Deja Dead released “Snapshots” on January 23rd, the lead single from their upcoming album Disconnected, produced by Rico. The track was written during a period of personal upheaval and deals with memory, loss, and the slow process of pulling yourself out of a dark place. One detail worth mentioning: the atmospheric intro was recorded on the last remaining cinema organ in Scotland, which gives “Snapshots” an immediately distinctive texture before the song has even properly started. The single also comes with an event at Glasgow Film Theatre on March 23rd, where Deja Dead will premiere a neon-drenched techno-horror short film soundtracked by the album alongside behind-the-scenes studio footage.
The musical identity of this song is so unique. It’s clearly inspired by psychedelic music of the 60s and 70s and carries that spirit, especially because there is an overlap in the used textures with fuzzy guitars and the usage of similar harmonic devices in the second half of the song, and moments where the lyrics give the listener commands like “breathe out.” But it’s not a run-of-the-mill recreation of that old sound. This feels fresh, like a reinvention of the genre with its mix of digital and analog sounds. Some sections sound like The Beastie Boys, with the vocals approximating rap and the backup vocals that accompany them, supported by trip-hop style rhythms à la Massive Attack. This is a genius and quite original combination of textures that needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated.
If the Glasgow Film Theatre event is anything like what “Snapshots” suggests, it’s worth showing up for. Deja Dead is building something that clearly extends beyond just releasing music, and the cinematic organ intro alone signals that this project takes its world-building seriously. Based on this single, Disconnected has a lot of potential.
