In just one week, rock fusion quartet TAUK and vocalist Kanika Moore of Doom Flamingo are set to take off on their aptly named TAUK Moore Tour; today, they’ve decided to showcase what they have in store for fans with a cover of one of Björk’s most celebrated tracks, “Army of Me.”
The song comes with an accompanying music video directed by Dani Barberi, the mind behind the visual components for “Moon Dub” and “The Let Out” from TAUK’s 2021 LP Chaos Companion.
TAUK performed “Army of Me” as an instrumental during their fall tour of 2021, and the heavy grinding tune naturally became part of their song rotation, so much so that they were able to bring the song back home during a performance with Umphrey’s McGee in Iceland earlier this year. When TAUK and Moore discussed covers that would complement their distinct styles, they found Moore’s vocals could accompany the industrial, mind-altering and aggressive nature found on the original studio recording of “Army of Me.”
“I’ve been a huge fan of Björk for a long time and always wanted to see what TAUK could do with one of her songs. The bass line is so badass and the perfect jumping off point for us to do our thing,” shared TAUK guitarist Matt Jalbert. “Kanika’s approach to the song is incredible. It’s a haunting, dissonant melody, and she brings so much power to it.”
TAUK keyboardist Alric Carter expanded on the collaborations with Moore, “As an instrumental band, it has always been fun finding covers to play that resonate not only with our sound but with our audience. Our originals don’t have lyrics, so traditionally, we strive to find songs with strong, recognizable melodies to help bring the listeners deeper into our world. Working with Kanika naturally expands our melodic reach and opens up a myriad of possibilities. Exploring these possibilities has been super exciting over this past year.”
The video for “Army of Me,” which we premiere today, a day ahead of the song’s release on streaming services, sees Moore and TAUK unflinching in black and white, challenging the viewer to look into a void that noticed them long ago. As lights flash, Moore expertly tackles mechanical and exigent vocal runs over TAUK’s raw driving sound.
“This song felt like it had to be in black and white. I love Dani’s idea in the choruses with the flashing lights,” Jalbert shared with Relix. “This cover should be a good first look for people to hear what TAUK Moore is about.”
The TAUK Moore Tour will stop in 20 cities around the country this fall, including Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Dallas, and many more and will kick off on Oct. 20 in Cleveland, Ohio’s Beachland Ballroom.
Pre-save “Army of Me” featuring Kanika Moore on streaming services here.
Watch the video for “Army of Me” below.