Dept. of Disappearance

After rolling through Australia recently for his first solo tour, Jason Lytle releases his second ANTI- album, Dept. of Disappearance, once again unleashing the skewed vision and haunting melodicism that have made lifelong fans of his music.
With a lab full of burbling beakers, flasks and test tubes, Lytle's records may have permanently one-upped Stereolab for best employing the sound of chemical experimentation. "I have a lot of gear, from conventional and traditional to super-fucked and broken. And once those sounds get into the computer, it opens a whole other realm of 'tweakery,'" says this mad scientist, who revels in being "the wizard behind the curtain."
Lytle is well aware that music as subtle as his sometimes takes a while to burst into flame, something like a peat fire smoldering underground for weeks before igniting. "It's almost like some kind of torture for me to make albums like this—the slow burner," he says.
He compares the songs on Dept. Of Disappearance to a roomful of "strange, brilliant autistic kids with very peculiar social skills. But there are a few conventional, good-looking ones who go out and shake hands and get the good jobs. Then they come home and help take care of the other weird, wonderful ones." He concludes: "Perhaps I will figure it all out someday, but for now I'm OK with it still being one big, elusive journey."

Jason was the founder, leader, singer, songwriter, and primary instrumentalist of Grandaddy.
Jason and Grandaddy built a fanatical following through their acclaimed albums, and through shared stages with Elliott Smith, Beck, Bright Eyes and many others.