Divine Schism

A little special surprise called Divine Schism. This new album is perhaps best described as Deerhoof’s sci-fi oratorio…a large-scale musical work with no costumes or scenery but with a large wow factor. Marrying some of the rawest crust-core to the richest orchestral textures to be found on any of their records, Divine Schism tells the story of the Earth from the perspective of the Sun. In the near future, geo-engineering has been deployed to reverse global warming. A group of self-obsessed tech oligarchs would rather cover the earth in mirrors, making half its landmass unlivable, than stop burning up the planet. This neither succeeds nor pleases the Sun, whose view of one of its favorite children is now replaced by nothing but its own blinding reflection. It does not know if Earth is alive or dead. Divine Schism was recorded partly at home and partly at Russian Recording with Mike Bridavsky, producer of 2023’s acclaimed Miracle-Level, at the board. The band arrived at the Bloomington studio in March, determined to use every rare amp, vintage organ, collectible Soviet synthesizer, orchestral percussion instrument, and wacky stomp box on offer. Their goal was to build a complex, atmospheric panorama, layer by dissonant layer. Deerhoof’s signatures, like Ed and John’s twin-killer guitars, Greg’s uncontrolled drums, and Satomi’s imperturbable singing, are joined by a multitude of colorful sonic elements previously unknown in the Deerhoof universe. The result is quite unlike anything they’ve ever come up with, seeming to originate on whatever mysterious planet also produced the likes of Québécois thrash metal legends Voivod, contemporary classical icon Bernhard Lang, and Andy Summers at his most outré and psychedelic. And of course, it did: That planet is Earth. Another big influence on the record was the bounty of queercore, punk, and hardcore bands that Deerhoof has been choosing as local openers on their worldwide tours. Having shared the bandstand, or helped produce, so many younger artists, one of the pieces of advice they give most often is not to be afraid or ashamed of self-releasing. But eventually the band realized that they had never in fact released an album entirely by themselves. While Deerhoof remains a proud Joyful Noise artist, they got the label’s blessing to try a self-released album for the first time.  This is a tour LP/CD. Physical copies will be available only at the Deerhoof merch table, with a limited number of copies available for mailorder from the Joyful Noise warehouse. Doing a tour-only physical release is a special thank you to their fans who show up and visit said merch table, where band members can usually be found. Divine Schism is a way to connect more directly to their community. LPs, CDs, and t-shirts are all being manufactured locally in Minneapolis, where the fall tour begins. Vinyl is made from recycled PVC and color is thus “Mystery Flavor????”. For those who cannot attend a show on Deerhoof’s upcoming tours, there is also a digital version that will be available only on Bandcamp. Divine Schism will not be on streaming services.