There’s something to the fact that the Knife and Scott Walker both released their defining records in 2006, shortly before disappearing from the spotlight. As on Walker’s 2012 outing, Bish Bosch, the Knife finally came back with a record that’s as likely to be deemed unlistenable as it is a work of genius. Even without the oblique lyrics and fascinating politics, Shaking The Habitual is a funhouse of an album, from manic tropical rushes like “Tooth For An Eye” and “Without You My Life Would Be Boring,” to the sparking circuit techno of “Full Of Fire” and “Networking.” It has to be reiterated, though, that even in their most experimental moments, the Knife don’t falter. The 20-minute dark, ambient abyss that makes up “Old Dreams” and the noise bombardment of “Fracking Fluid Injections” feel vital in context, while the rhythmless float of “A Cherry On Top” balances abstraction with one of the most emotional deliveries of the band’s career. Shaking The Habitual does exactly what its title pledges while positioning the Knife as current stars of experimental music. They’ve come a staggeringly long way, and, to think: Once upon a time we thought they were just a synth-pop band. –Miles [LISTEN]