ctrl LIVE: Holy Fuck [CA]

On Saturday, October 10, Canadians Holy Fuck return to Romania, back to the place where their Tom Tom video took shape. Not quite near Brasov this time, but right where it belongs: in Control. At a time when even entire classic rock bands are being AI generated, Holy Fuck are now more relevant than ever. The Canadian quartet have forged their reputation for making electronic music with a human touch. While many artists create that core electronic via laptops, loops and drum machines, Holy Fuck keep every element as live as possible. The intoxication they inspire comes not from cold, staid perfection, but from the ragged energy that comes from four musicians relishing sharing a moment. Factor in the chaos born from improvisation and skipping a click track in favour of loose, raw, real percussion, and it’s easy to see why Holy Fuck are renowned for their pulsating, unorthodox thrills. The album also emerged in the wake of an unexpected Holy Fuck rediscovery after Tom Tom featured in a key scene in Amazon Prime Video hit animated series Invincible - and it’s now their most streamed track with twelve times the number of its nearest competitor. Brian and Graham recall a discussion with their then-label, who were somewhere between curious and indifferent about their choice of Tom Tom as a lead single for the Congrats album. As Brian continues, There’s something validating when something happens years later for such a random reason that you wouldn’t have predicted. The unpredictable happened once more when Lost Cool resurfaced in the Academy Award winning body horror The Substance. Between those spotlight moments and the vibrancy of Event Beat it’s clear that Holy Fuck are as relevant as ever.