Kasms
Kasms release their new single ‘Bone You’ through Trouble Records on February 23rd. Available to download or on 7†picture disc, it’s the first track to be taken from their forthcoming debut album (due out in April) and was mastered at Abbey Road Studios.
The single and album, like all of Kasms recordings thus far, was speedily recorded live on a reel-to-reel tape machine and mixed at their studio space by band member Rory Brattwell. The idea behind this freeform style of recording was to capture the live energy in which their snowballing reputation is rooted, creating an album that documents the exhilarating sound and attitude they have created during their short time together as a band.
Kasms are London-based Rachel Mary Callaghan, Gemma Fleet, Scott R. Walker and Rory Brattwell. Gemma and Rachel met in late October 2007 when Gemma spotted Rachel dancing to Nirvana and decided that she should be the singer in her new band, irrespective of whether she could sing or not. They then bumped into each other a week later at a Get Hustle show and met up with likeminded musicians Scott and Rory at the bar afterwards. All were inspired by what they had seen and decided to start a band together.
All four members have been other bands: Rachel was the singer in spazzcore band Sin o the East, along with Rory on guitar; Gemma was in London based grunge-pop band Wolfie; Scott was in an ethnic/improv band called Aum Sahib and Rory was in quite a few bands, the most well known being short-lived NME favourites Test Icicles.
I guess you could say Kasms sound is Punk/Deathrock but they coined the genre “Shriekbeat†to describe their music, which pretty much encapsulates the essence of what KASMs are all about. Taking in varied influences starting with dark, pulsating, rhythmic bands such as Trial, Crash Worship, Live Skull and better known dark 80s stuff such as Bauhaus and Death in June, they cite their sound as being more heavily skewed by recent Alternative American punk bands such as Subtonix, Nation of Ulysses and Six Finger Satellite.
Kasms' dark, melodramatic tendencies are laced with energetic melody translating to their live shows, which start off intense and brutal and have been known to end up with mesmerizing front-woman Rachel making “assaults on photographers and members of the audience†(The Guardian, January 2009). In the short time they’ve been together rumours of their unpredictable and intense performances have spread at an intense rate, stoking the fire and propelling them forward.
Over their first year together they have played in New York, Paris, Berlin, Milan, toured the UK with contemporaries Televised Crimewave. They signed to Trouble Records (birthplace of acts such as Crystal Castles) in April 2008 and their debut single ‘Taxidermy’ sold out all 2000 copies, touching number 12 in the charts, and won them support from the likes of Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens, NME, Artrocker and acclaimed slots at Underage Festival and Offset Festival.
January
20th London Madame Jojo’s (White Heat headline set)
24th Milan, Italy Circolo Magnolia
February
10th London South of the Border (Single lanch w/Male Bonding and Plug)
12th Brighton New Hero (w/Crystal Stilts)
27th London No Fiction at Powersf