Tropical Fuck Storm Unleash Their Beautiful Chaos In New KEXP Session

Back in July, the audio cyclone known as Tropical Fuck Storm recorded a live session at KEXP studios here in Seattle. We’ve long expected that the Australian 4-piece would be a perfect fit at the station, so it’s amazing to finally see that hypothesis proven, unequivocally.

This was a session that almost happened well in the past, but was derailed for reasons beyond anyone’s control. I don’t know everything involved with booking the in-studios, but I know the process can involve both luck and timing to ensure everything lines up, avoids scheduling conflicts, and slots into an open window for the station when an act happens to be in town. Further complicating things, TFS is located in Melbourne. There is also an endless swarm of artists praying for their opportunity to get into the station and perform. KEXP has established itself as an incredibly influential and reliable force known for introducing its listeners to new artists, and its in-studio sessions have a proven track record in that department. They have the potential to draw a ridiculous amount of eyes and, for lesser-known acts, a good session can be a game-changer in the trajectory of their careers.

As someone who has been attending these sessions in person for over a decade, I can safely say that the Tropical Fuck Storm appearance is as good as they come and better than most. My son turns 14 this weekend, and I’ve been taking him to the public viewings since he was a toddler. Beyond that, I’ve watched my share of them on YouTube, just like many of you have. I know that there have been a ton of amazing sessions with some terrific artists, over the years, but… gun to my head, I honestly couldn’t tell you a better one right now. The freshness of it all may play into my perspective, as does the fact that the group’s latest album, Fairyland Codex, remains my favorite release of 2025, so far. It might be the best thing they’ve ever put out, so it feels like the right time and the right album for them to be on the station promoting. It may have taken longer for TFS to link up with KEXP than expected, but things happen for a reason.

This session was particularly special for me, as I had the opportunity to sit in the control room while it was being recorded. It was really cool to witness it all from behind Laurne “Hammer” Hammel pummeling the life out of the drum kit, but seeing the video adds another layer to the experience. There is so much nuance in TFS‘s songwriting from Gareth Liddiard and Erica Dunn‘s intricate and unorthodox guitar work to Fiona Kitcschin‘s brilliantly inventive basslines, which are the secret weapon providing the warped skeleton in these tunes. It cannot be overstated how irreplaceable each member is to this band as a unit. The final product is such a complex yet organic swirling intersection of all they can conjure up that it can often be difficult to zero in on the individual elements. Both the video work and the truly impressive mix in the session do a remarkable job of keeping the listener/viewer fully immersed while highlighting the different components that make it what it is. Their trademark controlled chaos is only strengthened by how clean the sound is.

I feel like the band took the perfect approach here by sandwiching Fairyland Codex standouts “Irukanji Syndrome” and “Blood Sport” between particularly strong older tracks, “Braindrops” and “You Let My Tyres Down,” from the albums Braindrops (2018) and A Laughing Death In Meatspace (2019), respectively. If you already love this band, you’re getting the bangers, and if you’re completely new to them, it’s the perfect introduction to what they’re capable of.

It’s hard to believe the TFS spent the previous night destroying a local venue with their sonic mayhem, only to get up early to come down for this. The amount of energy they unleashed in a radio taping is something else. Check out the full session below.

If you still haven’t listened to Fairyland Codex, it’s time to pull it together and get on that. If you ever have the opportunity to see TFS live, GO. If you like what you see here, just imagine what they can do when they aren’t restricted by headsets. It can get pretty wild, folks.