If there’s any group that genuinely refuses to denote boundaries for itself, déCollage is it. The Denver four-piece—really more of a 20-piece, given the number of collaborators they’ve incorporated since their start in 2009—makes music that adheres to their name, a surreal collage of sounds that straddles psychedelia and all manner of pop music. Led by Reed Fuchs of Denver’s Moon Magnet, a collective who profess to adopting the sound and ethic of Elephant 6, déCollage are set to release a new LP that includes help from members of Rose Quartz and Candy Claws, among many others.
For the first single off their forthcoming Magnetize, they’ve sampled JFK’s famous moon speech for the lead single, in which he reminds us, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard,” and it’s a telling indicator of what to expect from the record. It’s immediately heavy-hitting from the instant the percussion comes in, erupting into a kaleidoscope of delicate interlocking sounds that grows in color and complexity with time. Over a slinking, blown-out bassline, Megan Crooks of Ancient Elk sings of new life taking root, her soulful voice forking into organic harmonies. Synths fan out in hypnotic waves over the vocal line as the song crests. This track falls somewhere between R&B and pure electronic pop, breaking with some of déCollage’s past work, which felt more distinctly psychedelic—after all, déCollage are an avowedly open and expanding community, and “Better Things Pt. 2” is an exciting affirmation of that ethos.
You can stream “Better Things Pt. 2” below. Magnetize will be out May 27 through Misra Records.
