There is something profoundly moving about art that keeps the spirit of a beloved companion alive, that takes the joyful energy of a creature who brought us happiness and preserves it for the world to share. When that companion is a beloved dog whose exuberant spirit lit up the lives of those around them, a tribute that captures their joy becomes a genuine gift, both a memorial and a celebration. Captains of Entropy understand this deeply, and Ball Under Couch, released April 16, 2026 with a music video, is a heartfelt homage to bassist Reilly Wareham’s dearly departed chihuahua Rubin. A groove-laden instrumental journey paired with a stunning hand-crafted visual, the track transforms a tribute to a beloved dog into a kaleidoscopic adventure that transcends time and space and reality altogether.
The origin of Ball Under Couch as a hidden gem gives it a special quality. In crafting and refining an album to perfection, there are almost always hidden gems cut from the final track list, and while many are left behind in the archives, some are simply too special to gather dust. Ball Under Couch is a perfect example, a track recorded in sessions for the band’s album The Flea & The Worm that was too special to leave behind. This origin gives the song a sense of being a treasured find, a gem rescued from the archives because it deserved to be heard, the eight-minute auditory adventure being too special to be forgotten. This history adds to the song’s appeal, Ball Under Couch being a special track that found its perfect purpose as a tribute to Rubin.
The tribute to Rubin gives Ball Under Couch its heartfelt emotional core. The track and its video serve as a heartfelt homage to Wareham’s dearly departed chihuahua Rubin, whose sixteen human years have come to an end but whose exuberant spirit lives on in the work. This tribute gives the song its emotional warmth, the celebration of a beloved companion being a genuine act of love and remembrance, Rubin’s joyful presence preserved in the music and the visuals. The song keeps Rubin’s spirit alive, his exuberance and joy captured in a way that warms the hearts of those who knew him and those meeting him for the first time. This heartfelt homage gives the work its genuine emotional depth, the tribute to a beloved dog being both a memorial and a celebration of a joyful life.
The groove-laden instrumental journey of Ball Under Couch creates its fascinating atmosphere. With groove-laden bass guitar and slinking keys setting the stage, the track creates a fascinating four-legged journey that transcends time and space and reality. This instrumental approach gives the song its adventurous, exploratory quality, the groove and the slinking keys creating an immersive soundscape that accompanies Rubin’s animated quest. The eight-minute length allows the track to unfold as a genuine journey, the groove evolving and developing as Rubin embarks on his adventure, the instrumental approach creating space for the music to explore and wander. This groove-laden, exploratory quality reflects the band’s improvisational roots, the music creating the perfect accompaniment to the surreal visual journey.
The stunning hand-crafted music video elevates Ball Under Couch into a kaleidoscopic experience. It took over three months for video collage artist Laura Matikainen to build and arrange the scenes by hand, transforming the track into a mind-blowing kaleidoscopic experience. This dedication is remarkable, the months of painstaking hand-crafting reflecting genuine artistic commitment, the handmade quality giving the video its unique, organic character. The video awakens with a luring, fuzzy hum, sweeping viewers through the window into Rubin’s vibrant home, where the chihuahua soaks up the sun before chasing a luminous tennis ball whizzing out the door, embarking on his animated quest. This hand-crafted approach gives the video its distinctive, kaleidoscopic quality, the painstaking collage work creating a surreal, immersive visual experience.
The surreal digital scrapbook of the video celebrates Rubin’s life. Playing out like a surreal digital scrapbook, the video follows Rubin through the rhythms of his life, walking through his neighborhood and chewing on bones and hanging out with the band, while layers upon layers of otherworldly landscapes and creatures and playful chaos unfold. This celebration of Rubin’s life gives the video its heartfelt quality, the scenes from his life being preserved and transformed into a surreal, joyful journey, the digital scrapbook capturing the moments and the spirit of his sixteen years. This combination of real moments from Rubin’s life and otherworldly, surreal elements creates a unique tribute, the everyday joys of a dog’s life elevated into a transcendent, kaleidoscopic adventure.
The way Ball Under Couch transcends reality reflects its imaginative ambition. The four-legged journey transcends time and space and reality altogether, Rubin’s quest for the tennis ball becoming a surreal adventure through otherworldly landscapes. This transcendent quality gives the work its imaginative wonder, the simple premise of a dog chasing a ball transformed into a cosmic journey, the surreal elements elevating the tribute into something genuinely mind-blowing. This imaginative ambition reflects the band’s playful, curious spirit, the work transforming a heartfelt tribute into a transcendent adventure, Rubin’s journey carrying him beyond the boundaries of ordinary reality.
Captains of Entropy bring their distinctive sound to this tribute. What began as a group of neighborhood buddies in West LA finding a therapeutic creative outlet during the pandemic, Captains of Entropy evolved their improvisational jams into original material beaming with playfulness and curiosity and wonder. Recording at the historical Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, they put their own spin on legendary sounds from 70s jazz fusion to spaced-out 90s psychedelia, weaving in cinematic flashes of suspense. This distinctive sound informs Ball Under Couch, the band’s playful, curious, exploratory approach perfectly suited to the surreal, joyful tribute, the jazz fusion and psychedelic influences giving the track its adventurous, groove-laden character.
The enduring joy that Ball Under Couch captures is its ultimate gift. Though Rubin’s sixteen years have come to an end, his exuberant spirit lives on in this homage, trotting on with tongue out and ears pointed to the sky, remaining a joyful presence forever warming the hearts of those who knew him and those meeting him now. This enduring joy is the heart of the work, the tribute preserving not grief but the joyful spirit of a beloved dog, Rubin’s exuberance living on in the music and visuals. This celebration of enduring joy gives the work its uplifting quality, the tribute being a celebration of a joyful life rather than a mourning of its end.
Ball Under Couch is the sound of a joyful tribute to a beloved companion, a groove-laden instrumental journey paired with a stunning hand-crafted visual that honors a dearly departed dog. Captains of Entropy have transformed a hidden gem into a heartfelt homage, the eight-minute adventure and the kaleidoscopic video celebrating Rubin’s exuberant spirit.
Chasing a luminous tennis ball through time and space and reality, Rubin trots on forever, his joyful spirit preserved in this surreal, heartfelt tribute. Captains of Entropy have made a work that keeps a beloved dog’s exuberance alive, and its groove-laden journey through Rubin’s life warms the hearts of all who meet him, a joyful celebration of a companion too special to ever be forgotten.
