Send "Deastro " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Deastro's Randolph Chabot is just barely of legal drinking age, but he already has seven releases to his name. Sometimes Chabot's synth-heavy electro-pop project has a full band, sometimes it's just him alone. His latest, Mind Altar, was originally an eight-song cassette offered for download on Deastro's blog; here on this digital-only release, it's been fortified with three bonus tracks from another one of Chabot's blog-only EPs, Orange Swimmer Red Summer. Though Chabot insists that Mind Altar isn't "the new face of Deastro," something has changed since Moondagger, last year's full-band LP. Where Moondagger was a no-apologies effort to draw Deastro's aesthetic out of the bedroom, Deastro now seems intent on working in the smaller, more intimate space occupied by an ever-expanding crop of chillwave acts.Mind Altar is covered in a dank lo-fi buzz, a familiar production technique that adds a pinch of mystery to an otherwise tuneful batch of electro-pop songs. By throwing heavy delay on his vocals and employing a number of dreamy, nostalgic touches, Chabot finds himself in the company of acts like Toro Y Moi. But as potentially derivative as this might sound, the clever beats and wind-swept lushness help save Deastro from looking like the next guy to tumble down some trendy rabbit hole. The songs vary in slight but interesting ways, indulging in spaced-out, ambient collisions one moment ("The Concept of Land Ownership") and laying down propulsive, hallucinogenic hook-driven material the next ("Mind Altar", "Get Frostied"). Held over from Moondagger is Chabot's growing affinity for the sound of live instrumentation, like the maddening Motor City bass line on "Pastor Kid Redux Edition" or the percussion on "Get Frostied". Sometimes, Chabot does get a bit carried away with it all, overstuffing these songs with too many sounds and ideas that it's hard to not feel a little confused. But maybe confusion is the idea, like on the cassette-closing "World of Shadow", where everything from hyperactive acoustic guitar strums, circling electronic plinks, and seagull squawks all collide with a dizzy satisfaction. When the ideas are flowing, Chabot's maximalist compulsions are justified....full text |
| Pastaprima |
| While marinating on his release of the staggering Moondagger LP Randolph Chabot of Deastro found himself in a creative whirlwind. If you follow his blog (as do I) then you were treated to a heavy dose of free demos and experimentation throughout this time. Some of it on that Moondagger level as well as rougher sketches. This led to his recently released Ghostly International EP Mind Altar. Simply put if you dug the electronic pop jams on Moondagger, you’ll love this. ...full text |
| Clashmusic |
| Detroit based producer Deastro has spoken exclusively to ClashMusic about his new EP 'Mind Altar'. Deasto emerged last year with their debut album 'Moondagger'. The work of a prodigious young talent, the album blended psychedelic pop with an array of samples and electronic influences. Touring widely, it seems that Deastro had more material up their sleeves. Out this week, new EP 'Mind Altar' is a worthy follow up to their celebrated debut, much more than mere offcuts from the 'Moondagger' sessions. Speaking to ClashMusic, Deastro explained that the material has its origins in a tumultuous summer. "I was just writing a ton of music cause I was in a good mood" claimed producer Randolph Chabot. "It was summer. I was making a ton of new friends, going to my friend Klair's house on Mondays for this vegan brunch. Me and Adam, my good friend, would just drink 40's in a kiddie pool in front of her house. We did weird shit all summer. My mind was a puddle of neon green ooze." Continuing, the Deastro producer revealed the sometimes painful origins of his early material. "There was a time that I thought I lost everything, but I think I am just immature. We have everything. We just lock it away to make some money off it or to control it. The only thing we don't have is control." "I am just trying to stop acting like I have any of the answers. Everything is fluid and in the moment - improvised. I don't think 'Mind Altar' sounds like anything we are working on now. It was just the result of first wave of dust to hit my ears."...full text |
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