Photo by Andrew Parks
Since the last time we saw or heard from Light Asylum was more than a year ago—during a stretch of shows opening for Matthew Dear—we’re not sure if we should be excited or worried that the duo’s spotlight-seizing singer, Shannon Funchess, has essentially joined The Knife for their upcoming North American tour. As detailed in a lengthy (mission?) statement earlier today, Funchess will be part of a team of performers, light technicians, set designers and ‘aerobics instructors’ that hope to further the politically charged avant-pop messages first displayed on the European leg of the Shaking the Habitual tour.
Aside from the fact that it’s happening around their Coachella appearance, the dates and details of the Knife’s long-awaited return to the states are still unknown. Check out their detailed description of the show’s latest iteration below, along with the Shaking the Habitual song Funchess guested on…
“Shaking the Habitual, the album, lays the groundwork for this show. Based on the artistic and political ideas therein, we play with the expectations and question habits of the concert, the dance performance, the club and the music festival. Working within a highly commercial, professionalised and male-dominated music industry, we strive to twist and strangle hierarchies to find other ways of organizing work and its conditions. Disrespecting borders between digital and analogue, fake and real, professional and dilettante, star and cast, experimental acts and glamorous shows, nature and culture, audience and artist, blood family and chosen family, dance and action, a Buchla and bongo and the sound of a hit and a kiss.
We use the full potential of the electronic concert. In addition to bodies playing electronic music, we suggest different bodily engagements. We suggest dancing together as a mobilization, a collective moment for everyone in the room – on and off stage – to take part in.
In 2013 we played at clubs and festivals in European cities. Now it’s 2014 and we’re about to tour North America. With care and attention, we gathered our impressions and got back together to rework the show. This is a continuation. Some songs are the same, some songs are new. Moves are added and changed. Some instruments are electrified and more voices are heard. Things glow and along the way we have elevated ourselves.
This time, we, The Knife, are a group of people with diverse approaches to dance, moves and music. Some of us are musicians, some of us are vocalists, some of us are choreographers, some of us are experienced performers and some of us are not. We are very proud to announce that Shannon Funchess from the electronic punk duo Light Asylum (New York) is joining the show. Already familiar with the project as she sings on the record, she is now with us on stage.
We learn from each other.
We share responsibility.
This is a suggestion. For all of us.
/The Knife”
