True crime duo Skynd release new single Robert Hansen
Industrial-tinged and true crime-inspired electronic duo Skynd is the dark creative outlet and the alter ego of its lead singer, Skynd, and producer and multi-instrumentalist Father. They are known for taking inspiration from inexplicable and brutal criminal cases and the mystery surrounding unsolved deaths, and transforming them into songs to remind us of the darkness within the human psyche, while taking great care to avoid any glorification. Small clusters of songs have been released as EPs, titled in numbered chapters.
Today, Skynd begin Chapter V, with the release of new track Robert Hansen and its official video.
Skynd muses, "I was surprised not many people talk about Robert Hansen, the “Butcher Baker”. I personally consider him one of the most evil serial killers in American history. He not only had a high victim count, he literally hunted his victims in the woods like wild animals sometimes. I can’t think of any other serial killer who’s done that to the extent that Hansen did. That’s why I had an urge to write about it. The hunting, the run run run seemed logical to use because the mental image I had while writing the song with Father, was a young girl running barefoot though the forest."
The official video was directed once again by noted film maker PR Brown, who comments, "Robert Hansen was a particularly twisted monster. For the video we explored an uncomfortable space through the lens of watching a baker at work. His violence was too brutal to show or frankly glorify, so we expressed through yeast and powder. We filmed the forest while it was snowing and it was not lost on any of us just how cold his victims must have been. Alaska must have been a thousand times worse, surviving only on adrenaline as the women were set loose like game. Skynd delivered a haunting portrayal as the voice in their head. This video and the whole process stands out to me as one of the more difficult to shoot but maybe one of the most rewarding in terms of the finished piece. Run, run, run."
Skynd recently wrapped up a mesmerising tour with Ice Nine Kills and are one of the most incredible live bands out there right now, we were lucky enough to cover the Bristol Academy show (link HERE).
Now, Skynd are pleased to announce four UK headline shows, kicking off November 28th in Birmingham. Fans who sign up to the Skynd mailing list will get an exclusive ticket pre-sale starting tomorrow at 10am BST! Tickets go on general sale at 10am BST on Friday 10th August for the following performances:
Tue 28th Nov - BIRMINGHAM Institute 2
Wed 29th Nov - GLASGOW St Luke's
Thu 30th Nov - MANCHESTER Academy
Fri 1st Dec - LONDON Koko
Skynd states, “We brought The Dark Place to the Wurst Vacation Tour with Ice Nine Kills. Now we invite you to delve deeper, if you dare...” Show tickets can be bought at https://skynd-music.com/live/
UK fans can also catch Skynd this week, when Skynd headline the Sophie Lancaster stage at Bloodstock Festival on Thursday 10th August. Skynd recorded a special video message highlighting this year's Wear Pink initiative for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation (on Thursday & Friday at the festival) and the important work they do - watch it on Facebook or on Instagram. Pink was the favourite colour of Sophie's mother Sylvia, who set up the Foundation and sadly passed away in 2022. You can get Bloodstock tickets here.
We all conceal something behind the earthly façade we show to the world. Maybe it's an unspoken fetish. Perhaps it's a covetous urge. Or it could just be the kind of darkness we acknowledge in passing —but don't dare reference out loud. Skynd peel back those layers and uncover what lurks beneath. The industrialized gothic electronic duo - Skynd [lead vocals] and "Father" [producer, multi-instrumentalist] - exorcize beauty by bloodletting as they delve into some of history’s most baffling, bizarre, and brutal crimes across their EPs.
Skynd released Chapter I in 2018, which included Korn's Jonathan Davis as a special guest on "Gary Heidnik". Chapter II followed in 2019. Chapter III comprised "Chris Watts", "Michelle Carter", and "Columbine", the latter featuring a guest spot from noted hip-hop artist Bill $aber. Chapter IV focussed on "Armin Meiwes", "John Wayne Gacy", and "Edmund Kemper." Each chapter continues Skynd's exploration of the darkest and most disturbing parts of the human psyche, following their belief that "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Chapter V begins in August 2023 with "Robert Hansen". To date, SKYND's YouTube channel alone has amassed over 39 million views.
