The Double Vision of Dan Snaith: Caribou and Daphni Decoded
Words: Rachel Hannon
Photo: Fabrice Bourgelle
Caribou: The Scientist Of Sound
From a PhD in Mathematics to crafting some of the most genre-defying electronic music of the 21st century, Dan Snaith, better known as Caribou, blurs the lines between art and life. Whether it’s through lush psych-pop textures as Caribou or dancefloor heaters as Daphni, his work consistently pushes sonic boundaries and challenges expectations. With each album, he reinvents what electronic music can be: emotional, experimental, and deeply human.
Mathematician to Musician
At first glance, Snaith might come off as your classic academic with PhD in mathematics, but don’t let that fool you. This is a man who’s lived and played around the world, more comfortable in chaotic clubs that pristine lecture halls. Since 2000, the Canadian musical chameleon has released 11 studio albums under the aliases Manitoba, Caribou, and Daphni. Each name change came a sonic evolution, from lo-fi electronica, to kaleidoscopic pop, to club-driven grooves. The shift to Caribou marked his rise to critical acclaim with albums like ‘Swim,’ and ‘Our Love,’ records that carved out a new emotional terrain in electronic music. His 2024 album ‘Honey’ continues the legacy, blending raw feeling with digital experimentation.
Double life: Caribou vs. Daphni
Today, Snaith balances two creative identities: Caribou, his emotional genre-bending live act, and Daphni, his alias for club and DJ culture steeped in spontaneity and groove. Where Daphni’s music leads into a “more feminine, fluid energy,” Caribou’s performances aim for melody and introspection. The live visuals stay minimal; expanding and contracting circles mirror the music’s crescendos, while the band uses soft synths, loops, and samples to reimagine studio recordings into vivid, organic live performances.
The Sonic Explorations Of Caribou
Curiosity drives Caribou’s sound. He’s sampled drums from legends like Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, explored Tibetan singing bowls, built music on custom modular synths, and been inspired by avant-garde figures like Morton Subotnick. On his latest album ‘Honey,’ he took experimentation even further when he used AI to augment his own vocals. His studio is a sonic playground, where even the strangest sound might become the soul of the track.
One of the tracks from his album ‘Honey’ is ‘Volume’ which samples M|A|R|R|S‘ smash 1987 hit ‘Pump Up the Volume.’
“‘Pump up the Volume’ was the first time in my life I heard electronic music – sitting in front of the family stereo system listening to the top 40 countdown on the radio when i was a kid,” says Dan. “it completely blew my mind – it sounded like something from another world. it’s stuck with me ever since – I always wanted to rework it in some way. I didn’t consciously think about it when I started working on my track but I think there’s something really special about having gone right back to the very beginning in making this.”
Catch Caribou Live
Caribou is performing at Forbidden Fruit Festival on Saturday, at Royal Hospital Kilmainham, May 31, 2025. Whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering him for the first time, Caribou’s show is a must-see moment of the festival.
Tickets available here.
