The Body

Few American heavy artists are as associated with experimentation as The Body. The duo – drummer/electronic man Lee Buford and guitarist/vocalist Chip King – released their first demo, album and split 20 years ago and it’s been a long and twisted road since then. 

Earning a name for their bold collaborations as much as their instantly-recognizable solo sound, The Body forged alliances with Thou, Krieg, Full of Hell, Uniform and more. The resulting albums have cemented The Body’s place in the underground alongside nine solo albums, each presenting the band’s trademark fusion of sludge, noise and electronics. 

The Body are no strangers to the Roadburn stage, having performed solo and with collaborators in past editions, but they bring a darker, more dialed-in version of the band. If you heard The Crying Out of Things, you heard The Body’s experimentation with horns, dark-yet-alluring beats and distorted pop sensibilities. It’s been said about The Body for years, but there’s power in the Portland band’s ability to craft hooks and choruses that wouldn’t be out of place in other genres – the beat on Removal is only a step or two removed from ‘90s dub or trip hop. Same for the grimy melody that runs underneath A Premonition. It’s The Body, though, so everything is processed through a wall of harsh noise, the beats are glitched out and King is wailing in a high-pitched shriek that could only belong to him. 

The Body tells us “We are happy to be back at roadburn and perform with such a great lineup in 2025.” Roadburn will hear songs from The Crying Out of Things and more besides this April when The Body performs on the main stage.

– Emily Bellino