Deastro

Keeper’s (Ghostly International)

By Leah Urbom
Published: November 27th, 2008 | 9:00am

Deastro is the new kid on the electro-pop block. Pigeonholed as having a sound akin to indie-mainstreamers Death Cab For Cutie and hushed electronic darlings M83, in truth Randolph Chabot is a 22-year-old synth master who has created his own separate musical world — a world where crushing, noisy dance parties live amongst simpler arrangements and an impending, desperate sense of isolation.

Chabot has been recording since the age of 12 — and as someone used to the independence of his music — he self-released three albums and was a regular performer in many of Detroit’s DIY venues before eMusic signed him to their Selects label to release Keeper’s, a sort of “Best Of” compilation of his work thus far. Quickly becoming one of the site’s fastest-selling artists, Ghostly International soon picked up Chabot and re-released the album.

Keeper’s is complicated. Complicated like the three-eyed cat-wolf thing adorning the intergalactic album cover. And intergalactic is a good word to describe the album as well, with its soaring electronic instruments and wide open musical spaces that sometimes fuzz over lyrics on the vocal tracks.

“The Shaded Forests,” which has become a favorite of music critics and critical music blogs alike, hurtles through circular eeriness while stammering and asking, “Whom shall I fear?” During “Leah’s Daughter the Giraffe,” he sings with a voice full of regret, “The battle is in your mind / The difference is your eyes.” Instrumental track “Light Powered” was featured on Ghostly Swim (a collaboration the label did with Adult Swim), and boasts a wonderfully conducted synthesized orchestra, whereas “Wind Powered” is jarring and frightful. Closer “Child Of Man, Son Of God” is actually an acoustic track (surprise!) where Chabot relates back to his religious upbringing.

Chabot’s upcoming full-length, Moondagger, will be released on Ghostly in early 2009 and is seemingly more playful, based off the new single “Parallelogram.” It will be interesting to hear how Deastro continues to explore his expansive, thoughtful brand of electronica, as Keeper’s is clearly one of the more underrated releases of the year.

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