the Knives of Neptune

". And just when you're comfortable you know where this song is going, TKON hit the trapdoor, load-up, and fire you into a classical-piano lead-break, only to send you reeling once more in a chorus that's instantly memorable. It's this kind of 'high-tide, low-tide' dynamic that sets the stage for the entire album . Labelling their compositions as 'space-rock', I find it more fitting to crown TKON's Lakes as something more akin to a soundtrack to an exploration of the oceans' depths, and achieves exactly what a concept album is meant to do: conjure imagery relating to the subject matter, immerse the listener in the realm that the band inhabits, and nail it shut. An underwater, guilt-ridden, spaced-out masterpiece, indeed" - Esteban Crooke, BEAT Magazine



"Forget singing about cars and girls - The Knives of Neptune have managed to make an album that is lyrically both as personal and as accessible as they come. Musically, TKON are still masters of controlled schizophrenia; alternately psychedelic, frenzied, haunting and majestic." - Ash Easton, BLUNT Magazine



The Knives of Neptune formed during July 2003 in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Born from the ashes of iconic post-punk outfits Fallopian Tube and Zero Point Defect, the sound of both their demo and subsequent EP release, Digital Bildungsroman, received rave reviews and showcased the band's ability to cleverly fuse atmospheric sounds with all-out rock assaults.



Shortly after, the Knives of Neptune underwent two dramatic line-up changes, choosing to part ways with first Stuart Hardy (keys/synths), then Matt Bykersma (vocals). The new lineup saw Panag joining s/synths, and Wayne and Panag assuming shared vocal duties - reducing the band to a 4-piece. As a result, the band's creative output skyrocketed, allowing them to write the material for their debut album, Lakes, in just a few months.



The lineup change has not only affected the band's sound, but provided a theme for the entire album. Subtitled 'An Underwater Exploration of Guilt', Lakes chronicles the days, weeks and months of emotional aftermath the band went through after their decision to part ways with former members and friends.



Lakes was long-listed for the 2006 Australian Music Prize, making its way into the final 25 nominations.



2007 saw the addition of original keyboardist Stuart Hardy on synths and samples, as well as Jeremy Bourke on second guitar (Jeremy also recorded additional guitar on Lakes), fleshing out an already ambitious sound into a fully-fledged sonic juggernaut.



The band will release its epic second album, Tasman the Sailor, in February 2009.



Debut album Lakes is out now through DSTAR Records/Modern Music/Sony BMG, featuring "The Diver".