“The more you try to sound original and non-derivative, the less you allow yourself to write freely,” Deerhunter vocalist and instrumentalist Bradford Cox (above right) explained to Wired in an e-mail interview. “Our songs are written as improvisations, either individually at home or as a group. I think that aspect keeps them from wandering into the ‘I’m going to write a song that sounds like…’ creative ghetto.”

Like Cox’s solo project Atlas Sound, Deerhunter specializes in zoned soundtracking that mashes guitars, drums, samples, found sounds and more into hypnotic genre hybrids. It’s all about the head-trip.

Released Tuesday on the pioneering dream-pop label 4AD, Halcyon Digest is an upgraded execution of Deerhunter’s talents. Especially in punchy bounders like “Desire Lines” or surreal explorations like “Helicopter,” which you can listen to in the embedded player above.

“It’s the most diverse album we’ve made,” said Cox. “It functions as a great introduction, because it contains a little of everything we’ve done, but then goes further out.”

It will be probably go further, when Deerhunter’s national tour begins Friday in its native Atlanta, Georgia. The band has developed a certain notoriety for theatrical performance, and the occasional fake blood.

“We have replaced fake blood with guitar solos,” Cox added. “Real blood is to be expected occasionally.”

Images courtesy Drew Vandenberg/4AD

See Also:

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• Trip Out to 2009’s Best Unheard Music
• Listen Up! Best Music of the Millennium … So Far

Authors: Scott Thill

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