Holy Fuck

In an age when artificial intelligence can now “produce” an entire classic rock band, Holy Fuck are more relevant than ever. The Canadian experimental synth-punk quartet, which has spent years insisting on the idea of music being performed by human hands and with human energy, will play in Istanbul for the first time on October 12 at Blind, with the support of %100 Müzik. The key element that sets Holy Fuck apart from similar acts is that they do not create their music through laptops and pre-prepared loops, but entirely live, using drums, bass guitar, synths, and effects. Every sound onstage is played in the moment, changes direction, and takes shape. The band does not use a click track; instead, it places the chaos of improvisation, the four musicians taking risks simultaneously, and the irreversibility of the moment at the center. Holy Fuck, made up of Brian Borcherdt, Graham Walsh, Matt “Punchy” McQuaid, and Matt Schulz, fell into a long silence after 2020’s Deleter, alongside the pandemic. The process began when the band members reunited after years apart and took root in a village hall in rural Nova Scotia, Canada. At first, they came together simply to play again and spend time together, but they soon realized that new ideas had begun to flow spontaneously. That gathering became the starting point for the band’s forthcoming album, Event Beat. Event Beat is the product of Holy Fuck’s collective reflexes, instincts, and the almost telepathic communication they have developed over the years. The album offers a broad spectrum, from punk-funk grooves and krautrock marches to pastoral ambient passages and euphoric moments aimed at the dance floor. The common thread running through all this variety, however, is that the music is played live and shaped by the energy of the moment. The band’s return to the conversation also happened in an unpredictable way. The use of “Tom Tom” in Amazon Prime’s series Invincible and the inclusion of “Lost Cool” in the Oscar-winning film The Substance once again reminded listeners of Holy Fuck’s timelessness. The fact that songs recorded years ago are resonating again today is the result of the band’s insistence on following instinct rather than trends. What will happen at Blind on the night of October 12 is not a “nostalgia concert.” For Holy Fuck, the stage is an extension of the studio: a space where drums, bass, and synths sweat, and every moment carries risk. Songs may stretch out, transform, or even fall apart. But that is exactly why every performance is unique. Holy Fuck, performing in Istanbul for the first time, are coming to remind us that music can still be made with human hands, instruments, and together. Music is meaningful when it is played together and lived together. That is exactly what Holy Fuck are doing.