Caribou / Daphni / some general Dan Snaith appreciation shit

[alan nagsworth]

Been a fan of this motherfucker ever since I first clapped ears on the gorgeous, exploding psych of Melody Day from 2007's "Andorra", a song which ticked every single box immediately; the spring breeze of the sleigh bells soaring through the verses, Snaith's ever-ethereal voice, the massive crashing percussion of the chorus and the whirling, enchanting synth woodwind. This ain't no reverb-drenched bedroom garage-pop, this is modern psychedelia done exceptionally well.

I've still never got around to checking out the stuff before "Andorra", but since he's gotten more into spinning sets of absolute hoofing euphoric hypnotising floor-fillers under the Daphni name (more about that later), his output as Caribou has also leant heavily into beaming eyes-shut hands-in-the-fucking-air festival-friendly dance music, and shitting hell, it just never stops delivering the goods. "Swim" and "Our Love" are absolutely stupendous albums, transcendent and warm and inviting and swelling with the beat of the heart of the world.

This is some serious hippie shit I'm talking but this dude is one of the very few people who, in my opinion, seriously gets it. The sort of music I think you'd either have to be extremely cynical or just not in the right mood at all to share some sort of connection with it. His totally unpretentious level of awareness, the simplicity of the structure of his songs, the natural and organic feel of them, the sheer elation that swells out of this stuff! He is a master of the craft, and there is an open-hearted honesty to his art that is truly humbling and magical.

"Suddenly", his first Caribou album in 5 years, is out in two weeks' time, and the three singles leading up to it (especially "Never Come Back", bloody hell) have been fantastic:

Home

You and I

Never Come Back

I'm seeing him play Brixton in April and then Primavera in June - which I am particularly excited about - having never had the chance before. God damn I am ready to party with this guy and his band.

Hands up who likes Caribou

[holyzombiejesus]

Is this the guy who was Manitoba (or something)? Liked him a bit but, for some reason, had him down as a poor man's Keiran Hebden, which was probably hugely unfair/ inaccurate. Think he did a live album with the Arkestra at some point?

[Better Midlands]

Hands up who likes Caribou

Me.

Sun takes my breath away it's so beautiful.

[alan nagsworth]

Is this the guy who was Manitoba (or something)? Liked him a bit but, for some reason, had him down as a poor man's Keiran Hebden, which was probably hugely unfair/ inaccurate. Think he did a live album with the Arkestra at some point?

That's him, yeah. As far as his DJ sets go, I'd probably say he's on par with Four Tet (both known for playing 3hr+ sets of all sorts of obscure funky shit across many genres) but as a musician Snaith far surpasses him, in my opinion. FT's last album was very good but besides that I don't think his more recent work is a patch on the older stuff like "Rounds". But Caribou just goes from strength to strength, and as Daphni his repurposing of fragments of other music into stripped-back bangers is jaw-dropping, particularly on the FabricLive mix he put out in 2017. I absolutely adore that thing.

[Misspent Boners]

Is this the guy who was Manitoba (or something)? Liked him a bit but, for some reason, had him down as a poor man's Keiran Hebden, which was probably hugely unfair/ inaccurate. Think he did a live album with the Arkestra at some point?

Yes that's right, Manitoba then Caribou and more recently Daphni. I'm not usually a "dude of dance", but will make an exception for Daphni as I think it's great. For whatever reason I havent listened to anything Caribou has done in the last decade really but loved the album Andorra and whatever the one preceding it was called...probably had a bit of an influence on my own songwriting actually

My main doings with Dan Snaith has mainly come from this though; this tremendous playlist he done for Spotify... https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Dg0J0ICj9kKTGDyFu0Cv4?si=bEzCQWtZTJqqocXJ7UGjCQ ...at one point it was all I listened to, and certainly brings me out of my comfort zone. A lot has led to mainstay favourites on my own playlists and introduced me to brazilian folk and a whole other plethora of new music

[alan nagsworth]

I'm not usually a "dude of dance" ... For whatever reason I havent listened to anything Caribou has done in the last decade

Listen to "Never Come Back" (linked in the OP) and try telling me that doesn't buzz your bollocks off mate :)

Such a simply-structured dance tune but the production steadily unfurls and blossoms out in such a natural and wondrous way. The melody and vocals that come in as the track fades out at the end make me wish it went on like that for another 5 minutes.

[JohnnyCouncil]

Me.

Sun takes my breath away it's so beautiful.

About 10 years ago I sunbathed outside my flat in Kirkstall, drinking and smoking and listening to Swim in full, by the end of the afternoon I was burned to fuck. Love the whole album

[JohnnyCouncil]

Never Come Back is the the song of this year for me.

[grassbath]

Was thinking of starting this thread meself. Swim and Our Love are a glorious pair, the latter one of my favourite albums of the decade just gone. Can't wait for this next one, really enjoying the new tunes.

[Dr Syntax Head]

Well seems I now like Caribou

[alan nagsworth]

Me.

Sun takes my breath away it's so beautiful.

I was playing this album in the company of a friend once and when this song was about 2/3 done I jokingly said 'no prizes for guessing what this song is called!'

They replied, 'erm... "Song"?'

I felt awful because I'd unwittingly insulted their intelligence (which admittedly appeared to be very low, judging by their sodding answer). So never do that.

[sevendaughters]

I like him. I got Milk of Human Kindness for £1 from Fopp back in the day and think it is still his best. Bit scruffier and woodsy. I kind of thought he'd peter out after that as he got great reviews for Up In Flames but then no one gave a shit about the next one. Good surprise staying power.

I also bought a sampler from ebay off him. Had his tour logo on the bottom. Good seller A+++.

[Better Midlands]

I also bought a sampler from ebay off him. Had his tour logo on the bottom. Good seller A+++.

What sampler?

[alan nagsworth]

Tangentially I saw he posted on Instagram early this month that he'd dropped off loads of vinyl and a bunch of analog equipment at an east London Oxfam which I thought was bloody wonderful.

Link here

Honestly what a guy

[buttgammon]

Never Come Back is fucking deadly, looking forward to this album now!

[hedgehog90]

I haven't though about Dan Snaith for a few years now. Thanks for reminding me.
Swim and Jiaolong for me are perfect albums, you put on a single track and end up listening to the whole thing.
I owe a lot to Daphni, I feel like that was my gateway drug for the genre.
I found Our Love a bit underwhelming at the time but it's time for a reappraisal.
If someone could recommend some of his DJ sets then that'd be great.

[Cardenio I]

Got fuck all to add cos Nags' OP describes my exact experience of/feelings on Caribou/Daphni. His Daphni stuff does that thing that so many great bangers do, of being so deceptively (seemingly) simple and instantly appealing that you're sure you've heard it before. Very true of "Never Come Back" for me. Can't wait to get stuck into the album.

[alan nagsworth]

I haven't though about Dan Snaith for a few years now. Thanks for reminding me.
Swim and Jiaolong for me are perfect albums, you put on a single track and end up listening to the whole thing.
I owe a lot to Daphni, I feel like that was my gateway drug for the genre.
I found Our Love a bit underwhelming at the time but it's time for a reappraisal.
If someone could recommend some of his DJ sets then that'd be great.

His Radio 1 Essential Mix from a few years back is a hoofer.

[sevendaughters]

What sampler?

Dr Sample SP202

[grassbath]

New album is out. On second listen now and it's fantastic, at least as good as Our Love, maybe even better.

[Cuellar]

Thanks for this thread - Caribou tracks keep popping up on Spotify's 'what we think you might like' playlist but I've never really explored further. This has given me the push. PhD in maths from Imperial too (him not me).

[Cardenio I]

Ahh, a rare treat for a Friday at work. Five tracks in, so far I'm very into it.

[Better Midlands]

Dr Sample SP202

https://www.musicradar.com/amp/news/caribou-even-if-a-hardware-sampler-has-a-slightly-different-sound-its-too-much-of-a-faff

Good interview just popped up

[grassbath]

^ Really interesting, cheers. Seems like a lovely, thoughtful guy.

Suddenly is the only thing I feel able to listen to at the moment to be honest. It's not even that it blows my mind or gives me chills or whatever. It's just comforting and enveloping, and there's a crazy amount of different stuff going on but in such a way that it's not at all intrusive or taxing on the brain.

The last four tracks are especially wonderful. 

[non capisco]

The last four tracks are especially wonderful.

I've fallen head over heels for the penultimate tune 'Ravi' today. There are some gorgeous sounds on this thing.

[alan nagsworth]

I've not copped this yet (I will this arvo as I've got the time to sit on my lovely new sofa and soak it up) but my girlfriend and I put together a massive bookcase yesterday listening to his new Radio 1 Essential Mix that dropped the other night, and it is absolutely sensational. The dude is a fucking master craftsman, and to be honest I think this one might be even better than his previous one in 2014, which itself was voted the mix of the year by the station. God damn.

[alan nagsworth]

I've fallen head over heels for the penultimate tune 'Ravi' today.

Fuck me you're not wrong, that is a stunner!

First impressions: It's a lot less immediate, this album. But it is gorgeous and highly accomplished and very much worth the wait. Can't wait to soak it up some more in the coming week.

[olliebean]

Track listing on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000fq2s

[Schnapple]

I am a long time fan and have liked him since his early 'Milk of Human Kindness Days', and consider 'Swim' a timeless masterpiece kinda deal. 'Our Love' was great too, although obviously a little more widescreen and festival pleasing in it's intent. I was ready to give this a wide berth, in the same way I would have allowed for any five year follow-up LP from a band/project who have amassed a vast audience since. And I liked the single.

Nonetheless, I thought this was properly turgid. The way Dan's voice is in the dead centre and high in the mix gives all the ballad stuff a properly unearned, saccharine feel, and the dance leading tracks are weirdly toothless. The sampling on 'Ravi' and 'Home' is deeply unimaginative. Proper backpackers business. :-(

Soz, will still be fun live though, I'm sure.

[alan nagsworth]

Damn dude! I'm sorry to hear you aren't feeling it.