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Everything weve done, weve suffered to do it.
Its never been easy, Cox says.
Ill decide when its over, he says.
Ill never put out an album I dont think is perfect and a classic album.
I dont think Ive put out a single album thats not a classic album except the first one.
If somebody wants to accuse me of being arrogant, Id say, No shit Sherlock, you know.
Whats your discography look like?
Because I wanted it to sound like the vocals were just another instrument, he says.
Dont ever use [psych pop], dont ever use that word with me.
I hate psychedelic culture, and I hate that word.
To me, its just like kryptonite.
I view us as an anti-psychedelic band.
I view us as fantastic realists.
Its squall is overpowering, leaning heavily on short looping and a collage of micro-samples.
Thats the biggest regret in my life, he says of the albums mixing and preservation.
Everythings there on Fluorescent Grey, from their EP of the same name.
I spent at least an hour longer on the vocal than Id ever done before on that song.
As Ive said, everything else was usually just a first take, live.
At this time, Id have a hard time convincing a record label to let us make an EP.
As an artist, we shouldnt let any of these things control us, he says.
Cox has no delusions about this being anything but Deerhunter par excellence.
That was the golden age; unfortunately were not in the golden age anymore.
Were in a rust age, but good things still happen, he says.
You have to acknowledge that was an amazing time to yourself without trying to continue to live in it.
Ill never be that young again.
They provided a sort of contrast or counterpoint to what I was thinking should be there.
I think our albums wouldve sounded a lot more dated had I played the bass and drums on them.
But Allen forced his trust and assured Cox that he should take a step back on this one.
I didnt want it to have any kind of reference point in rock history.
Sometimes you just have to let a song breathe.
Ben taught me that.
This was distinctly an album of the night, all neon signs, burned leather, and smoky dives.
Its caked in enough layers of distortion to sound like a dozen motorcycles accelerating at once.
Leather Jacket, I couldnt tell you a goddamn thing.
When I was recording the song in the demo, I was playing guitar and screaming into the mic.
I mean its just a visceral, physical, wrenching … its sort of a tape of vomit.
My biggest mistake lyrically.
… Another mistake lyrically.
Leather and Wood is a strange centerpiece for a record that shimmers and glistens throughout much of its A-side.
Here you find more of those hopeful sentiments on a sparse, arresting arrangement.
The harpsichords not meant to sound pleasant or upbeat, to me its an incredibly harsh and brittle instrument.
The only thing more harsh and brittle than a direct injection guitar, he says.
