Knives are one of those rare bands that are clearly destined for greatness from the moment they step on stage. Throwing Idles-style modern post-punk into a blender with a hearty dose of hip-hop swagger and blasts of saxophone-fuelled noise, Knives have kept busy over the last couple of years with their debut LP Glitter topping plenty of album of the year lists and their tours with The Callous Daoboys and Ditz as well as appearances at 2000 Trees and Noizzefest bringing in plenty of new fans. Back in November the six-piece released Reglitter I, a collection of remixes, covers and offcuts with contributions from Death Goals, Chest and the vocalists of tourmates The Callous Daoboys and Ditz, now on Reglitter II, Knives deliver the same eclectic sound with a whole new set of collaborators.
While the first part of Reglitter added a pair of tracks that had been left on the cutting room floor, Reglitter II shifts the focus to some of the album’s deeper cuts. Opening on a remix of Glitter’s closing track ‘I See Them Fall’ by London based producer Sunnbrella which transforms the original’s moody acoustic ballad into a fuzzy, maximalist, electronic shoegaze experience while ‘You Think You Know’ gives Brighton electro-punk legends CLT DRP the opportunity to put their own mark on the track’s stomping, spin-kicking groove with their signature stabbing guitars and vocals which fly erratically between alluring and savage. Although the original tracks may not have stood out among the hard-hitting singles on the original Glitter, both Sunnbrella and CLT DRP breathe new life into their reinterpretations with their own signature styles.
“both Sunnbrella and CLT DRP breathe new life into their reinterpretations with their own signature styles.”
Many of the acts Knives approach to recreate their songs come from the same punk scenes they make themselves comfortable in, Reglitter II’s cover of their single ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ takes the track in a new, violent direction. Bringing in Brighton hardcore band How Long Have You Been Driving for this track is a stroke of genius, twisting the original’s anthemic sax-punk into a screeching, mosh-ready metallic hardcore hit complete with blast beats and chugging drop-tuned guitars. Despite taking ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ into a totally new genre, How Long Have You Been Driving put a fascinating spin on that track that highlights both their own intense riffs and the original’s chorus that stands out as catchy and memorable even through all the distortion.
Standing high as one of the UK’s most exciting punk acts, Knives prove that their songs hold up even when filtered through the creative lens of other bands. From electronic shoegaze to punk to hardcore, M/X, Sunnbrella, CLT DRP and How Long Have You Been Driving all manage to reinterpret their chosen tracks in new and fascinating ways.