The Knife continues its 20 th anniversary celebration as the duo of Karin and Olof Dreijer revisit Deep Cuts, a Trojan horse of a pop record that dreamt of a revolution.
To celebrate the record, the band today releases the digital format of “Pass This On (2005 7” Rip),” a live studio version of the track from The Knife’s first-ever performance. The song was initially included on the Pass This On special limited edition 7” vinyl released in 2005.
The Knife has also announced a limited edition magenta colored pressing of Deep Cuts available August 20. “Pass This On” marked another crucial step forward for The Knife as they moved on from their DIY music video roots to embrace a more traditional filming approach alongside noted director Johan Renck (Breaking Bad, Chernobyl). Inspired by Karin’s love of Pedro Almodóvar films, the video features a drag artist performing for a group comprised of mostly men in a local meeting hall.
Reflecting on his work with The Knife, Renck says, “At times, in work, one is propelled into the holy enigma, taking ones experiences to previously unvisited paradigms. That’s exactly where you wish to find yourself; a place that is profound yet playful, idiosyncratic yet relatable, mercurial yet sharp as that blade. This realm brings forth the best of your inner life, and they created it. It is all about them. I have yet to encounter people I respect and admire more than Karin and Olof.”
Deep Cuts’ “Pass This On” and “Heartbeats” represent two of the most overt pop songs in The Knife’s catalog and helped propel the band’s profile to new heights. Fellow Swede José González introduced the track to a fresh audience via his tender acoustic guitar cover that went on to be featured in a massively successful Sony Bravia commercial. “Heartbeats” and its tale of instantaneous, fervent love became one of the most celebrated electro-pop songs of the 2000s. Pitchfork included it at #15 on their list of the decade’s best recordings saying, “each version of ‘Heartbeats’ is a miracle in its own right, highlighting a different aspect of the same incredible, life-affirming experience.”
The Knife sought to imbue Deep Cuts with allusions to their socialist political ideals via the democratization of art. The duo conceived calypso-tinged electronic pop and used it to rail against ingrained structural entities such as the police state, toxic masculinity, and domestic abuse. It was a spoonful of auditory sugar to help offset the bitterness of a dark reality. Deep Cuts offered a chance for people to dance while confronting a troubled world.
Karin and Olof are also offering new insight into their catalog in reverse chronological order. The snippet below is from an August chat the pair had with journalist Ruth Saxelby about Deep Cuts and its radical underpinnings.
