Enigmatic indie rock icon Sufjan Stevens has a history of doing the unexpected, whether it’s planning (somewhat jokingly) to release an album dedicated to each of the fifty states (he’s done two so far), recording multiple Christmas tunes, or composing a multimedia extravaganza celebrating the history of New York’s BQE. Now the Detroit native is teaming with experimentalist Son Lux and rapper Serengeti (both on the revered underground hip hop label Anticon) for the new group s/s/s.
They’ll release their debut EP, “Beak & Claw” on March 20.
The four-song release will include guest appearances by My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden on “If This Is Real” and Anticon fixture Doseone (Subtle, cLOUDDEAD, Themselves) on the likely hilarious “Octomom.”
Stevens, mostly known for the hushed, folk-inflected orchestral pop found on “Illinois” and “Seven Swans,” has always had an ear for the experimental, and his last full-length, “The Age of Adz,” delved deep into dark, electronic territory.
Stevens and Serengeti previously teamed on a Buck 65 remix of Steven’s “You Are the Blood” (which was a cover of a Castanets tune).
Here’s the track listing for the “Beak & Claw” EP:
1. Museum Day
2. Beyond Any Doubt
3. If This Is Real
4. Octomom