There is no doubt that the group Knower has one of the most distinct sounds of any actively recording band today. With their authentic flavor of EDM, Metal, and Funk inspired jazz fusion, this group has garnered an impressive cult-like following over the last 15 years. Their diverse array of musical influences combined with the unbridled creativity that characterizes their charmingly bizarre lyrics and their DIY-style music videos makes their artistic output one of a kind.
Image from Knower’s bandcamp page
As intriguing as they are, Knower’s appeal has remained limited to a relatively small group of very passionate fans. While having a very specialized artistic vision is definitely not a flaw, it can make it difficult to attract new listeners.
Knower’s most recent release, an EP called Some Thingies (2025), is very promising in that it shows potential to be more accessible to listeners who are not life long fans. The EP consists of four of their most well known tracks: Overtime, Same Smile Different Face, Time Traveler, and It Will Get Real. One thing that immediately distinguishes these recordings from Knower’s previous drops is that the tracks are all sourced from either live performances or their most famous internet videos–not having been previously released in a formal capacity. Also, Some Thingies is much more condensed than many of their previous projects. Effectively, this EP connects casual listeners who might not be willing to search through hours of youtube videos, for example, to some of the band’s most iconic performances of all time.
The most important difference between Some Thingies (2025) and much of their past projects is the emphasis on variety. The best thing that any band can do to expand their audience is to simply be versatile. While previous albums tend to only focus on Knower’s crunchy, up tempo repertoire, the track, Same Smile, Different Face from Some Thingies showcases the group’s ability to captivate their listeners with dreamy and nostalgic ballads. This addition goes a long way to capture the interest of a more mainstream audience.
Another part of this release that helps convey Knower’s distinctive playing style to newer listeners is the inclusion of more featured artists compared to past albums. Sam Wilke’s ability to bring out the melodic components of Louis Cole’s drumming and to tie together different sections of a piece with his seamless bass fills are crucial to the feel throughout these tracks. This context can help a less trained ear appreciate the wide range of rhythmic ideas that Cole likes to explore during a song.
On another note, Saxophonist Sam Gendell’s wispy yet fiery tone does a fantastic job of reflecting the quiet intensity that characterizes lead singer Genevive Artadi’s voice. On its own, the technical complexity of Gendell’s playing is something that any listener can get excited about, but his remarkable ability to capture the essence of Artadi’s iconic vocals makes his playing all the more exhilarating. Balancing a one of a kind artistic vision with the commercial demands of the music industry is never an easy task. Many different bands have tried to tackle this challenge and more often than not, they have failed. Knower’s new EP Some Thingies (2025) promises an interesting approach to this issue by working with their existing repertoire to make an accessible yet musically sophisticated presentation of their work. While it is hard to say if this release will actually have an effect on who listens to their music, there is no denying that their artistic vision remains stronger than ever.
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