It’s official – Don Caballero‘s Damon Che and El Ten Eleven‘s Kristian Dunn have combined as one, forming a new project called Yesness. Now, a math rock supergroup is one thing, but we have a feeling this will have much more to offer than the average collaboration.
After all, we’re dealing with two savant level musicians here, not just popular people. Che’s drum patterns and notorious snare placement have been heralded far and wide for thirty years. Dunn’s double-neck skills aren’t just virtuosic, they’re infectious to the point that you’ll hear El Ten Eleven’s “My Only Swerving” in thrift stores and record shops till hell freezes over.
Oh, and we’ve mentioned it before, but our website’s name literally comes from the Don Caballero song “Palm Trees in the Fecking Bahamas,” so this is like, a take-your-hat-off situation, like entering a shrine. A sacred space. Enter it with us below:
You can hear both of their distinct voices immediately, with Dunn’s chopper-inflected textures and Che’s boisterous snare tone, but it’s a natural match. It doesn’t feel like a stretch or a drag, if anything it goes by a bit fast, but it seems like we’ve got a lot to look forward to. Here’s the press release:
The odd couple of Kristian Dunn (El Ten Eleven) and Damon Che (Don Caballero) was the result of some clever musical matchmaking by Karl Hofstetter, founder and curator of Joyful Noise Recordings. Karl introduced Dunn and Che via email in April 2023 after Dunn’s prolific output outgrew the resources and abilities of his instrumental duo El Ten Eleven. Less than a year later, after countless text messages and song sketches were exchanged, and one fateful meeting at a recording studio was organized, their nascent project’s debut record, See You at the Solipsist Convention, was complete.
Despite Che’s initial unfamiliarity with Dunn’s musical output, their personalities bridged any and all gaps—both Che and Dunn share a flair for the comically absurd and musically adventurous, a mindset that shines throughout See You at the Solipsist Convention. Che has become legendary for his calculated polyrhythms and undeniable physicality, while Dunn is known for relentless experimentation and productivity akin to a freight train. Quickly, the unlikely pair transformed into destined collaborators.
Scaffolded around eight-string bass, knotty percussion, and intricate syncopation, See You at the Solipsist Convention is a carnival of delights for fans of the post-everything persuasion—uncategorizable yet reverent to the altar of instrumental rock.
Beyond all measure, Yesness stands as a testament to the powerful dividends of friendship and collaboration. We are nothing without each other – our partners, our local record store clerks, our neighbors. Music, too, thrives on our entanglements. With twelve tracks, an upcoming tour, and an unexpected friendship stemming from one email, Yesness underscores the brilliant machinery of human connection.
We’ll keep you posted.
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