Knower (duo)

Knower, also stylized as KNOWER, is an American independent electronic music duo who have gained success releasing music online. The group consists of Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi.[4] Their full band is a jazz-funk act that includes saxophone, bass and keyboard players.[1]

Knower
Knower performing at The Haunt, Brighton, England, 2018
Knower performing at The Haunt, Brighton, England, 2018
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California, United States
GenresIndietronica, acid jazz, jazz-funk,[1][2][3] avant-pop, dubstep
Years active2009–present
Members

Background

Louis Cole studied music in Los Angeles, California, graduating from the Jazz Studies program at USC Thornton in 2009.[5] He became good friends with fellow musician Jack Conte in 2006. Both composed and recorded some songs which are present on Conte's YouTube channel. Conte suggested Cole start releasing his music online.

Genevieve Artadi also studied music in Los Angeles. She received her Bachelors in Jazz Studies at California State University (CSU) Northridge and did post-graduate studies at CSU Long Beach.

Louis Cole met Genevieve Artadi through the LA-based saxophonist Robby Marshall. In 2009 Cole and Artadi joined forces.[6] They released their first album in 2010. In addition, they maintain their own respective channels, often collaborating on each other's solo releases.

Career

In early 2010, the group began to upload their music to YouTube.[7] Their first video, a cover of Britney Spears's song "3" got a lot of hits quickly thanks to Jack Conte promoting it on YouTube. Another early video release, "Window Shop" (originally recorded on Louis Cole's first album) also got a lot of hits thanks to a front page YouTube feature. In this same year, they released their debut album, Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi.

In 2011, their second album Think Thoughts was released. Songs such as "Around" and "I Remember" presented some heavy funk grooves.[8] Soon after the release of this album, the group collaborated with Pomplamoose to release a single, "It Goes On." Sporting the group's distinctive electro-funk sound, the single brought increased visibility to the duo.[9]

Let Go, Knower's third album, was released in 2013. They followed the release of Let Go with a performance at Bonnaroo Festival with Soul Khan, Jenny Suk, and Black Violin.[10] Knower also went on a tour of the east coast United States with duo WeYou, consisting of Nate Wood and Jesske Hume.

In 2014, Knower released the non-album single "I Must Be Dreaming", and toured the East Coast and the South. They were also presented by Quincy Jones in a new artist concert series in Los Angeles.[11] Their song "Fuck the Makeup, Skip the Shower" was featured on FlyLo FM (hosted by Flying Lotus) on the next-gen version of Grand Theft Auto V.[12]

In 2015, Knower recorded with Snarky Puppy on their Family Dinner – Volume 2.[13]

In 2016 they formed a 5-piece live band as an alternative lineup. Apart from the core members, the band at various points included Tim Lefebvre, Dennis Hamm, Sam Wilkes, Sam Gendel, Nate Wood and Jonah Nilsson. Their European tour of 2016, as well as parts of the US tour, featured the live band.[14]

In July 2017, Knower opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in four major European cities. In 2018, Knower toured Europe, China, Japan, and the US, continuing the live band formation and also unveiling a renovated duo set with Artadi and Cole. In 2019, Knower expanded their touring to South Africa and South America, including Rapa Nui.

Since 2017, Knower has performed in multiple European cities with the Swedish big band Norrbotten Big Band.[15]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the pair released a "living room power set" onto their YouTube Channel, which included live performances of "Overtime", "Time Traveler", "Pizza", and "It's Time", among other songs.

Their fifth album, Knower Forever, was released exclusively on Bandcamp as a paid digital download and physical LP in June 2023, along with three free songs publicly available on YouTube; "I'm The President", "The Abyss" and "Crash The Car", to commercial success. Knower also included a choir, along with strings and brass sections on a lot of the songs on this album.[16][17]

Members

Permanent members

Members of full band, guests or former members

Discography

Knower discography
Studio albums5
Music videos37
Singles5

Studio albums

Title Details
Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi
Think Thoughts
  • Released: November 28, 2011
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Let Go
  • Released: April 29, 2013
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Life
  • Released: February 5, 2016
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Knower Forever
  • Released: June 2, 2023
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: LP, Digital download, streaming

Singles

Title Year Album
"It Goes On"
(featuring Pomplamoose)
2011 Non-album singles
"Burn" 2013
"I Must Be Dreaming" 2014
"Hanging On" 2015 Life
"Pizza" 2016
"One Hope"
(featuring David Binney)
2018 Non-album singles
"Different Lives" 2020
"I'm The President" 2023 Knower Forever
"The Abyss"
"Crash The Car"

Music videos

Title Year Album
"3" 2010
"Baby"
"Window Shop" Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi
"Cloudwalker"
"Like a Storm" Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi
"The Mystery of a Burning Fire"
(featuring Sam Gendel)
"All I Want"
"Trust the Light"
"It Goes On"
(featuring Pomplamoose)
2011
"Say What You Say"
"E.T."
"Before"
"Blow"
"Gotta be Another Way" Think Thoughts
"Around"
"I Remember"
"Promises"
"Paying the Price"
(featuring Tim Lefebvre)
2012
"Things About you"
"That's Where you Are"
"Till the World Ends"
"Dreaming on Forever"
"What's in your Heart" 2013 Let Go
"Stay"
"P.Y.T."
"Time Traveler"
"Get Lucky"
"Burn"
"Lady Gaga" 2014
"I Must be Dreaming"
"Fuck the Makeup, Skip the Shower"
"Hanging On" 2015
"The Government Knows" 2016 Life
"Butts Tits Money"
"More Than Just Another Try"
"Overtime" 2017
"Time Traveler"
"Different Lives" 2020
"I'm The President" 2023 Knower Forever
"The Abyss" Knower Forever
"Crash The Car" Knower Forever

References

  1. Ribakoff, Sam. "L.A. Duo Knower Stretches the Boundaries Between Jazz, Funk and Sanity". LA Weekly.
  2. Cronin, Cassandra (October 7, 2017). "Knower: What to know if you're not in the know (and their virtuosic set at the Hi Hat)". Buzzbands.la.
  3. "Knower – Funk - Jazz Fusion". Northseajazz.com.
  4. "Jazz news: Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi Release "Think Thoughts"". All About Jazz News. November 17, 2011.
  5. "Louis Cole and Knower". Music.usc.edu. November 15, 2013.
  6. "KXSC Fest Presents: Knower (Louis Cole & Genevieve Artadi)". Kxsc.org.
  7. "KNOWER MUSIC". YouTube.
  8. "Think Thoughts | Five One, Inc". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  9. KNOWER MUSIC (February 21, 2011). "It Goes On - KNOWER ft. Pomplamoose". YouTube.
  10. "SPECIAL BONNAROO 365 PERFORMANCE FEATURING SOUL KHAN, JENI SUK, BLACK VIOLIN, AND KNOWER | Bonnaroo". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  11. "Home - The Broad Stage". Thebroadstage.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  12. Goble, Corban (November 17, 2014). "Grand Theft Auto V Reveals Expanded Radio Station Tracklists for Game Relaunch". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  13. "Snarky Puppy Announces Guests For Family Dinner 2". Jambase.com. December 1, 2014.
  14. "KNOWER LIVE IN VIENNA". YouTube. November 24, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  15. "UPPLEVELSE FÖR FLERA SINNEN NÄR VI SAMARBETAR MED LOS ANGELES-DUON KNOWER". norrbottensmusiken.se/. September 15, 2017.
  16. Important Announcement, retrieved June 11, 2023
  17. "KNOWER FOREVER, by KNOWER". KNOWER. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
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