Deerhoof has never followed a straight line. Over more than three decades, they’ve built a career on disruption—of genre, of expectation, of their own sound. Their new album, Noble and Godlike in Ruin, is no exception. It’s dense with contradiction: joyful yet unsettling, chaotic yet deliberate, both a sharp commentary on the world and a surreal escape from it. It’s an album full of sharp turns: raw guitar riffs crashing into orchestral strings, moments of surreal humor next to stark reflections on alienation and resistance. 

Today, they return with new video for “Return of the Return of the Fire Trick Star,” which dives headfirst into that same thematic terrain. Based on a treatment by director and artist Nespy 5euro, the piece embraces the album’s identity as a kind of “DIY Frankenstein”—a creature stitched together from unlikely parts, brought to life by the friction of collaboration and contradiction.

At the heart of Noble and Godlike in Ruin, is drummer and founding member Greg Saunier, whose restless approach to rhythm has long shaped Deerhoof’s signature unpredictability. Before kicking off their 31 Flavors Tour in May, Saunier joins Nespy 5euro to talk about memory, DIY in the age of automation, and why “barely alive” might just be the most alive you can be.

What about the new effort speaks to ITS ALIVE!!!

Nespy 5euro: This new project really brings something to life, almost like a modern Frankenstein! It’s amazing to see a creature take shape from a mix-up during a video call. It’s fun seeing how different ideas from my friends and I combined into this creation. There’s something really refreshing about this unique take. Crafting it with paper and paint, nothing digital, has been the most exciting part of creating this puzzle monster. When I finally got the chance to wear it I was screaming É VIVO!! And running on the street while my wife was filming me. I've loved to be part of the creation of the ultra-modern-pro-pro-Prometheus.

Greg Saunier: Because it IS alive! You made it alive and then you made it barely alive! And everyone knows that barely alive can be more alive than just regular alive!

Describe how you feel the music has at times taken you, the mad scientist, over.

Nespy 5euro: Music has always influenced my work. It often guides me and pulls me in surprising directions. I might not remember music theory perfectly, but I always find myself drawing inspiration from my favorite artists. It’s exciting how music can shape what I create, keeping the magic alive in my work.

Greg Saunier: Don't assume I identify with the scientist! This is one of those "Who Do You Root For?" stories. But I think I feel more for the monster. He is a sensitive, spurned, intelligent, dehumanized creature made of people.

‍What about the term DIY in 2025? How has it evolved or has it?

Nespy 5euro: Oh, DIY in 2025? What a joke! It used to be about getting your hands dirty, but now it’s about typing some magic words into an app and letting it do all the work. It’s basically 'Do It Yourself—sort of.' Who needs to craft when you can summon art at the click of a button? That’s why I decided to do everything by hand — to fight off feeling like a digital fossil! Plus, just like Frankenstein was made from different parts, this creature came from combining ideas from the band and some pop culture inspirations. IT'S NOT THAT ALIVE!!!

Greg Saunier: It's gone from being a thing you do if you're underground and cool and broke to a thing that the ruling class expects everyone to be 24/7. DIY is neoliberalism and it's Deerhoof's fault because we made it seem like a good idea. We are sorry, world!

What’s exciting at the moment?

Nespy 5euro: What’s exciting? Watching AI take over creativity! Is it going to be a cool creature born from our imagination, or just another digital shitty mashup? Who even cares as long as I can say, 'Look, I made this!' Or better 'Look, I crafted the perfect prompt!' Haha

Greg Saunier: Young bands, young poets. Long intellectual conversations. Bright colors next to each other.