Use Knife + Smote

A powerful mix of raw synths, Arabic percussion, and politically charged energy. The trio Use Knife, featuring Iraqi vocalist Saif Al-Qaissy and Belgian musicians Kwinten Mordijck and Stef Heeren, fuses industrial and EBM textures with Iraqi rhythms. After their acclaimed debut 'The Shedding of Skin' (2022), they returned in 2025 with 'État Coupable', mixed by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (Jerusalem in My Heart). Live, they create a hypnotic experience with visuals by Youniss Ahamad, challenging the boundaries between East and West. Their radio show Feeding The Gentry airs monthly on Radio Alhara. Use Knife sounds like a whirlwind: captivating, uncompromising, and boundary-pushing.

Smote is Daniel Foggin’s hypnotic project where primal landscapes, ritualistic repetition, and meditative intensity collide. Rooted in his experiences as a landscape gardener and inspired by folk tales, drones, and heavy electronics, Smote transforms everyday environments and stories into immersive sonic journeys. With Songs From The Free House, Foggin crafts audial monuments that feel both ancient and immediate, blending raw earthiness with transcendent atmospheres in a uniquely visionary way.