Deerhoof & Ensemble Dal Niente ready collaborative LP (stream a track)

Deerhoof have announced a new collaborative album with Chicago contemporary classical ensemble Ensemble Dal Niente. (This is not their first collaboration.) The album is called Balter/Saunier, and will be released on April 29 via Brooklyn label New Amsterdam Records. The album mostly (with only one exception) consists of compositions by Marcos Balter and arrangements by Deerhoof drummer/general mastermind Greg Saunier, along with the involvement of over 30 musicians. They’ve shared a track from the album called “Cherubim,” which you can stream below.

Though born of a different place, it honestly sounds a lot like a Deerhoof song with a more-elaborate-than-usual backing band. The central riff sounds clasically Deerhoof-ian, coupled Satomi Matsuzaki’s vocals and Saunier’s typically stuttery drum patterns, one can easily imagine this song appearing on a normal Deerhoof release. That said, the orchestral backing lends a new dimension to the music, a sense of heaviness, even dread, that isn’t normally part of Deerhoof’s emotional palette. It’s a haunting, arresting listen, and you can stream it below.

Ensemble Dal Niente will be celebrating the album release at their 10th Anniversary party in Chicago on April 30 at their studio, featuring Saunier and many more. You can check out the tracklist for Balter/Saunier below, along with a stream of “Cherubim.”

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Deerhoof/Dal Niente — Balter/Saunier tracklist
01 meltDown Upshot – 1. Credo (Marcos Balter)
02 meltDown Upshot – 2. Parallel Spaces (Marcos Balter)
03 meltDown Upshot – 3. Ready (Marcos Balter)
04 meltDown Upshot – 4. True/False (Marcos Balter)
05 meltDown Upshot – 5. Home (Marcos Balter)
06 meltDown Upshot – 6. Cherubim (Marcos Balter)
07 meltDown Upshot – 7. Rapture (Marcos Balter)
08 Pois que nada que dure, ou que durando (Marcos Balter)
09 Deerhoof Chamber Variations (Greg Saunier)