Knife Knights

Seattle-based creators Ishmael Butler and Erik Blood first connected in 2003, at which point Blood had already developed an admiration for Butler’s role in the jazz-tinged hip-hop pioneers Digable Planets. Their acquaintance soon matured into a working friendship, and when Butler unveiled Shabazz Palaces near the close of the 2000s, Blood contributed immediately by shaping mixes and guiding production. The pair extended this rapport through the bulk of the Shabazz Palaces recordings, forging a rapport that checked and enhanced each other’s shared urge to steer hip-hop toward bolder experimental ground. After sustained joint activity, they distilled that partnership into Knife Knights, an endeavor that originated in the studio before extending to stage appearances. Sporadic sessions fitted around Butler’s road schedule and additional projects brought in supporting players such as Porter Ray, OCNotes, and Marquetta Miller, ultimately shaping the material that formed the debut album 1 Time Mirage. Sub Pop presented the record in September 2018, its liner notes carrying the declaration “Time Mirage is 1 of 7.” Employing the same skewed sensibilities that defined Shabazz Palaces, the project deployed unorthodox production methods and an array of warped synthesizer and drum-machine textures, weaving ambient textures together with splintered rap and R&B fragments.