Union of Knives

Union of Knives are an electronic, indie, pop-rocking, trip-hopping outfit based in rainy Glasgow.

"It’s been 14 years since Union of Knives went on hiatus, but the years have been generous to them. Their lush blending of post-punk, goth, industrial, and trip-hop no longer feels decades ahead of its time, merely years." AFROPUNK

A new album “Endless from the Start” will be released in November 2021 and although Chris Gordon (vocals, production) and Pete Kelly (drums, visuals) remain from the first album line-up, they are joined by a new cast of voices.

The essence of the group as a collaboration of like minds and inspired artistry remains, though the key players this time round are somewhat changed from the 2006 debut “Violence and Birdsong”. Chris Gordon is once again at the hub, crafting and grafting the divergent modes that comprise the groups musical output. Though he lends his voice to a few of the album’s tracks, the calling to collusion which is at the core of Union of Knives work, has him joined by Anthony Thomaz (Dope Sick Fly), Peter Kelly (The Kills, Ladytron) and guesting on two stand out tracks, Helen Marnie (Ladytron).
Anthony grew up in Louisiana honing his rapid-fire vocal instrument to depict scenes from the Deep South as well as meditations on the city scape of Baton Rouge. After a few hyper creative years in N.Y.C he fell in love with Scotland and decided to call it home. Originally meeting up with Chris to work on his own music, their common musical bonds became too compelling to ignore.
With some initial tracks already underway for new Union of Knives music, Chris asked Anthony to lend his creativity to the seeds of ideas. The glorious dystopian soundscape of “There’s a River” was the first of many tracks that Anthony would take to a new dimension. From the get-go the good fortune of their transatlantic encounter was abundantly obvious and Chris’ eagerness to work with different vocal textures (as displayed on 2006’s “Violence and Birdsong”) was deeply rewarded by Anthony’s sincere and soulful voice and presence.
To that same end, Helen Marnie was asked by her friend and cohort Peter Kelly to work on two of the tracks. Peter was a key collaborator from “Violence and Birdsong”, a drummer of inspired talent who spent the last decade playing all corners of the globe with The Kills and Ladytron among many others.
Union of Knives 2006 debut featured a strong feminine presence on several key tracks such as “Opposite Direction” (synched in The Vampire Diaries and Greys Anatomy) and “Evil has Never” (used for eons as the musical tag for Zane Low’s IN NEW MUSIC WE TRUST radio 1 show). This is echoed on “Endless from the Start” by Helen’s infectious sense of melody and her cultured yet hypnotic delivery on the tracks “A Little Life” and “A Tall Tale”. These tracks took shape during the 2020 UK lockdown and though Helen, Chris and Pete all live within a few miles of each other in the South of Glasgow they were never once able to collide in person. Phone calls, emails and files flew back and forth as the music came together; a true example of the insistence of artistic endevour at this moment in history.
Seeking a unified feel to the visual expression of this new music Chris turned to Pete, whose ardour, as with many creators, is unsatisfied by one discipline alone. Chris was deeply impressed by an exhibition of his paintings and drawings in 2017 and having such a talent (already entwined with the music) was too serendipitous to overlook. Pete took charge, creating screeds of images that will take the form of artwork and online content for life of the album.
“Endless from the Start” is as diverse as it is uplifting, even in its darker moments the compelling sense of rhythm elevates a sense of shared spirit and mission to the fore. The voices underpinned by turn with swooping ethereal tapestries, foundation shaking subs, and twitching yet insistent beats, there is an unrelenting unfurling of ideas and motifs.
As to why it took 14 years for a second Union of Knives album the heart of this matter lies with the birth of Chris’ first daughter in 2008, after which the pull of home easily trumped any obligations that come with a touring/recording entity. A blistering second album had been recorded with Atticus Ross (Oscar winning NIN stalwart) in L.A. in 2007 but unrest and uncertainty at their record company made Chris’ decision all the easier. Although he tried to persuade the others to carry on, with himself in a more studio bound role, it was not to be. With Chris busy producing for other artists and releasing 2 albums with his alt/rock band of brothers BABY CHAOS it took many years before both the space and inspiration were at hand to create another Union of Knives album.

www.unionofknives.com