By: Mike Madavi
Deastro
“Parallelogram” (mp3)
from “Moondagger”
(Ghostly International)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album
Release Date: 6/2/09
UPC: 804297908502
Territories: North America
Deastro is the brain child of Randolph Chabot, a 22 year old Detroit native with a passion for synth-powered, energetic pop songs and science fiction. By the time he turned 17, Chabot had already written hundreds of dream and sci-fi inspired songs, recorded on home studio equipment, by himself, in his parent’s house; impressive to say the least. These numerous recordings yielded Keepers, his first release on Ghostly International (School of Seven Bells, Mathew Dear), which was a collection of the very best of all those songs he wrote. The record, eclectic and energetic, found great success through support from eMusic and Ghostly’s televisual brother Adult Swim, propelling the young visionary to extensive touring and memorable live performances (including IODA’s own annual SXSW Showcase).
Deastro returns with Moondagger, his next step forward towards intergalactic musical dominance. As always the album features a self-created cover and Chabot’s wonderful, unique musical style. The new tunes are more fully rounded as he has recruited a full band and produced the record in studio. Chabot’s true skill as a musician lies within his ability to manipulate the sounds on his records. Warping and bending, pulling and compressing, panning and shifting, Moondagger is a real headphone treat as Deastro plays with the audio canvas between your ears. “Tone Avengers #3″ begins with a fantastic warping drum machine and transforms into one of his patented space journeys. The first single “Parallelogram” is synth heavy, danceable, and definitely feels triumphant in a fairy-tale-ending way. There are tracks for those who want to trip out, dance, or just N3rD out to some electronica.
Dare I say it, this even tastes like Animal Collective at times (**Pitchfork’s ears perk upright**); the album’s centerpiece is an epic number with an even more epic name, “Daniel Johnston Was Stabbed in the Heart with the Moondagger by the King of Darkness and His Ghost Is Writing this Song as a Warning to All of Us,” that features vocals and killer melodies reminiscent of AC’s Feels album (especially the bridge) while still remaining distinctly Deastro with a synth-saturated, reverb-a-plenty chorus. The record’s title track stays true to his dream-inspired concept for the album of a battle between a protagonist prince yielding a legendary weapon entitled the Moondagger to do battle with an evil king of darkness; the track’s chorus definitely sounds like some sort of epic, impassioned struggle against the vile and corrupting. Overall the record is a positive move forward from Keepers, Deastro’s home-recorded opus from 2008, ensuring that his talent will not be limited to electro-pop dance records as it features a variety of moods and sounds, all of which are original, elaborate, and well produced.
Related Posts:
Tags: Deastro, Ghostly International, Promonet, School of Seven Bells
