TL;DR - Too Long; Didn’t Read
Released 4 July 2025, via CD, LP and digital
Peter Knight - trumpet, electronics, live signal processing
Helen Svoboda - bass, voice
Theo Carbo - guitar, electronics
Quinn Knight - drums
TL;DR is a new quartet brought together by trumpeter, composer and former Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra, Peter Knight. Influenced by Brian Eno, John Hassell, The Necks, and swathes of electronic music, TL;DR creates hypnotic, minimal, groove based music that is fresh and distinctive, and that spins these influences into a sound that defies categorisation.
Crossing generations, TL;DR brings together some of the most influential younger musicians on the Melbourne scene. Bassist/vocalist, Helen Svoboda floats her melodic wordless soprano over deep grooves. Guitarist, Theo Carbo uses rhythmic repetition and textural variation to stunning effect, while 20 year old drummer Quinn Knight (who is also Peter’s son) lays down shimmering cymbal washes and texturally rich beats that underpin the group’s sound.
Peter Knight has developed an international reputation as an innovator who is extending the possibilities of his instrument with approaches that interweave acoustic preparations, extended techniques with electroacoustic processing, vintage delays, tape machines, and pedals.
Peter writes “When I finished up with the Australian Art Orchestra in 2023 I wanted to continue being inspired by some of the incredible young artists I had worked with over that ten years. When Helen, Theo, and my son Quinn got together we all wanted to form a band that makes music for its own sake… music that is not trying to ’say’ anything, not telling you how to feel, but rather creating a space into which your own thoughts can drift. The name of the group reflects that intent.”
Crossing the boundary between jazz and electronica is something very natural for next generation musicians and this is integral to TL;DR’s approach.
Helen says: “We want to make music that’s improvised but hypnotic. It’s a simple concept that uses live and electronic looping, setting up repetitive rhythms that overlap like rhythms in nature, and where the music develops through repetition and iteration. Our music is accessible and even catchy in a way, but is also kind of strange!”
The intergenerational nature of TL;DR also embodies the way jazz musicians have worked throughout the history of the music - older musicians have often created bands with young musicians. “It’s a way of passing down knowledge but also a way for the older generation to stay sharp and inspired. It’s wonderful now for me to find myself playing in this band with these incredible young musicians. It’s particularly special that one of those musicians is my own son. Quinn and I have played most days together now for about 15 years - I have probably played with Quinn more than with just about any other musician I know. We have a great musical rapport, and now he’s teaching me so much - cluing me into new music and showing me new ways to think about things,” says Peter.
“A sonic world of wonder, warmth, and possibility.”