Embodied by pseudonyms over the last two decades (Caribou, Daphni, Manitoba), Daniel Snaith’s aesthetic evolution is not that of a DJ/producer/beatmaker, but rather of a musician in his own right, as eager as ever to circulate in the world of digital creation, as well as other areas of composition, namely those of “orthodox” instrumentation (guitar, keyboards, percussion, etc.), and song form (vocal melodies, choruses, bridges, etc.).
Suddenly takes us further in this direction.
A brilliant mathematician, as we know, Snaith is careful not to overthink his music, and has no intention of making us do so, either. There’s complexity in his art, make no mistake, but it’s in the production details and not in the obvious structures – note the filtered sounds from prepared piano, for example. Caribou’s references (pop, soul, psychedelic, electro) and forms are generally simple, consonant, catchy in their riffs, and in the melodies sung in his countertenor voice – in short, very close to pop despite their more experimental ornaments.
Briefly put, the migratory pattern of our Caribou leads him to rich pastures… rather different from the forest tundra, it goes without saying.
