Holy Fuck

Toronto-based project founded in the mid-2000s, Holy Fuck has developed a hybrid approach between indie rock and experimental electronic music. Conceived by Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh, the group built itself around a collective mode of operation in which bass and drums converse with synthetic textures played live, with no reliance on preprogrammed playback. Holy Fuck operates in a space between krautrock, noise rock, indie electronic and techno-like pulses, favouring repetitive structures, gradual buildups and a marked taste for controlled improvisation. After a self-titled debut in 2005, the band consolidated its method on an LP in 2007 and then on Latin in 2010, where contrasts between simple melodic motifs and more abrasive layers became clearer. With Congrats (2016) and Deleter (2020), Holy Fuck accentuated the rhythmic side and made increased use of vocals and fragmented pop motifs, while retaining a raw, immediate live aesthetic. Active on North American and European stages, the members also engage in production and composition work within the Canadian independent scene, which in turn feeds the evolution of Holy Fuck’s sound.