The postpunk/breakbeat band KNARS (FKA Knarsetand) releases their new album ‘From the Madhouse’ 5 October. KNARS explores an updated sound; harder and rawer than ever. The band released single + music video ‘Blood on my Mind’ 20 September.
Album
The updated KNARS has already been wrecking stages across The Netherlands for a year (Amsterdam Dance Event, MadNes and Grasnapolsky), along with successful tours in France and Hungary.
The Album ‘From the Madhouse’ is full of hard guitar riffs, deep sub and hypnotising breakbeats – psychadelic soundscapes are punctured with hardstyle synths and punky texts. The musicality of the group is searing: these dance tracks are played live with a 7-man band with a multi-national-multi-instrumentalist band. A London-style rapper, a warrior from New Zealand on vocals, a funky American drummer, horns, guitars, synths and electronics make this a mad overload with a gritty postpunk/breakbeat flavour.
New sound
The new album ‘From the Madhouse’ is a statement of intent. KNARS is the natural successor to Knarsetand, concocted in the skunkworks of producer, MC and frontman Martijn Holtslag. Knarsetand became known for a dance mix of drum n bass, ska and dubstep. Martijn has turned the party vibes inside out. “I went through a rough patch.” The switch in mindset leaned itself to these new tracks. KNARS is Dutch for ‘grind’. “It grinds more. That’s where the new sound comes from and that’s why we switched the name.”
New Single
In the run-up to the new album ‘From the Madhouse,’ KNARS releases ‘Blood on my Mind’ 20 September, with music video starring one of the Dutch favourite media personalities Harry Piekema.
In the media
KNARS has been picked up by the Dutch national radio 3FM and media such as NeverMindTheHype, Omdenken and national newspapers like AD. Comparisons are drawn with The Prodigy, Die Antwoord and Pendulum.
The project has been able to achieve this whilst remaining fully independent, without label, manager, publisher or subsidy. Producer/MC/frontman Martijn Holtslag gained some notoriety when, after being beaten up in a public space, he went on to shoot a video for the single ‘Fuckup’, showing his injuries as a “middle finger to hate.”
Tracklist
01 Bad Trip (Short Version)
02 Fuckup (Long Version)
03 Can't Get a Hold of Myself (with Isaac McCluskey)
04 Dragging me Deeper
05 She Twisted
06 Delirious
07 Get Out of My Head
08 Numb it Down
09 No Tengo Dinero
10 Psycho Let's Go (with Koko Kelly)
11 Blood on my Mind
12 Push it to the Limit
13 I'm not Gonna Get Out
From The Madhouse is released on Ongewoon Onbegrensd. Available for purchase/streaming on all known digital platforms.
