ABOUT
Knights is the project of frontman, vocalist and songwriter James Knights, also known as half of synthpop duo Boytronic. Inspired by dark discotheques and the future unknown, James is no stranger to gothic and heavy Hi-NRG crowds far and wide. Enticing them with music as uplifting as it is powerful, his loud and frenzied live shows invite audiences into a unique world of chaos, often culminating with James launching himself spontaneously into the audience; fans have playfully given James the title of “Disco Rampensau”, mirroring the passion and energy he delivers. Both charmingly menacing and sonically decadent, the live offering has been compared to the closest thing the world will ever get to “an animated Andrew Eldritch fronting Frankie Goes to Hollywood”.
Shows across Europe and South America have solidified Knights’ reputation as a must-see live act. Since the release of debut album Dollars & Cents, Knights has stormed stages on support tours with Drab Majesty, Peter Heppner, Blutengel and She Hates Emotions. The launch of the album itself was marked by a show for London’s Independent Venue Week and followed by festival appearances at Standon Calling UK and Infest UK, plus a headline slot at the prestigious Patrick Miller Nightclub in Mexico City, Knights’s biggest headlining show to date to over 700 fans. In May 2024 James was invited to close the Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig at Moritzbastei, performing Dollars & Cents in its entirety to celebrate the 5th anniversary of its release.
Dollars & Cents was recorded with producers Martin Dubka (UK) and Fred Ventura and Paolo Gozzetti (Italoconnection, Italy). It includes the live favourite Proving A Point – a duet with fellow Boytronic vocalist Holger Wobker, reminiscent of DAF and Afrika Bambaataa – alongside the deceptively poppy ice cream anthem ‘Gelato’ and fan singalong favourite Hijack My Heart.
The LP received commercial and critical success across Europe. Highlights include being listed as theelectricityclub.co.uk’s album of the year, a #1 position in the Max Italo Chart in Italy for Shadows, two tracks breaking the top 20 of the GEWC charts in Germany and two others featuring on the ZYX records ‘Italo Disco New Generation’ double album releases Vol. 16 and Vol. 17. In 2024 Julia was synced in the Italian short film ‘Che Ore Sono’, a movie about three psychiatric patients in a public therapeutic community in Palermo, Sicily.
At full cycle, the Vintage Pleasure Boutique label in Poland licensed three songs from Dollars & Cents and commissioned mixes by Also Playable Mono, and king of the cut Flemming Dalum. This paved the way for a flurry of additional vinyl and CD releases, now in high demand via Discogs.
James is currently writing and recording new material, having previewed tracks Nightmares and Supernatural Lover on tour across the UK, Ireland and Germany with China Crisis and Andy Bell of Erasure.
Knights is the project of frontman, vocalist and songwriter James Knights, also known as half of synthpop duo Boytronic. Inspired by dark discotheques and the future unknown, James is no stranger to gothic and heavy Hi-NRG crowds far and wide. Enticing them with music as uplifting as it is powerful, his loud and frenzied live shows invite audiences into a unique world of chaos, often culminating with James launching himself spontaneously into the audience; fans have playfully given James the title of “Disco Rampensau”, mirroring the passion and energy he delivers. Both charmingly menacing and sonically decadent, the live offering has been compared to the closest thing the world will ever get to “an animated Andrew Eldritch fronting Frankie Goes to Hollywood”.
Shows across Europe and South America have solidified Knights’ reputation as a must-see live act. Since the release of debut album Dollars & Cents, Knights has stormed stages on support tours with Drab Majesty, Peter Heppner, Blutengel and She Hates Emotions. The launch of the album itself was marked by a show for London’s Independent Venue Week and followed by festival appearances at Standon Calling UK and Infest UK, plus a headline slot at the prestigious Patrick Miller Nightclub in Mexico City, Knights’s biggest headlining show to date to over 700 fans. In May 2024 James was invited to close the Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig at Moritzbastei, performing Dollars & Cents in its entirety to celebrate the 5th anniversary of its release.
Dollars & Cents was recorded with producers Martin Dubka (UK) and Fred Ventura and Paolo Gozzetti (Italoconnection, Italy). It includes the live favourite Proving A Point – a duet with fellow Boytronic vocalist Holger Wobker, reminiscent of DAF and Afrika Bambaataa – alongside the deceptively poppy ice cream anthem ‘Gelato’ and fan singalong favourite Hijack My Heart.
The LP received commercial and critical success across Europe. Highlights include being listed as theelectricityclub.co.uk’s album of the year, a #1 position in the Max Italo Chart in Italy for Shadows, two tracks breaking the top 20 of the GEWC charts in Germany and two others featuring on the ZYX records ‘Italo Disco New Generation’ double album releases Vol. 16 and Vol. 17. In 2024 Julia was synced in the Italian short film ‘Che Ore Sono’, a movie about three psychiatric patients in a public therapeutic community in Palermo, Sicily.
At full cycle, the Vintage Pleasure Boutique label in Poland licensed three songs from Dollars & Cents and commissioned mixes by Also Playable Mono, and king of the cut Flemming Dalum. This paved the way for a flurry of additional vinyl and CD releases, now in high demand via Discogs.
James is currently writing and recording new material, having previewed tracks Nightmares and Supernatural Lover on tour across the UK, Ireland and Germany with China Crisis and Andy Bell of Erasure.