This highly fêted Swedish synth pop group was formed in 1999 by siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson (b. 1975, Sweden) and Olof Dreijer (b. 1981, Sweden). Karin Dreijer had previously performed with the indie pop band Honey Is Cool, but left to set up the Knife with her brother. From the outset the project was shrouded in mystery, with the duo shunning the media and posing for promotional photos in Venetian masks. The duo made their recording debut in 2000 on their Rabid Recordings label with the single "Afraid Of You", and released their self-titled debut album the following year. The songs drew on 80s styled electro pop but also incorporated "natural" instruments including guitars, flutes and accordions. The effect was both charming and slightly unsettling, with strange lyrics about animals and birds adding to the odd atmosphere.
The Knife's second album was a sharper, less indulgent collection, with some notable songwriting ("Heartbeats", "Pass This On", "Is It Medicine"). The strong reception afforded Deep Cuts led to the Dreijers winning a Grammis (the Swedish Grammy) award in 2003 as Best Pop Group. They received further publicity Swedish singer-songwriter José González covered "Heartbeats' on his 2003 debut Veneer (his version was later featured prominently on an advert for Sony Bravia televisions). The exposure helped generate an increased profile for 2006"s Silent Shout, with Mute Records releasing all the duo's albums in North America for the first time. Perversely, the Dreijers chose to record their least immediate collection of material to date. Silent Shout drew on all the weirdness of the first two albums but also eschewed anything as immediate as "Heartbeats". The album was loved by some and hated by others, but was never less than interesting. The Knife performed live for the first time later in the year (a DVD of the tour was also released). Around this time the duo also began appearing in public wearing bird masks.
