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Quietus Mixes & Radio

Quietus Mix 24: Deerhoof Kick It Up Weird
Luke Turner , April 21st, 2011 04:31

As we approach a quarter century of mixes, Deerhoof's Ed Rodriguez puts together a bold mix of innovators from the edges of pop

It probably won’t come as much surprise to learn that the mix that Deerhoof have made for us is perhaps the most deranged and discombobulating one we’ve yet published. For over fifteen years now, this expanding and contracting collective of musicians have pushed up against the fringes of American experimental indie rock with album after album of perplexing innovation – as our Mick Middles said of most recent LP Deerhoof Vs Evil, they often “induce a kind of 'mad-cat' paranoia in the unsuspecting gentle soul.” We’re all for that sort of thing around these parts, and anyone planning to see Deerhoof on their imminent UK and European tour dates can expect to be perplexed, thrilled and even infuriated by their riot of awkward shapes, obtuse sounds, and exploding dynamics. It’s therefore probably a good thing that their mix cannot be downloaded – for we wouldn’t advise listening to this while driving, attempting to walk in a straight line, or operating heavy machinery. Travelling through the avant-garde, contemporary classical and unhinged leftfield indie from Derek Bailey to Miles Davis via Get Hustle, Frederic Rzewski, György Ligeti, Stravinsky, Glenn Branca and Death Sentence: Panda! within the space of an hour is a tall order in anyone’s book. But by heck there’s bizarre pleasure to be had doing it. Compiler, Deerhoof's Ed Rodriguez, says: "I've always have a tendency to get attached to a song, to listen to it endlessly without it ever getting old. Here are some picks that I've put on a lot of mix tapes because they always feel fresh to me. A few are much newer than others so we'll see if they hold up and appear on my '20 year Anniversary of my Quietus Mix' mix." For details of Deerhoof's tour, please visit the Deerhoof website. They play Manchester and London on May 3th and 4th.