Circuit Des Yeux – “God Dick”

It must take an uncommon level of confidence to release a single with a title like “God Dick.” When the song in question is a guttural, operatic piece of experimental art-pop, it must take even more confidence. Right now, then, you should absolutely not mess around with Haley Fohr, the artist who records under the name Circuit Des Yeux. Fohr is feeling herself right now, and a confident person is a dangerous person.

It’s been three years since Circuit Des Yeux released the album -io, and Fohr has just announced a brief run of full-band shows in the US and Europe next year. She’s also shared the visceral and grandiose new single “God Dick,” which combines her own bellowing vocals with hammering strings and electronic beats. Haley Fohr sang the lead vocals and did the string and choral arrangements. Fog’s Andrew Broder helped out on string arrangements, as well as timpani and drum programming. Jim White, of Dirty Three and a million other bands, played drums. Here’s what Fohr says about the song:

“God Dick” serves as a sort of chrysalis function, its passage leading from the past toward things to come. It’s sweaty, exponential, cacophonous, growing, symphonic, and relentless. I wrote this as an effort to embody a state of change fueled by deep wanting. I sonically (and visually) imagined something huge hiding in a skin much too small for it — a kind of love banshee bursting through porcelain skin, one hair at a time, until finally the beast within is fully on display.

Listen below.

TOUR DATES:
11/01 – Madison, WI @ Art Lit Lab *
11/02 – Iowa City, IA @ The James Theater *
11/05 – Brooklyn, NY @ Roulette ^
11/06 – Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s ^
11/07 – Williamstown, MA @ Clark Art Institute ^
11/09 – Keene, NH @ Nova Arts ^
11/10 – Montreal, QC @ Casa del Popolo ^
11/11 – Toronto, ON @ Standard Time ^
11/12 – Hamilton, ON @ B. Side ^
11/14 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle ^
11/20 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar *@
01/13 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium *@
01/15 – Bozeman, MT @ The Rialto *@
01/17 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile *@
01/18 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *@
01/20 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *@
01/24 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *@
01/25 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater *@
04/19 – New York, NY @ Public Records %
04/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon %
05/07 – Utrecht, Netherlands @ EKKO %
05/08 – Berlin, Germany @ Kantine am Berghain %
05/12 – Paris, France @ Point Éphémère %
05/14 – London, UK @ ICA %
05/15 – Brussels, Belgium @ AB Club %

* Circuit Des Yeux solo
^ Bill Nace & Haley Fohr duo
@ with Alan Sparhawk
% Circuit Des Yeux full band

“God Dick” is out now on Matador.