Knife Party — Electro House & Dubstep DJKnife Party
Knife Party is the Perth-formed duo of Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen, both members of the drum and bass band Pendulum, who launched the project in 2011 as an outlet for heavier electro house and dubstep sets. Their DJ sets built on the Pendulum touring circuit, and the pair quickly moved into festival main stages, playing alongside and collaborating with Swedish House Mafia, Steve Aoki and Tom Morello. Knife Party peaked at number 23 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs poll in 2013, a reflection of how far their club and festival bookings had spread beyond the drum and bass scene that spawned them.
Onstage, the duo favour a bass-heavy, high-impact set style built around drumstep and complextro cuts, a sound that translated well to the big room and dubstep circuits of the early 2010s. They signed to Warner Bros. sub-label Earstorm and later to Monstercat, running their sets alongside a steady stream of remix and collaboration work, including with Foreign Beggars, I See MONSTAS and Pegboard Nerds.
Based in London after relocating from Australia, Knife Party maintained an active touring schedule through the 2010s, playing dedicated headline sets rather than only supporting Pendulum's shows. Their DJ profile helped distinguish the project from their drum and bass roots, establishing Knife Party as a distinct festival draw in its own right.