As hoarders of junk electronics, thrift store keyboards and a variety of circuit-bent thingamajigs, it makes sense that each successive Holy Fuck record gets better and better — each time they’ve got more stuff to play with. The Toronto group’s fluid membership swells and shrinks around the core duo of Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh, who will resort to toy guns or any number of other effect-laden contraptions, most often with the backing of a more traditional rhythm section. The result is a live electronica troupe renowned for their improvisational skill, but on their third full length, Latin, they prove their craftsmanship sets them apart. “One” is about as close as they get to the noisy power-electronics one might expect from a band called Holy Fuck, borrowing from the similarly-named Fuck Button’s playbook of slow-building climaxes. Their specialty, though, is fusing that noisiness with dancier elements, like the Kraut-rockin’ “Latin America” or the chip-tune sounding party jam “SHT MTN.”
This article appears in May 19, 2010.