The KVB

The KVB is a British audio-visual duo formed in London[1] in 2010 by Nicholas Wood and Kat Day.[2] Their sound has been described as a combination of electronic, psychedelic, post-punk and shoegaze.[3] The visual element is created by Kat Day, who studied fine art at Goldsmiths, University of London.[4]

The KVB
Background information
Origin	London, United Kingdom
Genres	Post-punk, Psychedelic, Shoegaze
Years active	2010–present
Labels	Invada Records, A Records, Cititrax Minimal Wave, Clan Destine, Downwards
Website	thekvb.co.uk
Members	Nicholas Wood Kat Day

Biography

Starting in 2010[5] as the solo recording project of the then Southampton-based musician Nicholas Wood,[6] The KVB released a number of demos online and limited edition cassettes,[7] before gaining the attention of the techno label Downwards for the release of the EP Into The Night in June 2011.[8]

Wood was joined by Kat Day on synthesizers and visuals in late 2011[9] while she was studying fine art at Goldsmiths, University of London,[10] They played their first live concert together in London at The Shacklewell Arms in December that year. Their first full-length album, Always Then, was released in February 2012 by Clan Destine Records,[11] coinciding with their first European tour, as well as support dates in the UK with The Soft Moon, Singapore Sling and Tamaryn.[12]

Two more albums, Immaterial Visions and Minus One were released the following year.[13] Immaterial Visions was released on the New York label Cititrax, a sublabel of Veronica Vasicka's cult electronic label Minimal Wave,[14] and Minus One on Brian Jonestown Massacre mastermind Anton Newcombe's label, A Records.[15] To coincide with the A Records release, The KVB supported The Brian Jonestown Massacre on their Australian tour that year.[16] In 2013, The KVB supported Loop on their UK reunion tour[17] and played at the Loop-curated ATP Festival at Camber Sands.[18]

The duo recorded their next release, the EP Out Of Body (2014), at the Berlin studio of Anton Newcombe.[19] Live drums on this EP were played by Joe Dilworth, formerly of Stereolab.[20]

In 2015, the band signed to Geoff Barrow of Portishead's label, Invada Records[21] for the release of the experimental, instrumental album Mirror Being.[22] That year, The KVB performed at the Primavera Sound festivals in Barcelona and Porto.[23]

The KVB recorded their next album, Of Desire (2016)[24] at the Bristol studio of Geoff Barrow.[25] In support of the album, The KVB embarked on headline tours of Europe, Asia, Latin America and South Africa.[26]

In 2017, The KVB released the EP Fixation / White Walls.[27]

Discography

Studio albums

• Always Then (2012, Clan Destine Records)
• Immaterial Visions (2013, Cititrax)
• Minus One (2013, A Records)
• Mirror Being (2015, Invada Records)
• Of Desire (2016, Invada Records)
• Only Now Forever (2018, Invada Records)

EPs

• Into The Night (2011, Downwards Records)
• Out Of Body (2014, A Records)
• Fixation / White Walls (2017, Invada Records)

References

1. "The KVB - 'Minus One'". NME.
2. "PRESS". THE KVB.
3. James Manning (22 November 2013). "The KVB – 'Minus One' album review". Time Out.
4. Ramona Depares (28 February 2016). "A layered immersion into music". Times of Malta.
5. April Clare Walsh (17 March 2016). "How The KVB turned video game textures into maximalist art on new album Of Desire". FACT.
   - Ben Graham (12 November 2013). "Drone Bomb: An Interview With The KVB". The Quietus.
6. Dom Gourlay (21 March 2016). "Album Review: The KVB - Of Desire". Drowned in Sound.
7. "The KVB - Subjection / Subordination". Discogs.
8. Trilby Foxx (28 June 2011). "Pink Playground / The KVB: 'Ten' / 'Into the Night'".
9. "ロンドンからベルリンへ：The KVB インタビュー". Vice.
10. Bob Gourley (13 March 2016). "The KVB". Chaos Control.
11. Paul Kerr (13 April 2012). "The KVB - Always Then". The 405.
12. "Tamaryn / Carousels / The KVB". Brighton Noise. Archived from the original on 2015-04-20.
13. Gregory Heaney, "The KVB", Allmusic
14. Tony Poland, "The KVB – Immaterial Visions", Juno Plus, 11 March 2013
    - "The KVB" Minimal Wave
15. J D Beauvallet, "The KVB : rock malade et fascinant", Les Inrockuptibles, 17 December 2013 (in French)
    - Fred Thomas, "The KVB Minus One", Allmusic
16. Patrick Emery. "The KVB". Beat.
17. Sander van den Driesche, "Live Review: Loop / The KVB", Far Out, 6 December 2013
    - "Live: Loop and The KVB – The Liquid Room, Edinburgh. December 4, 2013". Echoes and Dust. 6 December 2013.
18. Laura Snapes (26 April 2013). "Television, Chelsea Light Moving, Dinosaur Jr. to Play Last Ever British ATP Weekenders". Pitchfork.
19. Alex James Taylor (8 September 2014). "The KVB on finding solace in Berlin, Anton Newcombe and lo-fi extremity". Hero.
20. "Out of Body - The KVB - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
    - "Review: The KVB - Out Of Body". Resident Advisor. 7 July 2014.
    - Farah Barakat (30 May 2014). "The KVB Out of Body EP". Exclaim.
21. "Darkwave duo The KVB sign to Invada for Mirror Being – stream four tracks", FACT, 10 March 2015
22. Rhian Daly, "7 Great Albums That May Have Passed You By This Week", NME, 18 May 2015
23. "Primavera 2015, vendredi: Les bons refrains sont éternels". ARTE (in French). Archived from the original on 2017-09-06.
    - Mads Schmidt (10 May 2015). "These Are the Bands You Should Go See at Primavera". Noisey.
24. Julian Marszalek, "The KVB - Of Desire", Quietus, 13 March 2016
    - Heather Phares, "The KVB - Of Desire" Allmusic
25. Matt Wilkinson, "New Music Of The Day: The KVB – ‘In Deep’", NME, 6 January 2016
    - Kevin Irwin, "Album review: The KVB - Of Desire", Gigwise, 18 March 2016
26. The KVB, Songkick
27. "The KVB - Fixation / White Walls EP [Red Vinyl With Black Splatter]". Invada Records.
    - Elizabeth Klisiewicz (4 June 2017). "The KVB - Fixation / White Walls EP". Echoes and Dust.
    - "The KVB return with two new tracks and announce ‘Fixation/White Walls’ EP", Far Out, 24 April 2017
    - "Be the first to hear a track from The KVB's new EP on Invada". Crack. 5 April 2017.

External links