According to Pitchfork, the original soundtrack for the Theo Anthony-directed Rat Film was announced by Dan Deacon, set to be released October 2017. Deacon experimented with rodents, rats to be specific, in composing the record. It will arrive on October 13 via Domino Soundtracks. The album artwork displays a cluster of little white sleeping rats. “I thought it would be interesting to set up a group of theremins to be controlled by rats moving around an enclosure (the volumes and pitches would always be fluctuating based on where/how the rats moved),” Deacon explained in a statement. “Using the data and patterns collected from the rat Theremin performance, as well as impulse data from recordings of rat brain activity, I began to compose the bulk of the score.” An interesting and unique development of sounds and frequencies used to create the score is revealed in a “making of” video below.

In the town of Baltimore, formerly home to both Deacon and Anthony, Rat Film is an essay-film that focuses on the rat infestation in the city, to study its issues with race and class.  It will open in New York City, Los Angeles, and Baltimore on September 15th.

Deacon’s last album, Gliss Riffer was released in 2015.

Rat Film soundtrack track list:
1 “Redlining”
2 “Horn Phase”
3 “Pelican”
4 “OCME”
5 “Harold”
6 “Reed Clouds”
7 “Seagull”
8 “Calhoun”
9 “Rat Poison”
10 “Video Game”
11 “Harold’s Lament”
12 “Map Overlays”

Rat Film soundtrack tour dates:

09/24  Cincinnati, OH – Midpoint Music Festival
10/01  Chicago, IL – Lagunitas Beer Circus
10/07  Edmonton, AB – Up + Downtown Music Festival
10/21  Petaluma, CA – Lagunitas Beer Circus
11/04  Pomona, CA – Lagunitas Beer Circus
11/09  Providence, RI – AS220
11/10  Somerville, MA – Hassle Fest 9
11/11  Holyoke, MA – Gateway City Arts
11/12  Portland, ME – SPACE Gallery