The Disco Biscuits keyboardist Aron Magner and producer/multi-instrumentalist Cloudchord have teamed up to launch a new project combining their love of the Grateful Dead with their electronic expertise. The result is Deadtronica Vol. 1, a collection of Dead-centric remixes that reimagines the band’s timeless catalog through a fresh, electronic lens.
The album features nine reworked Dead tracks, infused with driving dance beats and vibrant synth melodies. Among the tracklist are go-to dance floor activators like “Shakedown Street” and “Dancing in the Streets”, fan favorites “West L.A. Fadeaway” and “Althea”, and even ’80s Dead deep cut “Victim or the Crime”. Each track is reinterpreted in a way you’ve never heard before, combining electronic production with samples of the Dead’s original vocals. Special guests Jonathan Colman (Muscle Tough) and Ari Dvorin (Boogaloo) lend their talents to the project, with Colman adding funky slap bass on “West L.A. Fadeaway” and Dvorin supplementing “Dancing in the Streets” with sax and flute.
Magner’s Deadhead credentials are well-established. He has performed extensively with Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann in his band Billy and the Kids and played a series of Dead tribute shows with his SPAGA jazz trio in 2023. This latest endeavor bridges the gap between the electronica sensibilities that have earned him a prestigious position in the jam pantheon as a member of the Disco Biscuits and his deep-rooted love for all things Dead.
Listen to Deadtronica Vol. 1 below or click here to stream the album on your preferred digital platform.
Deadtronica Vol. 1