What have Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, the siblings behind Swedish duo The Knife, been doing since their 2006 electro opus, Silent Shout? Cramming! The starting point for their creepy latest, Shaking the Habitual (out April 9), was none other than a Stockholm University gender studies syllabus. "We had a literature list and then met for jam sessions," says Dreijer Andersson. Sounds snoozy, you say? Follow these three easy tips, and you and yours will be ready to rage to the most erudite record of 2013.
No sausage fests.
"Back in 2006 we didn't think much about the political value of who we worked with, and it ended up being only men," says Dreijer. "This time we have only women except for me and one other guy. A lot has changed." Sorry fellas, you heard the man. This party is by the ladies, for the ladies. (And your token progressive gays, obvs.)
Brush up on your queer theory.
"We wanted to get deeper into feminist and queer theory, reading things like Gayatri Spivak, Chandra Mohanty, Judith Butler, Jeanette Winterson, and The History of Sexuality by Foucault," says Dreijer. Hey! Pay attention! If you can't make it through this article, how are you ever going to get through the album? Now go Wikipedia those names.
Bring sweatpants.
"We made things that went on for hours and then tried to edit them down," Dreijer explains. No shit. At 100 minutes, this album is longer than most college classes. Will you and your friends stay awake? Who knows. But you'd better get comfy. (And also, stoned.)
Watch the official video for "A Tooth for an Eye" below:
Watch the official video for "Full of Fire" below:
