NAQOY isn’t interested in delivering neat resolutions or polished narratives. Their latest release, Art Brut, closes out a brutal, dissonant triptych, one that’s more about the messy reality of self-expression than achieving perfection. Shaped by chaos, grappling with depression, burnout, and the gnawing doubt that comes with constantly questioning your own voice.
With roots in Joy Division’s cold detachment and Swans’ punishing heaviness, NAQOY doesn’t just wear their influences on their sleeves—they grind them down, blur them out, and rebuild them into something jagged and uncomfortably real.
“In creating Triptych—a collection of our core releases ‘Into the Fog’, ‘four’, and ‘Art Brut’—we wanted to collect not just our previous tracks, completing a story of our recent years.” – comments the band.
NAQOY touches on the overarching themes that flow through each album in the trilogy—life, death, and the chaotic search for meaning in between. “For us this isn’t just music (if it can be defined like that for some); it’s a raw, unfiltered journey through thoughts of the cycles of reincarnation, the inevitability of death, and the messy pursuit of self-expression.”
Into the Fog sets the stage for this exploration, as the band dives into the concept of eternal return. “The music is dense, deliberately disorienting, reflecting that feeling of being lost in something familiar yet unknown. It’s about the fog, the uncertainty that clings to every step, and the unsettling sensation that you’ve been here before, but can’t quite place it.” This sense of disorientation is central to the album, as it captures the cyclical nature of existence in a thick, sonic haze.
The journey then intensifies with four, where the themes become even heavier, confronting death head-on. “This album confronts death, both as a concept and a feeling of loss. It’s about staring down the end of everything, knowing there’s no escape, and grappling with what that means.” The rawness of the music mirrors the existential dread that comes with accepting mortality. NAQOY doesn’t shy away from the bleakness, instead laying it bare through pounding rhythms and stark soundscapes.
Finally, Art Brut closes out the trilogy by shifting the focus to self-expression and the struggle to create something real. “It’s the most personal of the three albums, dealing with our own struggles to break free from self-doubt and find our place in the world,” the band explains.
Tracks like “Maze” capture the confusion that comes with questioning one’s path, while “Leaves Always Fall in Silence” embraces the quiet realization of self-acceptance, flaws and all.
“What ties these three albums together is a shared theme of growth through introspection. Into the Fog wrestles with the cycles of life, four grapples with its inevitable end, and Art Brut fights to find meaning in the chaos.” For NAQOY, Triptych marks a visceral expression of their journey, crafted through a DIY aesthetic that embraces imperfection and raw emotion.
Below is a glimpse into the influences that have carved out this chaotic soundscape. It’s not about fitting neatly into genres or finding comfort—it’s about diving headfirst into the noise and seeing what survives.
Chaos, Clarity, and Sound: Albums Driving NAQOY’s Releases
“From the jagged electronics of Psychic TV to the textured haze of Cocteau Twins, our influences are as varied as the places we’re playing this fall.” – comments the band.
“As we hit the road across “half-Europe”, it’s not about perfection—it’s about capturing the intensity of what these albums have given us and throwing it back out into the universe. Whether you’re into the pulverizing rhythms of Neurosis or the hypnotic pull of A Place To Bury Strangers, you’ll feel that raw, visceral energy in every note we would like to release live. Join us in October – there’s no filter, no polish, just us, our sounds, and the endless pulse of the music. Maybe you will find these with us, maybe you won’t, but we think the following albums and bands really shaped our sound and thinking of music (not just) recently.”
B.’s Picks:
1. Claudio Simonetti – Tenebre
I had a few years of awe on Italian horror/giallo movies and their soundtracks (that would be another few pages of random fanboying) which are mesmerizing. So I still get back to those soundtracks from Goblin, Ennio Morricone (yes. he did quite a lot of those), Fabio Frizzi, Claudio Simonetti I can go on and on…
2. Kitchens of distinction- Strange Free World
Of course, I am also a big fan of the so-called shoegaze masters (e.g. MBV, Slowdive, Ride, Lush etc.) but my real “go-to” record is always this album.
3. EMF -STIGMA
This album is perfect, although for many years whoever showed this album couldn’t get over that this is the “Unbelievable” band.
I unapologetically like pop records, that’s a fact.
4. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972
Feeling a total bliss of emptiness as the void of yourself is looking back at you.
5. Miles Davis- Big fun
No words, it deconstructed my mind definitely.
K.’s Picks:
1. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasure/ Closer
I had both albums on a C-90 cassette. I listened to it until it was worn out. Since then I have had them on CD and vinyl as well. To this day, it is indefatigable.
2. C.M.C. (Cro-Magnon’s Coke): Halálmorze / Death morse (1991)
It was the first time I heard music with guitars and drum machines, with electronics. I listen to it at least once a year. It was unlike anything I had heard before. The guitarist played the guitar differently, and the music was very different. After twenty-four years of silence, with a different line-up, they are active again.
3. Psychic TV: Live at the Ritz (1983)
It was officially released only at the end of the 80″s, and then again a few years ago it was re-released and remastered in the original track order . This is a recording of their concert in Manchester. Experimental, noise, improvisation, sound samples, post-industrial elements. It’s very interesting, spiritual, where noise can be music, and even is. The complete overwriting of the “musical frames” until then, without compromise. The band had several incarnations and phases, but this is my favorite.
4. Godflesh: Pure (1992)
This was the first time I heard them, it was their second record. Their sound “killed me instantly”. I love all their records, but it started with this one. The ground-pounding drum machine, cutting guitar. I love all their records.
5. Neurosis: Times Of Grace/Grace
These two albums were released the same time in 1999. The members of the band also worked on dark-ambient, electronic material under the name Tribes Of Neurot. These are two separate albums. The two discs also work separately, but can be played together as well, which is not an everyday experience. Breaking the boundaries of metal, goth, and dark-ambient. It was a great experience not to be stuck in something.
Catch NAQOY live on tour at the following dates:
“Join us in the storm. We’re not here to present something neat or polished. We’re bringing the noise, the chaos, and everything these albums represent straight to the stage. No filters, just us and the music.” – says the band.
10/10 CZ PREROV Psychedelic Umami
11/10 PL WROCLAW Postój
12/10 PL GORZÓW CKN Centrala
13/10 DE BERLIN Artliners
14/10 DE ERLANGEN Transfer Bar
16/10 DE HILDESHEIM ClubVeb
17/10 CZ BUDEJOVICE Široko
18/10 CZ ZNOJMO Na Věčnosti
