Boy Harsher

Knowing each other from film school in Savannah, Muller and Matthews started the project Teen Dreamz in 2013, which acted as a precursor to Boy Harsher. The project consisted of Matthews performing her spoken word pieces and Muller providing a musical backing. Throughout the year, Teen Dreamz's sound became more danceable, as Matthews's vocals developed into a more expressive singing style. The band renamed their project as Boy Harsher in 2014.

Boy Harsher released its home-recorded debut EP Lesser Man in the same year. Following their relocation to Massachusetts, the band recorded and released its debut album, Yr Body Is Nothing in 2016 on DKA Records. After the release of 2017's Country Girl EP, the band formed their Nude Club imprint in 2018, re-issuing their catalog. One of the first releases on Nude Club, "Pain II", is a reissue of their 2014 single with a remix by The Soft Moon. Their sophomore studio album, 2019's Careful, was backed by an extended reissue of Country Girl EP as Country Girl Uncut. In that year, a remix album of Careful, titled Careful Remixes, etc., was also released; it featured remixes from techno producers such as Marcel Dettmann and Silent Servant.

On April 10, 2020, Muller released his debut soundtrack album, Machine Learning Experiments (Original Soundtrack), which featured original scores composed for two short adult films, Orgone Theory and Hydra. The album was issued on Nude Club. In 2021, the band remixed the Perfume Genius song "Your Body Changes Everything." The remix was featured on the album Immediately Remixes. In January 2022, the band's directorial debut film, The Runner, was released with an accompanying soundtrack. The short film starred Kristina Esfandiari.

Following the release of The Runner, Boy Harsher played several high-profile music festivals from 2022 to 2024, including Primavera Sound, Roadburn Festival, Cruel World Festival and Coachella.{{Cite web |last=Pearis |first=Bill |date=2021-10-19 |title=Boy Harsher announce new LP and 2022 tour (listen to "Tower") |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/boy-harsher-announce-new-lp-and-2022-tour-listen-to-tower/ |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=BrooklynVegan |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Luke |date=2023-05-10 |title=Roadburn 2023: A Definitive Look Back (Festival Review + Photos) |url=https://www.invisibleoranges.com/roadburn-2023-review-photos/ |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=Invisible Oranges - The Metal Blog |language=en-US}}{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Damien |date=23 January 2023 |title=Siouxsie Sioux and Iggy Pop lead Cruel World Festival 2023 line-up with other acts including the Human League |url=https://www.nme.com/news/siouxsie-sioux-and-iggy-pop-lead-cruel-world-festival-2023-line-up-3385361 |access-date=26 January 2023 |publisher=NME}}{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Surej |date=2024-01-17 |title=Coachella 2024: Lana Del Rey, Tyler, The Creator, Doja Cat lead line-up |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/coachella-2024-line-up-lana-del-rey-tyler-the-creator-doja-cat-no-doubt-3571866 |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}

File:DAF 0016 small.jpg band DAF (pictured in 1981) was reportedly an early influence.]]

Boy Harsher is often labeled as a dark wave group, with influences ranging from early forms of industrial to electronic body music. Paul Simpson of AllMusic referred to the band's music as "dark, danceable electro pop" that references synth pop and EBM. He has characterized Boy Harsher's music by its minimal beats and synth textures, as well as by Matthews's dynamic vocals that depict "desire, fantasy, and loneliness." On his review for Careful, Kevin Lozano of Pitchfork listed the band as one of the acts that spearhead the minimal synth scene along with Essaie pas, noting the "brisk drum machine loops, oscillating synths, and Matthews’ haunting incantations" that permeate the album's sound. Lozano has previously described the band as "making coldwave that could turn any space in that quiet town into a seedy nightclub." Michael Lawson of The Skinny thought that the band "straddled the middle ground between melancholic cold wave and regimented synth workouts."

Boy Harsher draws heavily from cinema, theatrics and graphic design to tailor the band's visual imagery; Matthews and Muller both have a background in filmmaking. They have likened the band to the movies Body Heat and Lost Highway, the latter of which was directed by David Lynch, a professed influence on the band. Matthews has expressed appreciation for various female vocalists, including Nico, Circuit des Yeux, Alison Lewis of Linea Aspera, Chelsea Wolfe and Zola Jesus, whereas Muller named Sleep Chamber, Suicide, DAF and Yello as early musical influences on Boy Harsher. Gearwise, Muller mostly employs synthesizers and samplers, stating that he "tries and borrows as much [instruments] as he can for recording." On the band's minimal instrumentation, he said: "I'm obsessed with how successful the minimalism is with 80s music. It’s really a masterclass of what can be done with a drum machine and a couple of synths." A "half-functioning" Roland Juno-106 was used extensively on the Lesser Man EP; their live set features synth lines sampled into an Akai MPC, as well as backing tracks.

File:Jae Matthews of Boy Harsher in 2014.jpg

;Studio albums

• Yr Body Is Nothing (2016)
• Careful (2019)
• Country Girl Uncut (2019)
• The Runner (Original Soundtrack) (2022)

;EPs

• Lesser Man (2014)
• Pain (2015)
• Country Girl EP (2017)
• Burn It Down (2022)

;Singles

• "Motion" (2017)
• "Country Girl" (2017)
• "Run" (2017)
• "Pain II" (2018)
• "Pain" (The Soft Moon Remix) (2018)
• "Face the Fire" (2018)
• "Fate" (2018)
• "LA" (2019)
• "R.O.V. (New Beat Edit) // Part Time Punks Session" (2020)

;Remix album

• Careful Remixes, etc. (2019)

;Music videos

• "Deep Well" (2016; dir. Zach Hart)
• "Motion" (2017; dir. MJ Bernier)
• "Country Girl" (2017; dir. Jae Matthews)
• "Last Days" (2018; dir. Augustus Muller)
• "Face the Fire" (2018; dir. Augustus Muller and Jae Matthews)
• "Fate" (2018; dir. Bryan M. Ferguson)
• "LA" (2019; dir. Kathleen Dycaico and Jill Ferraro)
• "Come Closer" (2019; dir. Muted Widows)
• "Send Me a Vision" (2019; dir. Augustus Muller)
• "Electric" (2020; dir. Idan Barazani)

• The 2022 indie horror film Terrifier 2, directed by Damien Leone, features the track "Pain", from the band's 2014 EP, Lesser Man. It appears at 1h24'42", during the party scene.{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10403420/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 | title=Terrifier 2 (2022) – IMDb | website=IMDb }}

{{Reflist|40em|refs=

{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/boy-harsher-mn0003687587/biography |title= Boy Harsher biography |last=Simpson |first=Paul |date= |website=allmusic.com |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=January 22, 2020 |quote=}}

{{cite web |url=https://toomuchlovemagazine.com/boy-harsher-releases-video-for-come-closer/|title=Boy Harsher Releases Video for "Come Closer"! |last=Gore |first=Sydney |date=April 15, 2019 |website= toomuchlovemagazine.com |access-date= January 23, 2020 }}

{{cite web |url=https://www.post-punk.com/boy-harsher-premiere-the-video-for-country-girl-plus-more-na-and-eu-tour-dates/ |title= Boy Harsher premiere the video for 'Country Girl' Plus more NA and EU tour dates |date=September 18, 2017 |website= post-punk.com |access-date= January 23, 2020 }}

{{cite web |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/45840/1/boy-harsher-country-girl-uncut-ep-interview |title= Boy Harsher are the cinematic sound of heartbreak |last=Harriman |first=Andi |date=September 3, 2019 |website=dazeddigital.com |publisher=Dazed |access-date=January 22, 2020}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ-ygxBZ088 |title= Boy Harsher - "Deep Well" (Official Video) |date= September 29, 2016 |website= YouTube |publisher= |access-date= January 23, 2020 }}

{{cite web |url=https://www.post-punk.com/boy-harsher-unveil-their-david-lynch-inspired-video-for-face-the-fire/ |title=Boy Harsher Unveil Their David Lynch Inspired Video for "Face the Fire"|date=October 30, 2018 |website= post-punk.com |publisher= |access-date= January 22, 2020 }}

{{cite web |url=https://www.factmag.com/2019/09/03/boy-harsher-expand-on-country-girl-ep-with-country-girl-uncut/ |title= Boy Harsher expand on Country Girl EP with Country Girl Uncut |last=Panzer |first= Natalia |date=September 3, 2019 |website=Fact |access-date= January 22, 2020 |quote=}}

{{Cite web|url=https://recommendedlisten.com/post/181032254703/video-boy-harsher-fate|title=Video: Boy Harsher - "Fate"|website=+Recommended Listen|language=en|access-date=April 14, 2020}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/boy-harsher-la-video/ |title=Country Camgirls Take the Spotlight in Boy Harsher's "LA" Video |last=Gore |first=Sydney |date=January 22, 2019 |website= highsnobiety.com |publisher=Highsnobiety |access-date= January 22, 2020 }}

{{cite web |url=https://www.post-punk.com/boy-harsher-share-their-last-days/ |title= Boy Harsher share their "Last Days"|date=March 26, 2018 |website= post-punk.com |access-date= January 22, 2020 }}

{{cite web |url=https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/interview/boy-harsher-darkness-from-within |title=Boy Harsher: Darkness From Within |last=Novello |first=Lena |date= |website= metalmagazine.eu |publisher= |access-date=January 22, 2020 |quote=}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.post-punk.com/boy-harsher-share-the-video-for-motion-off-of-their-country-girl-ep-plus-tourdates/ |title= Boy Harsher share the video for "Motion" off of their 'Country Girl' EP—Plus Tourdates|date=July 20, 2017 |website= post-punk.com |access-date= January 23, 2020 }}

{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/01/24/687563403/first-listen-boy-harsher-careful |title=Be 'Careful': Boy Harsher Pushes its Darkwave Sound to Thrilling Ends |last=Mandel |first=Leah|date=January 24, 2019 |website=npr.org |publisher=NPR |access-date=January 22, 2020 |quote=}}

{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/boy-harsher-careful/ |title=Boy Harsher: Careful |last=Lozano |first=Kevin |date=February 4, 2019 |website=Pitchfork |publisher= |access-date=January 22, 2020 |quote=}}

{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/boy-harsher-motion/|title=Boy Harsher: "Motion" |last=Lozano |first=Kevin |date=July 21, 2017 |website=Pitchfork |publisher= |access-date=January 22, 2020 |quote=}}

{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Josh |title=Perfume Genius announces 'Immediately' remix album, shares video for Boy Harsher's 'Your Body Changes Everything' |url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/perfume-genius-announces-immediately-remix-album-shares-video-for-boy-harshers-your-body-changes-everything-2857483 |website=NME |access-date=March 19, 2021 |date=January 15, 2021}}

{{cite web |url= https://www.popmatters.com/boy-harsher-stealing-the-club-2641455231.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2 |title=Boy Harsher Are Stealing Back the Club|last=Shand |first=Max |date=November 26, 2019 |website=PopMatters |publisher= |access-date=January 22, 2020 |quote=}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/news/72180 |title=Boy Harsher's Augustus Muller collects film scores on new album, Machine Learning Experiments|work=Resident Advisor|date=March 5, 2020|access-date=April 24, 2020 |first=Kiana |last=Mickles}}

{{cite web |last1=Danton |first1=Eric R. |title=Boy Harsher's new music sounded like a soundtrack to something. So they made a horror film. |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/01/18/arts/boy-harshers-new-music-sounded-like-soundtrack-something-so-they-made-horror-film/ |website=The Boston Globe |access-date=January 25, 2022 |date=January 18, 2022}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/boy-harsher-careful |title= Boy Harsher – Careful |last= Lawson |first=Michael |date=January 31, 2019 |website=theskinny.co.uk |publisher=The Skinny |access-date= January 22, 2020}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/boy-harsher/ |title= Boy Harsher: Making A "Moving Choker-Collar Muscle Mash" One Room at a Time |last=Dunlea |first=Reed |date=May 26, 2015 |website=Vice |publisher=Vice Media |access-date=January 22, 2020 |quote=}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.volt-magazin.de/index.php/features/38-english-features/361-they-ve-never-been-to-berghain-an-interview-with-boy-harsher-about-their-new-album-careful |title=They've never been to Berghain: An interview with Boy Harsher about their new album "Careful" |last= |first= |date=January 3, 2019 |website= volt-magazin.de |publisher= |access-date=January 22, 2020 |quote=}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFLvtgI1RxA | title=Boy Harsher - "Electric" (Official video) | date=April 8, 2020 |website= YouTube |publisher= |access-date=April 17, 2020}}

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{{Commons category}}

• {{official website| https://boyharsher.com}}
• [https://boyharsher.bandcamp.com/ Boy Harsher] on Bandcamp
• [http://www.nudeclubrecords.com Nude Club Records]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boy Harsher}}

Category:2013 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:American dark wave musical groups

Category:American electronic music duos

Category:American industrial music groups

Category:American synth-pop groups

Category:Cold wave groups

Category:Electronic music groups from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:American electropop groups

Category:Minimal wave groups

Category:Musical duos from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Musical groups established in 2013

Category:Musical groups from Savannah, Georgia