Toronto-based instrumental electronic artist 8know8 is proud to announce the release of her fourth studio album, She. A deeply personal and sonically immersive record, She continues Polly-Jean Vernon’s journey of self-discovery, expressed through intricate layers of synth and live percussion.
Polly-Jean recorded She using her signature approach: layering live drums and synthesizers in real-time, preserving the raw energy of a live performance. “No quantizing, no electronic drum pads, no punch-ins. I want it to feel and be real,” she explains. “Mistakes happen, and you can hear some on every one of my records – but they sound real, in a world that is increasingly sterile and uniform.”
The album’s focus track, “Make It Work,” embodies the intensity, frustration, and eventual triumph of the creative process, delivering a hypnotic blend of electronic and acoustic elements. “I was playing around with a synthesized music box sound and fell in love with the interplay of syncopated waves and hi-hats,” says Vernon. “This song started from that groove and evolved into something that truly represents my experience: life is tough, but you have to make it work.”
Driven by an unrelenting rhythm and shimmering melodic textures, “Make It Work” stands as a testament to Vernon’s ability to merge human emotion with electronic soundscapes. The track, born out of artistic frustration and perseverance, took on an unexpected life of its own when a technical glitch caused an outro melody to continuously reset itself – a flaw that ultimately became a defining feature of the song.
“Sometimes the best parts of life are substantially flawed,” Vernon reflects. “And you just have to make it work.”
From the soaring highs to the shadowy depths, She paints a sonic portrait of resilience, transition, and self-acceptance. “This album is about confidently showing up for myself and not hiding anymore,” says Vernon. “It’s about existence as resistance, about love winning over hate, about embracing complexity while still moving forward.”
Vernon has been steadily building a catalog of forward-thinking electronic music under the moniker 8know8, fusing danceable grooves with the organic unpredictability of live performance. With previous releases including POLLY (2023), THIS LONG ROAD (2022), DESTABILIZER (2021), and PANDEMIC EP (2020), she has honed a distinctive style that thrives at the intersection of electronic production and raw musical expression.
As a drummer and synthesist, Polly-Jean Vernon has been an active force in the Canadian music scene for decades, performing in projects spanning punk, folk, jazz, and electronic genres. Her approach to music is as much about sonic exploration as it is about personal storytelling – a principle that She exemplifies in full.
“This album is the next chapter in my life and my transition,” Vernon shares. “Sometimes the only thing to do is make music. To feel deeply and to say it in that way, without words, to build a bridge through time.”
If you crave electronic music with a heartbeat, music that pulses with raw emotion and defiant authenticity, She is essential listening.
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