Since signing with indie label Kill Rock Stars in 1995, Deerhoof has been aurally shocking music fans seeking a bit of dreamy, off-kilter, meandering, creeping pop rock. Lineup shifts have not eclipsed the visionary and varied breadth of Deerhoof's music. They'll take the stage at CMJ at the Fillmore on Wednesday at 8pm. Singer Satomi Matsuzaki was kind enough to chat with OTR before Deerhoof performs at CMJ.

OTR: Where did each member attend college, if at all?

MATSUZAKI:
Greg - Oberlin, Mills College, Children Of Hoof Music Academy
John- UW Stevens Point, Univ. of Minnesota, Mills College, Children Of Hoof Music Academy
Satomi - City College of SF, Children Of Hoof Music Academy
Ed - His past file is terminated.

OTR: Give us the rundown on college: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

MATSUZAKI: Children Of Hoof Music Academy is a really great college. Every student can explore their own interests in music and performing arts. They encourage students to create the D.I.Y. way and makes it possible for you to pursue dreams without any tuition.

OTR: What led to Rob Fisk constructing the unique microphone used by Satomi Matsuzaki during the first Deerhoof tour?

MATSUZAKI: Rob made a dog-looking paper mache sculpture that wraps around a distortion pedal. He wrapped it so tight with duct tape that we couldn't change the battery so the juice ran out fast after several shows on tour. That was it. It was cute.

OTR: How do you feel the sound of Deerhoof has changed over time?

MATSUZAKI: We changed over a long period of time, so the music did too. We like to reset our minds every time we make albums. I think our audiences expect us to create something different and unique. It's nice to hear when people tell you "surprise me". When question marks come up in my mind, creative brain starts up to think infinite possibilities. Thought is a whole universe. Anything is possible.

OTR: What's been the most important thing you've learned as a band?

MATSUZAKI:
B- Boogie Oogie
A- A lot of fun
N- No attitude
D- Don't show your back

OTR: Rank in terms of preference: touring, writing, recording.

MATSUZAKI: They are all the same level because touring means we are rewriting songs every night because we never play the same songs the same way we recorded. Writing happens at any moment even when we are on tour. Recording is just physicality of press "record" button. If you had listed mixing, then I would say mixing is my least favorite. It's a nitpick process to present music in a way you want an album to be. It's very technical. Mixing is a whole new aspect of music making that I still have a hard time understanding. Deerhoof does it as a group and we spend much more time on mixing than recording. It is a magic feeling when the album comes together at the end!

OTR: How do you feel it differs working a non-music job while also
playing music and only playing music as a living?

MATSUZAKI: I love just playing music! because I can focus on one field and that way I could write songs and record songs and tour all over the places. Many musicians' dream is to become a "musician" musician. I stepped in and it's great. I don't want luxury as much as I can do what I want to do.

OTR: What is your writing process, and is there a particular instance, work of art, etc. which you could define as your greatest inspiration for a song or album?

MATSUZAKI: All the creations I came up with were the reflection of my experiences. My inspiration for music is usually not "great" things. I often get inspired to write songs by watching out the window at home, cooking new recipes, walking down the sidewalks and saying hello to dogs, singing melodies over ambulance driving by... those sort of things. I throw my mind into a different space I have in my mind. I could space out and isolate myself. I can't hear people speaking around me.

note: I don't do drugs.

OTR: What acts, if any, are you most excited to see at CMJ?

MATSUZAKI: I'd like to see bands I haven't seen in my life. I like going to see random shows without knowing who they are. There will be a surprise.