Holy Fuck - Event Beat

Twenty years and six albums in, this Toronto collective still fulfils a unique need.  Their sound perfectly straddles the indie and electronica worlds, a feat few bands achieve in quite the same way.  While Radiohead’s Amnesiac, Death in Vegas, Massive Attack and perhaps UNKLE come close, LCD Soundsystem offer a lighter take and Blanck Mass has moved on. Newer acts like Das Koolies and The Umlauts lean more towards the electronic side explored by Mogwai on their last album.

Holy Fuck’s distinctive draw lies in their heavy, rolling beats, achieved through live instrumentation over samples and click tracks. This gives their music a weighty, analogue feel that’s hard to replicate.  They embody this ethos in their live performances, focusing on improvisation and striving for a live-as-possible sound on this album. The lead single ‘Evie’ sets the tone. Gritty and muddy, it features a grimy funk bassline.  Synths and drum machine echoes create an alluring DIY sound. ‘Elevate’ evokes James Murphy remixing a Pale Blue Eyes track, DJ’d by Caribou, resulting in an euphoric experience. ‘Seven’ offers a post-punk vibe reminiscent of bar Italia, while ‘Gold Flakes’ has a hazy krautrock feel.  While, ‘Aerosol’ delivers a proper psych freak out. Throughout their career, Holy Fuck has embraced their niche. Here incorporating other musical styles while staying true to their sound. A sound that has sustained them and their fans for two decades.