music
notice: deerhoof ask all spectators to wear a mask during the concert
For over three decades, Deerhoof have proven that in music there will always be a space for those “weirdos” who thrive on the raw and chaotic state of creativity. The quartet formed by Greg Saunier on drums, Satomi Matsuzaki on vocals and bass, Ed Rodriguez and John Dieterich on guitars, is a true laboratory for experimentation with sounds, styles and ideas. Building and rebuilding, improvising and mixing melodies, rhythms and harmonies, Deerhoof creates unique sounds and atmospheres, coloured with magnetic riffs and beats. In the first decade of the 21st century, they have been highlighted as one of indie rock’s most innovative groups. Reveille (2002), Apple O’ (2003), The Runners Four (2005) and Friend Opportunity (2007) are some of Deerhoof’s universally praised albums that made them “the best band in the world”, as dubbed by Pitchfork. In the same wave of praise, Saunier has been singled out, alongside Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt) and Zack Hill (Death Grips), as the generation of drum pioneers for the 21st century. Exploring themes of extinction, war, holocaust, biodiversity, fascism and civilisational collapse, Deerhoof have become a cult band, marked by the chaotic spirit of sonic improvisation and experimentation. This anarchic approach to creation is also expressed in the way the band recorded eighteen of their nineteen albums. At home, they improvised studios and, together, played each of the songs in an authentic Do-It-Yourself style.
Miracle-Level, Deerhoof’s latest work, is the first in which the Japanese Satomi sings entirely in her mother tongue. And it is also the first recorded entirely in a proper studio. Released in March this year, the new album was recorded by Mike Bridavsky, renowned human of the famous internet cat Lil Bub, to whom the first single My Lovely Cat! was dedicated. Looking at the rise of the far-right and the “industries of deception and coercion” we are forced to live with, Miracle-Level is Deerhoof’s mystical manifesto for creativity, where they put their trust in the best of humanity. “It will be a miracle we survive. But miracles are what humans do as the most imaginative and unpredictable species on our planet.”
Come summer and autumn, Satomi, Greg, Ed and John will be back on the road in what is one of the most anticipated tours of 2023 for Pitchfork. In November, this tour will be at gnration, on Deerhoof’s return to Portugal to present Miracle-Level. A must-see concert, one of those that will certainly be remembered for years to come.
