can you introduce the band? What are the highlights so far?
We seem to be a shapeshifting collective. The band currently stands as Alex Cook – sax, guitar, synth and vocals and Eleanor Battle – harmonium, synth, tanpura and vocals. A HYMN SUPREME and our next studio album, Disobey Your King, also features drums from Eddie Griffiths.
Highlights include recording A HYMN SUPREME at Quarry Studios in Liverpool. It’s a great studio and gig space with a lovely production team. We played an album launch gig at Band on the Wall with support from Telescopic Arms and Long Swan Tongues. It was a weird and wonderful night like an old style cabaret. We are set to play a release show at the Quarry in Liverpool on 6th October. Another highlight is performing at the beautiful Unitarian Church in Todmorden. A live album and video of the gig, this will be available soon.
Where do you live and how did/does that influence your music?
Slow Knife resides in the valley of Todmorden which in German translates to ‘Death Murder’. The town has had an influence on our musical direction, we are sure of that, but how this can be described is beyond us, something is most definitely happening and it refuses to stop.
What was the best thing you did this year?
We got engaged. We are now bound. Again something is occurring and it refuses to stop.
What is the thing you are looking forward to most?
We’re looking forward to releasing the live video we filmed at the Unitarian Church. The acoustics and church decor is incredible. In 2024 we will release Disobey Your King, our next full studio album. This album contains a mixture of drone, folk and electronic tracks.
What can you tell me about the creation of the new album? In what way did you approach it differently this time?
A HYMN SUPREME was captured during studio time booked to record our upcoming album; Disobey Your King. At the start or end of each day, we recorded a 30 minute improvisation. These improvisations can be considered explorations of the themes from the structured song pieces recorded for Disobey Your King.
A HYMN SUPREME features two long form pieces. Part one owes a debt to the spiritual jazz of John and Alice Coltrane along with the harmonic structures of Gagaku ceremonial music. Part two explores the jazz electronic free improvisation of bands like Super Silent, especially their album ‘6’. The vocals for part 1 and part 2 were added as overdubs weeks later, after many intense nocturnal writing sessions.
What are your favourite movies? And which movies would you say inspired you for Slow Knife?
We are big fans of cosmic horror, folk horror and giallo movies and definitely try to incorporate many elements of these types of soundtrack into our sound world. We are super fans of Suspiria and the Goblin soundtrack, Peace Refused, Blood and Black Lace, The Liar Of The White Worm, Black Sabbath, Daughters of Darkness, and all of Argento’s movies. We love all things folk horror and the eeriness that the setting or environment brings to the story, almost becoming a character itself. Some of our favourites include Onibaba, The Kill List, Lamb, the Other Lamb, In the Earth and the grim classic Begotten. Recently, we have enjoyed Beau is Afraid and Something in the Dirt.
What are your favorite contemporary bands?
Sunn O))), Doja Cat, Kali Malone, Lankum, Stephen O’malley‘s solo works, Maria W Horn, Telescopic Arms, Thraa, Swans and Drew McDowall. We really love Lingua Ignota, we believe her album Sinner Get Ready is one of the best albums ever.
What are some of your favourite places to play live?
The White Hotel in Manchester
The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds
The Golden Lion in Todmorden (Death Murder)
The 100 Club in London
What should the Weirdo Shrine reader do immediately after reading this interview?
Watch the 2017 film ‘November’ on silent while listening to A HYMN SUPREME on full volume, red wine also recommended. Immediately after this listening experience, call a loved one and tell them you love them and refuse to…
Thanks for reading and follow us on instagram @slowknifeband for updates on everything that is happening and refuses to stop.
Weirdo Shrine 