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CMU Approved
Approved: Use Knife
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 20 October 2022
Stef Heeren and Kwinten Mordijck released their debut EP as Use Knife back in early 2020 – a short collection of dark analogue synth-pop tracks that were good, but lacking something to elevate their talent above the noise of other similar acts.
Since that release, the now trio has been completed by Iraqi musician Saif Al-Qaissy, who has brought in traditional Arabic music influences to create something immediately arresting and exciting.
On the group’s debut album, ‘The Shedding Of Skin’, the merging of Arabic and Western influences comes together seamlessly. Particularly effective is Al-Qaissy’s use of various Middle Eastern percussion instruments and rhythms to bring real urgency to the tracks – most notably on opener ‘Ptolemaic’.
Use Knife have shows upcoming at Le Guess Who? festival in The Netherlands and Sonic City in Belgium. ‘The Shedding Of Skin’ is out now. Watch the video for ‘Ptolemaic’ here:
