BIO:
Two guys who whip up a melodic storm of riff-fired power that takes your mind, body and soul on a hallucinatory rock 'n' roll ride. That's Cairo Knife Fight.
Made up of Nick Gaffaney, who sings, drums, and plays bass synth (all at the same time), and guitarist and loop pedal guru Aaron Tokona, they build a groove and intensity so strong you can, in the words of Gaffaney, "build a house on it".
"It's about the sound of it, the power of it and the experimentation within it," he says.
Then there's their wild, seat-of-the-pants live show, where it's as if their instruments are about to fall apart - but you can be sure they never will.
This innovative and thrilling take on rock 'n' roll has seen them support like-minded bands such as Them Crooked Vultures in 2010 and Queens of the Stone Age in 2011.
And not many bands can claim to have supported the Foo Fighters twice in a year, with CKF opening for the Foos at the band's special Christchurch Earthquake benefit show in March at the Auckland Town Hall and in December at Western Springs, which will be the biggest show of the New Zealand summer.
Back in 2010, while not technically on the bill, they booted down the back door of New York's influential CMJ music festival to get themselves a gig and get noticed - and this year they got the official invite to return. And they are headed for SXSW in Austin, Texas, in 2012.
Also in 2010 they released a self-titled debut EP, which included the scorching dynamism of Big Face and the slamming catchiness of This Is Love.
They followed it up in August this year with II, which was recorded at Neil Finn's Roundhead Studios in Auckland on the very same Neve recording desk custom-built for the Who. The EP was not just a step up in intensity but also ambition, with opener The Violence of Action stretching out over eight sublime minutes and The Opiate of the Living a smouldering, brooding beast.
"The first EP was just a taste," says Tokona. "This one sounds like we are on our way somewhere - we're taking more risks and we are way more fearless."
CFK has evolved from a Gaffaney solo project, into a multi-member line up, and four-or-so years ago they scaled back to a tight two-piece following what Tokona says was a "booze-soaked jam session" at a bar in Wellington.
Of all the musical projects they have been involved in, with Gaffaney the in-demand drummer for some of New Zealand's most successful acts, and Tokona the front man for heavy rockers Weta in the late 90s and early 2000s, this is the sort of music they have always wanted to make.
They are an odd couple, with the level-headed and more refined Gaffaney a contrast to self-confessed the "emotional and mentally perturbed" Tokona. It's these differences and the resulting volatility that makes their music such a fearsome force.
"We come from opposite ends of the world really. Personality-wise, in upbringing, and family backgrounds, but we just want exactly the same things out of the music we're making."
And it's bold and forward-thinking music.
At this year's New Zealand music awards Kiwi rock stalwarts Shihad declared CKF the future of music - and songs like The Violence of Action, with Tokona unleashing a relentless guitar riff like no other, and II's scything single The Origin of Slaves, are proof of it.
The real beauty of CKF though is that they are always looking forward, constantly on the hunt for new sounds, new riffs, and new technology to make it happen.
"It's ever changing," says Gaffaney."We're trying to keep building on the ideas and concepts we've already used. Growing the technology base we use to create new sounds and feels, and pushing our skills to the limits. There's definitely a hunger and desire to grow as artists and that's really what keeps us going."
CONTACT:
AMANDA CHARNEY
LAUREN APPLEBAUM
LINKS:
OFFICIAL SITE
MYSPACE
TOUR/PRESS:
“Two-piece rock bands are always a trip to watch, especially when they can utilize multiple instruments simultaneously and loop tracks successfully to create a very non-two-piece sound. New Zealand’s own Cairo Knife Fight has already taken these talents to the stage performing with Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures and Queens of the Stone Age.”
Milwaukee Magazine
“An act worth making a point to watch, that’s for sure.”
New Zealand Music Magazine
“If you do get to a show, you’ll no doubt mosh so hard, you’ll need a neck brace.”
Tearaway Magazine New Zealand
“It is of no surprise that they opened for Them Crooked Vultures and Queens of the Stone Age... ‘II’s strength is that it tries a few different things and does them well without being overly complicated about it. The songs are never clouded by anybody being too precious or clever. Cairo Knife Fight appear to be on a mission and ‘II’ is just another clue about what that mission is.”
Under The Radar New Zealand
“CKF II is not only a step-up in intensity, but also another step along the road of feeling comfortable bringing CKF's blistering and hallucinatory sound to life.”
New Zealand Herald
“Anyone who has caught the dynamic live act of duo Nick Gaffaney (drums/vocals/bass keys) and guitarist Aaron Tokona, will almost inevitably have come away impressed – if not by their mesmerising, sprawling and passionate music, then certainly by the incredible work-rate of these two inspiring musicians.”
New Zealand Music Magazine
“It's brilliantly unhinged, hallucinatory, and riff-fired music.”
New Zealand Herald
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