Microcastle
Encyclopedia
Microcastle is the third album by Deerhunter
. After the album had been leaked on the internet, it became available on iTunes
on August 19, 2008, while physical copies saw a release date of October 27, 2008. In the U.S. the album was released on Kranky
and on 4AD
in Europe. The album was recorded over the course of one week in April 2008 by Nicholas Vernhes at Rare Book Room Studios in Brooklyn, NY. In the U.S., the album has managed to sell over 50,000 units.
Unlike Cryptograms
, the band decided to forgo heavy utilization of effects pedals. Throughout the recording of the record, only a number of drum tracks and the vocals on "Agoraphobia" were treated. Of the musical direction of the new material, Bradford Cox has said "I'm more interested in the micro-structure. I want things to be a lot shorter, I don't want there to be as much long-windedness to it." The band premiered the album live at Brooklyn's Market Hotel on April 11, 2008. A bonus disc, Weird Era Cont.
, was released concurrently with the album.
"Saved By Old Times" features an appearance by Cole Alexander of the Black Lips
. His appearance was recorded over an iChat
session.
on CD in its own paper sleeve. Since the album has gained popularity, there has been another pressing, with both parts of the album being pressed on black vinyl in a gatefold jacket with the orange artwork originally used for the CD.
. Both Tiny Mix Tapes
and Sputnikmusic
awarded the album with a perfect score. Spin
, Billboard
, The New York Times
and The Guardian
all gave the album an 8/10. Rolling Stone
rewarded the album a 3.5 score, and RS contributor, Daniel Kreps listed Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. as his favorite album of 2008. Pitchfork Media
also rated the album highly, naming the album 50th best record of the decade and 5th best of the year, along with awarding it with a 9.2 upon initial review. Pitchfork also named “Nothing Ever Happened” the 6th best song of the year and 81st best song of the decade. Popular online blogging site, Hype Machine rated the album as 11th best of the year. The album achieved a score of 8.5 on Review aggregator
site AnyDecentMusic?
and remains in its All Time Top 10 chart.
In Transworld Skateboarding Magazine's review section, Austin Stephens reviewed the album and gave it a 4.5/5 score.
.
Additional musicians
Technical Staff
Deerhunter
Deerhunter is an American four-piece indie rock group originating from Atlanta, Georgia. The band, consisting of Bradford Cox, Moses Archuleta, Josh Fauver, and Lockett Pundt, have described themselves as "ambient punk," though they incorporate a wide range of genres, including noise rock, art...
. After the album had been leaked on the internet, it became available on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on August 19, 2008, while physical copies saw a release date of October 27, 2008. In the U.S. the album was released on Kranky
Kranky Records
Kranky is an independent record label, located in Chicago, Illinois. It was started in 1993 by Bruce Adams and Joel Leoschke.The bands it houses are noted for combining experimental and often electronic influences with elements of more traditional rock structures, and many of the artists on Kranky...
and on 4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
in Europe. The album was recorded over the course of one week in April 2008 by Nicholas Vernhes at Rare Book Room Studios in Brooklyn, NY. In the U.S., the album has managed to sell over 50,000 units.
Unlike Cryptograms
Cryptograms (album)
Cryptograms is the second album from Atlanta, Georgia-based indie rock group Deerhunter, released through Kranky Records on January 29, 2007 on CD and vinyl. Following the 2005 release of its first full-length album Turn It Up Faggot, Deerhunter began recording material for its next record at Rare...
, the band decided to forgo heavy utilization of effects pedals. Throughout the recording of the record, only a number of drum tracks and the vocals on "Agoraphobia" were treated. Of the musical direction of the new material, Bradford Cox has said "I'm more interested in the micro-structure. I want things to be a lot shorter, I don't want there to be as much long-windedness to it." The band premiered the album live at Brooklyn's Market Hotel on April 11, 2008. A bonus disc, Weird Era Cont.
Weird Era Cont.
Weird Era Cont. is an album by Deerhunter released concurrently with Microcastle.After Microcastle had leaked months in advance of its planned release date, the band recorded a new album in an attempt to reward those who awaited its street release date although like Microcastle, it also leaked in...
, was released concurrently with the album.
"Saved By Old Times" features an appearance by Cole Alexander of the Black Lips
Black Lips
Black Lips are a "Flower Punk" band from Atlanta, Georgia.-History:The band formed in 1999 in Dunwoody, Georgia after guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley left the Renegades, and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh left the Reruns. Alexander and Swilley were known for their crude antics both...
. His appearance was recorded over an iChat
IChat
iChat is an instant messaging software application developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its Mac OS X operating system. It has audio, video and screen-sharing capabilities as well as text messaging...
session.
Vinyl Versions
The original pressing of the vinyl on Kranky Records was one white vinyl LP, had a single panel jacket with different artwork than the CD (see alternate artwork), and came with Weird Era Cont.Weird Era Cont.
Weird Era Cont. is an album by Deerhunter released concurrently with Microcastle.After Microcastle had leaked months in advance of its planned release date, the band recorded a new album in an attempt to reward those who awaited its street release date although like Microcastle, it also leaked in...
on CD in its own paper sleeve. Since the album has gained popularity, there has been another pressing, with both parts of the album being pressed on black vinyl in a gatefold jacket with the orange artwork originally used for the CD.
Reception
Microcastle has been met with much acclaim since its release, currently holding a 81 rating on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Both Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
and Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
awarded the album with a perfect score. Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
all gave the album an 8/10. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
rewarded the album a 3.5 score, and RS contributor, Daniel Kreps listed Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. as his favorite album of 2008. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
also rated the album highly, naming the album 50th best record of the decade and 5th best of the year, along with awarding it with a 9.2 upon initial review. Pitchfork also named “Nothing Ever Happened” the 6th best song of the year and 81st best song of the decade. Popular online blogging site, Hype Machine rated the album as 11th best of the year. The album achieved a score of 8.5 on Review aggregator
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services . This system stores the reviews and then uses them for purposes such as: creating a website for users to view the reviews, selling information to third parties about consumer tendencies and creating databases for...
site AnyDecentMusic?
AnyDecentMusic?
AnyDecentMusic? is a website that collates reviews of contemporary music albums, covering rock, pop, electronic, dance, folk, country, roots and urban...
and remains in its All Time Top 10 chart.
In Transworld Skateboarding Magazine's review section, Austin Stephens reviewed the album and gave it a 4.5/5 score.
Track listing
All songs written by Bradford Cox, except where noted. Tracks 6-8 are part of a suiteSuite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
.
- "Cover Me (Slowly)" (Cox, Pundt) - 1:21
- "Agoraphobia" (Pundt) - 3:22
- "Never Stops" - 3:04
- "Little Kids" (Cox, Pundt) - 4:22
- "Microcastle" - 3:40
- "Calvary Scars" - 1:37
- "Green Jacket" - 2:09
- "Activa" - 1:49
- "Nothing Ever HappenedNothing Ever Happened"Nothing Ever Happened" is a song by Atlanta-based indie rock band Deerhunter. It is the first and only single released from Microcastle. The single was released on October 14, 2008. It came backed with a demo of another Microcastle track, "Little Kids" recorded during summer 2007...
" (Fauver, Archuleta) - 5:50 - "Saved by Old Times" - 3:50
- "Neither of Us, Uncertainly" (Pundt) - 5:25
- "Twilight at Carbon Lake" - 4:24
Personnel
Deerhunter- Moses Archuleta - drums
- Bradford J. Cox - guitar, vocals
- Joshua Fauver - bass
- Lockett Pundt - guitar, vocals on "Agoraphobia" & "Neither of Us, Uncertainly"
Additional musicians
- Cole Alexander - vocal montage on "Saved By Old Times"
- Nicolas Vernhes - SK-1Casio SK-1The Casio SK-1 is a small sampling keyboard made by Casio in 1985.It has 32 small sized piano keys, four-note polyphony, with a sampling bit depth of 8 bit PCM and a sample rate of 9.38 kHz, a built-in microphone and line level input for sampling, and an internal speaker...
on "Agoraphobia"
Technical Staff
- Joe Lambert - mastering
- Nicolas Verhes - producer, engineer