In the biting world of fandom and fame-seeking, there’s a gnawing hunger, a sickness that festers under the glitter of marquee lights. It’s not just the stars who burn out; it’s the audience, too—feeding on the scraps of scandal, drunk on the misery of others. This circus of desperation twists every face into a mask, where the performer and the spectator are equally complicit. How far can this grotesque theatre of obsession go before the line blurs; before we see that the laughter at the clown’s misfortune was always a sneer at our own hollow lives? The darker the spectacle, the more ferocious the applause, the more ravenous the crowd. What does it say about us, this thirst for humiliation and glory, for broken idols and shattered dreams?
KAPUT’s debut single, High Wire, seethes from the seedy underbelly of Chicago’s no-wave/noise rock scene, hissing and snarling as it slashes through shadow-streaked alleys. A relentless rhythm punches forward, entangled with abrasive synths and a vocal delivery that’s more war cry than melody. High Wire plunges into the pitch-black pit of fandom and fame’s fevered obsession, poking at the twisted spectacle of it all. With this offering, KAPUT brings to mind This Heat, PIL, Kim Gordon, and Wire.
“I was thinking about a Kim Gordon quote when writing lyrics to this song,” says Garofalo. “People pay money to see others believe in themselves.’ and then I thought about the tightrope walkers who walk without nets because it’s more entertaining that way.”
The video, filmed by Matt Brown, takes this even further with its eerie Carrie-themed bloodbath. How far will this freak show of entertainment spiral before the crowd sees itself reflected in the wreckage? In an age where natural disasters double as doomscroll delights, KAPUT’s message hits like a gut-punch—a caustic critique dressed in a dystopian groove. High Wire dares to dance on the tightrope, balancing the thrill of the beat with the bite of brutal truth, questioning the depths of our collective craving for calamity under the guise of amusement.
In the end, it’s not entertainment that’s corrupt—it’s the crowd, forever searching for the next fall from grace.
Watch below:
Producer Brian Fox and Nadia Garofalo (Heavy Feelings, Ganser) found their chemistry in the shared pulse of experimental songwriting, synth stabs, and stark poetry. This partnership was sparked in early 2023, as they delved into the raw energy of creating something jagged and unrestrained.
Garofalo’s exit from Ganser in late 2022 opened the door for Fox to pitch his provocative ideas, seeking a co-conspirator in chaos. Their process has been defined by deliberate disorder, embracing a spirit of playful defiance. Together, they sculpted new material, pulling from the rubble of post-punk’s past and the clatter of their own creative instincts.
Looking ahead, KAPUT will release their self-titled debut LP in early 2025. In the meantime, you can listen to the Highwire via Spotify or Bandcamp below:
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The post The Spectacle of Peril — Chicago NoWavers KAPUT Walk the Narrow Line in Their Video for “High Wire” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.