Bradford Cox has released “Octoberland,” the first new song from Atlas Sound in 15 years. The track arrives with a haunting music video directed by Cox himself.
Atlas Sound recently returned to the stage at Philadelphia’s Making Time ∞ festival, where Cox performed an eight-song set featuring previously unheard material. The sparsely arranged performance included brass bells, bass guitar and an SP-404 sampler.
Cox, who is also the frontman of Deerhunter, had not performed live since 2019, apart from an impromptu noise set at a vintage market in Athens, Georgia, in 2023. The Making Time appearance marked the presentation of a full set of new Atlas Sound material.
The Atlas Sound name originated with a cassette karaoke machine Cox used for his earliest recordings as a middle-school student. Between 2008 and 2011, he released three albums under the name: “Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel,” “Logos” and “Parallax.” He also issued the demo collection “Bedroom Databank, Vols. 1-4.” The project placed more emphasis on sampling and wall-of-sound pop than Deerhunter’s shoegaze and krautrock-influenced work.
Cox is scheduled to perform as Atlas Sound at three festivals in 2027: Big Ears in Knoxville, Kilby Block Party in Salt Lake City and Primavera Sound in Barcelona.
Sources: Pitchfork.