Modundayız Sunar: Holy Fuck
In an age when artificial intelligence can now “produce” an entire classic rock band, Holy Fuck is more relevant than ever. The Canadian experimental synth-punk quartet, which has stubbornly championed the idea of music performed by human hands and with human energy for years, will play in Istanbul for the first time on October 12 at Blind, with the support of %100 Müzik.
The key thing that sets Holy Fuck apart from similar acts is that they create their music entirely live—not through laptops and pre-prepared loops, but with drums, bass guitar, synths, and effects. Every sound onstage is played, redirected, and shaped in the moment. The band does not use a click track; it places the chaos of improvisation, the four musicians taking risks simultaneously, and the irreversibility of the moment at the center.
Holy Fuck, comprising Brian Borcherdt, Graham Walsh, Matt “Punchy” McQuaid, and Matt Schulz, fell into a long silence with the pandemic following 2020’s Deleter. The process that began when the band members reunited after years took root in a rural village hall in Nova Scotia, Canada. At first, the group came together simply to play again and spend time together, but they soon realized that new ideas had begun to flow spontaneously. This gathering also became the starting point for the band’s forthcoming album, Event Beat.
Event Beat is the product of Holy Fuck’s collective reflexes, intuition, 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 throughout this diversity, however, is that the music is played live and shaped by the energy of the moment.
The band’s return to the spotlight also happened unpredictably. The use of “Tom Tom” in the Amazon Prime series Invincible and the inclusion of “Lost Cool” in the Oscar-winning film The Substance once again highlighted 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 intuition 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 the drums, bass, and synths sweat, and every moment carries risk. Songs may stretch out, transform, or even fall apart. That is precisely why every performance is unique.
Holy Fuck will take the stage in Istanbul for the first time to remind us that music can still be made by human hands, with instruments, and together.
Music is meaningful when it is played and experienced together.
Holy Fuck is doing exactly that.
