Ngāmotu New Plymouth-based producer and vocalist Frau Knotz dishes up her sophomore EP, Digital Plastic Surgery — a shimmering mélange of instrumental dance tracks exploring the corners of electronica, concocted in a pressure cooker of concentrated creative output. Alongside the EP, she unveils its final single, ‘Left Eye Lunar’, a mind-bending, relentless 140bpm track that seethes with potential energy.
Hot on the heels of her glitter-showered releases ‘Victory Dance on ZR3’ and ‘Khepri’, this body of work unfolds to lay out her latest ecstatic soundworld in its entirety, allowing listeners to surrender to their imagination.
Opening with ‘Animistic Ritual’, Frau Knotz transports the listener into a jungle, heaving with life. They awake in the centre of a drum circle, surrounded by gorillas playing a trance-like, polyrhythmic groove, laden with toms. ‘Victory Dance on ZR3’ zips us into a 2D digiverse of a 90’s computer game, with a lead synth that sings above the soundtrack in all its detuned glory. ‘Khepri’ whisks us to a sun-soaked beach with our hearts aglow, while ‘Left Eye Lunar’ captures the juxtaposition of overpopulated chaos in central Cairo against the profound mysteries lurking within the Pyramids of Giza. The final track ‘Consumer Culture’ is a warped, obnoxious commentary of our insatiable desire for material goods, where the only lyrics in the EP can be found; pitch-bent repetitions of the mantra ‘I love it’.
Frau Knotz shares: “I see this EP as the sonic equivalent to ‘The Breakfast Club’ - it’s an unlikely grouping of quirky characters that form unexpected bonds and reveal their inner struggles.” Mixed and mastered by Sam Johnson at Rhythm Ace Studio, Digital Plastic Surgery is a richly diverse EP that serves as part one of a double-EP project. It dives deep into the many corners of electronica, drawing from unexpected wells of inspiration and is shaped by a relentless creative drive to forge something emotionally resonant and sonically bold in a focused window of time.
In celebration of this EP, Frau Knotz will be hosting two exclusive events; a virtual listening party on Bandcamp, 7pm Wednesday 6th August and an in-person listening party on release day, Friday 8th August at Peeps DIY in New Plymouth.
Previous singles ‘Khepri’ and ‘Victory Dance on ZR3’ were swiftly picked up by George FM, Radioactive, Radio Control, RDU, Radio One, The Most FM, 2RRR FM (Sydney), Under The Radar and 13th Floor’s Song of the Day with fans getting behind the Bandcamp exclusive release by pre-ordering the full EP.
Fresh from her appearance at WOMAD Aotearoa 2025, Frau Knotz has had a stellar year — releasing three acclaimed singles and a debut EP, packing out her hometown premiere for the Nextraterrestrial film, headlining The Stomach in Palmerston North, and captivating a national audience at the Len Lye Centre. With more music and shows on the horizon, Frau Knotz is poised to lift hearts and energise dance floors with her signature blend of deep feeling and undeniable groove.
For media enquiries, please contact frauknotz@gmail.com