Atlas Sound

Atlas Sound serves as the outlet for solo work by Bradford Cox, the striking and eccentric frontman of the experimental indie rock outfit Deerhunter. Born in Athens, Georgia, in 1982, Cox grew up amid the city’s expanding music community, which left a lasting mark on his development. During his formative years he felt a strong connection to the B-52’s, especially the late guitarist Ricky Wilson. In 2001 he joined drummer and keyboardist Moses Archuleta to establish Deerhunter, a group that issued two studio albums and one EP before pausing activity in 2007 so its members could attend to private matters. At that point Cox turned his attention fully to Atlas Sound, for which he had already put out a split 12-inch vinyl single and two EPs. Drawing on an eclectic palette that embraced doo wop, electronica, and the recordings of Elvis Presley, he began shaping material for the project’s first full-length album, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel. Issued in early 2008, the record earned favorable notices and prompted Cox to move quickly into preparations for a follow-up. Before the year ended, however, an unfinished version of the planned second album escaped via his MediaFire account, prompting the frustrated artist to contemplate shelving the effort. Eventually he revisited the recordings, refined their unpolished sections, and issued the completed work—retitled Logos—in 2009. Two years later he delivered another solo statement, Parallax, again credited to Atlas Sound.