KASMs release their much anticipated debut album 'SPAYED' through Trouble Records on May 4th.
The album, like all of KASMs recordings thus far, was speedily recorded live on a reel-to-reel tape machine and mixed at their studio space by band member Rory Brattwell. The idea behind this freeform style of recording was to capture the live energy in which their snowballing reputation is rooted, creating an album that documents the exhilarating sound and attitude they have created during their short time together as a band.
KASMs are London-based Rachel Mary Callaghan, Gemma Fleet, Scott R. Walker and Rory Brattwell. All four members have been other bands: Rachel was the singer in spazzcore band Sin o the East, along with Rory on guitar; Gemma was in London based grunge-pop band Wolfie; Scott was in an ethnic/improv band called Aum Sahib and Rory was in quite a few bands, the most well known being short-lived NME favorites Test Icicles.
I guess you could say KASMs sound is Punk/Deathrock but they coined the genre "Shriekbeat" to describe their music, which pretty much encapsulates the essence of what KASMs are all about. Taking in varied influences starting with dark, pulsating, rhythmic bands such as Trial, Crash Worship, Live Skull and better known dark 80s stuff such as Bauhaus and Death in June, they cite their sound as being more heavily skewed by recent Alternative American punk bands such as Subtonix, Nation of Ulysses and Six Finger Satellite.
KASMs' dark, melodramatic tendencies are laced with energetic melody translating to their live shows, which start off intense and brutal and have been known to end up with mesmerizing front-woman Rachel making "assaults on photographers and members of the audience" (The Guardian, January 2009). In the short time they've been together rumours of their unpredictable and intense performances have spread at an intense rate, stoking the fire and propelling them forward.
During their first year together they have played in New York, Paris, Berlin, Milan and toured the UK with contemporaries Televised Crimewave. They signed to Trouble Records (birthplace of acts such as Crystal Castles) in April 2008 with their first two singles 'Taxidermy' (which sold out all 2000 copies, touching number 12 in the charts) and ''Bone You' winning them support from the likes of Steve Lamacq, Zane Lowe, Huw Stephens, NME and
Artrocker.
See KASMs live:
March
8th London Hoxton Bar and Grill
14th Reading Oakford (Plan B night)
28th London 93ft East
April
16th Nottingham Radar
17th Winchester Railway
24/5th London Camden Crawl
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KASMs - Bone You
| Music Videos 
KASMs - Debut album 'SPAYED'
