[cody]

The video adds so much to this. The sounds and visuals are way more intertwined than for oddsac in my opinion. It's like watching an extra cool nat geo documentary with a sweet ambient soundtrack

[Ethmin]

I wouldn't say they are more intertwined, I was just watching oddsac last night as prep for this. But the visuals are definitely a more essential component than I was expecting. It's really a mind blowing work, I don't think I've ever seen anything that looked so unreal.

[Stanshant]

I am a bit sad that the forum isn't busier and there aren't more of the bottom half crew popping their heads above water. It's a big day.

[Lacrimosa]

Stanshant wrote:

I am a bit sad that the forum isn't busier and there aren't more of the bottom half crew popping their heads above water. It's a big day.

music is ded.

[scrambledgreggs]

yeah I don't get it... there's a brand new AC album out today and only 9 users browsing right now

maybe people don't care because Panda isn't on it?

[thebackdrifter]

Or people are enjoying it and not checking the forum?

[doggyinacoma]

hey bottom half member here. I'm enjoying it. Been through it twice, once with visuals once without. I think my favorite is Jake and Me!

[doggyinacoma]

The visuals are insane and my favorite bit in that aspect was the spiky pink sea cucumber

[real slippi]

Listened to the first bit without visuals and it was definitely enjoyable. Can’t wait to hear in full on vinyl at home while not also trying to work and enjoy with visuals as well!!

[Tropic]

Inspector Gadget is so good.

Watched it with the visuals for the first time today on the treadmill haha

[LeadHat]

visuals are so so so good.
really latching onto coral by numbers, love the vocals in that one
weird thought/comparison: getting cocteau twins victorialand vibes from this release (i know the two aren't exactly sonically similar (both do have a very dreamlike quality to them though), but both deal w/vibes of nature ((victorialand being Antarctica)

[hunkswithguns]

Thankfully received the wax today and trying to finish up some work before diving in! Really encouraging to see everyone's favorite tracks are different. Can't wait to share my thoughts

[Sputnik Monroe]

LeadHat wrote:

visuals are so so so good.
really latching onto coral by numbers, love the vocals in that one
weird thought/comparison: getting cocteau twins victorialand vibes from this release (i know the two aren't exactly sonically similar (both do have a very dreamlike quality to them though), but both deal w/vibes of nature ((victorialand being Antarctica)

I can see that! My two favorite bands! They are both linked in my mind in ways. Particular in terms of vocals, Liz often focused on the cadence of words, more focused on how they sounded, and what they invoked, the voice as an instrument as a texture, thus you can't often understand what liz is singing even when she is singing in English. Animal Collective does the same thing. They use unique inflections to get words to sound in different ways, and it is less about what the words actually are and more about how they sound and move. Also they both build songs off of soundscapes that you can get lost in, yes the styles are different, but the intents are similar.

[tuvin diesel]

I think I need the album in my hands (and on my computer, heh) to really delve into the music itself, but I'm floored by the video. The way they work in tandem is just arresting. This is only early impressions but I think this has the potential to be a favourite AnCo release of mine…

[NotBradPitt]

Although AC have almost always had spectacular sound design, that has never been my biggest reason for getting into them. I love them so much because they can write a damn song. They're so catchy, so emotionally moving, The rhythm is a big part of that. My favorite AC songs are ones that make me want to get up and move, and I've never had the patience to lean back and relax, doing nothing else, while listening to music.

I hope that provides some context to me stating that I really don't like Tangerine Reef. That is a largely subjective opinion, as I would much rather be excited by music and this does not excite me at all. I haven't seen the visuals with it, and that's also because of my lack of patience. I don't want to sit down for an hour unless I'm actively engaging in something, or I'm with a friend. So this is probably my least favorite AC album, at least right now. Maybe I'll grow to like it more in the future, who knows?

Spoiler: show

I think the whole point behind this album is subtly political, like how Meeting Of The Waters was. They're showing aquatic life that could soon be affected by global warming, deforestation, something like that. Radiohead. Everything Everything, and now AC, all three have gotten me to turn off from their recent output as they grow more political.

[Saferintheflowers5]

This is very welcoming for me! This album gives me the chills listening to it! I’m so happy this project came along. I remember i didn’t dive in the YouTube recording of it for the first couple months just bc I wasn’t sure if I could take falling in love with anymore AC that would never see the light of day! When they posted that stat with the poster and the side note of “more news to come later this month” I finally dipped into the Brooklyn performance and was like FUCK YEAH!
I don’t anticipate anyone who discover AC during PW to jump aboard this one .. not at first anyway..

We always bring up reviews too for every drop. Fuck them reviews. Haha ... and enjoy the change

[deadwall]

I'm not gonna dig too deep on this but after first few listens I find myself directed towards how good and underrated Eucalyptus is/was...just throw on season high, phew

I guess I'm beginning to visualize the wave of murky ambience the band's been going through that I've wanted since I got into them...i didnt predict an ambient electric, water oriented wave from them at this point, but it makes perfect sense for coming down from the vibes of the past few official releases.

They really help a dude with no reason to live have something to look forward to....next wave's songs are gonna be unreal!

ok, enough weird run on sentences, just, feeling grateful and based

[baconwizard]

scrambledgreggs wrote:

yeah I don't get it... there's a brand new AC album out today and only 9 users browsing right now

maybe people don't care because Panda isn't on it?

The music needs to be good to warrant some attention. Don't get me wrong. I don't dislike Tangerine Reef but I'm not that fond of it either. I didn't like Hair Cutter and it didn't get me excited for this release at all. Which is weird for me. To me, it doesn't feel like a "proper" Animal Collective release. But then again, what is a "proper" release. I'd guess it be a studio album. This kinda feels like a side project or something. I just don't feel like there's a lot of focus going on in this release. I don't like Avey's melodies on this one. There are cool parts here and there but nothing that special. Maybe this will all change for me. But as of now, I'm not really feeling this one at all.

[NotBradPitt]

baconwizard wrote:

scrambledgreggs wrote:

yeah I don't get it... there's a brand new AC album out today and only 9 users browsing right now

maybe people don't care because Panda isn't on it?

The music needs to be good to warrant some attention.

I second that. Not just from personal opinion, but from the fact that this is vastly different from pretty much every single previous release from Animal Collective. That's not why it's bad; AC have always been trying new styles and it has worked out in their favor before. But nothing about this album appeals to that upbeat, somewhat emotionally-tinged abstract pop music that a lot of AC fans love/prefer.

If you think Danse Manatee is the best AC album, Tangerine Reef could be right up your alley and you might love it. But very few people are like that. TR is such a wide departure from their previous work, appealing to a completely different subset of music fans.

[NotBradPitt]

I'm afraid of someone saying that I don't like the fact that AC changed, and TR is bad because it's a change. Neither of those things are true. I'm okay with AC changing and I would never expect them to make the same album twice. I just don't like TR because I don't like this style of music, not because I want the old AC back.

[dud]

most of the original track titles from back when the set was called Coral Orgy made the final cut, save for the conspicuous absence of CORAL MAN ROCK HARD lol

lizard wrote:

[Tropic]

Where the heck is diomedes?

[Strange_Clams]

this whole thing gives me vibes similar to the early '04 shows in terms of the darker, weirder ambient side of anco that ended up blossoming into something bright and humid-sounding on feels....this feels like they're re-examining that territory. shit like the 206 jam, wastered, early flesh canoe...and a different era but i see you pan as well.

[scrambledgreggs]

baconwizard wrote:

scrambledgreggs wrote:

yeah I don't get it... there's a brand new AC album out today and only 9 users browsing right now

maybe people don't care because Panda isn't on it?

The music needs to be good to warrant some attention. Don't get me wrong. I don't dislike Tangerine Reef but I'm not that fond of it either. I didn't like Hair Cutter and it didn't get me excited for this release at all. Which is weird for me. To me, it doesn't feel like a "proper" Animal Collective release. But then again, what is a "proper" release. I'd guess it be a studio album. This kinda feels like a side project or something. I just don't feel like there's a lot of focus going on in this release. I don't like Avey's melodies on this one. There are cool parts here and there but nothing that special. Maybe this will all change for me. But as of now, I'm not really feeling this one at all.

People had polarized opinions about Painting With as well but that didn’t stop them from airing them for over a hundred pages on the thread. Negative reactions are totally fine too! I just would’ve expected a lot more buzz over this especially from this forum

I also miss Diomedes

[Strange_Clams]

deadwall wrote:

I'm not gonna dig too deep on this but after first few listens I find myself directed towards how good and underrated Eucalyptus is/was...just throw on season high, phew

buxom sounds like it could have been on eucalyptus easily. "boat race" gives me big coral vibes

[Chubby_Dork]

ClangeStrams wrote:

this whole thing gives me vibes similar to the early '04 shows in terms of the darker, weirder ambient side of anco that ended up blossoming into something bright and humid-sounding on feels....this feels like they're re-examining that territory. shit like the 206 jam, wastered, early flesh canoe...and a different era but i see you pan as well.

I really enjoy their older stuff a lot so I’m really glad they made this record. It’s so beautiful and dark at the same time

[roopn]

I fell asleep listening to this with my gf so I only have a hazy memory of maybe the first quarter of it
It's definitely new sonic territory, but I wouldn't say it's a total departure from everything they've done in the past. I guess they've never done a release that's 100% spacious and floaty like this, but there are threads of this sound in every ac record, maybe bar painting with. Visiting friends, daffy duck, banshee beat, #1, daily routine, no more runnin. As others have mentioned Eucalyptus also shares threads with this, and that was a top tier ac release for me at least
I will say in spite of all the effects layered on it, Avey's voice is strangely forward in the mix, in a different way to how PW had the vocals really up front. Kinda wonky to get used to, maybe that's why people aren't diggin it yet

Anyway, my point is, this record's sound is not unprecedented, and I don't think it should be that off-putting to a frequenter of this forum. Not trying to dismiss anybody's opinion, I just implore those who aren't into it to keep trying
Will listen properly when I finish work

[Stanshant]

I remember nearly a decade ago a number of people on this board were pining for an ambient, spacious AC album - well, this is it. I think back to how long it took me to get into stuff like Two Sails On A Sound or Daffy Duck or Visiting Friends, and now I think they are incredible and intense and powerful, just in a different way to their more rhythmic, energetic stuff. I don't mind if people don't like this but I'm finding it useful to remember that AC's music has been typically more challenging and impenetrable over the years. The PW era (and Greaper) has been unique in how immediate almost all of those songs are - they don't especially need unpicking and, in my opinion, don't have a vast amount of room to grow. WYSIWYG. I would say that's one reason why I have little interest in listening to that record, whereas I can still go back to anything else and find new things to appreciate and explore. I suspect that Tangerine Reef will be very much in that camp. Listening again now in bed at 5am, it already sounds a lot more emotional and atmospheric and carefully structured, rather than the droney improv vibes I got the first few times.

On the other hand, I agree that it doesn't feel like a 'proper' AC album, and I suspect it's due to the collaborative context and 'performance piece' element to its inception. I definitely miss the unusual structures and shifts and dynamics within individual songs, which is something I've always loved about their music, whereas each of these shorter pieces tends to quickly get into the melody, rinse it and move on. That's interesting though, in itself. It's a patchwork kind of feeling, like Burial's approach with Rough Sleeper/Truant a few years ago, and I remember wondering what an AC take on that idea would be like. I don't think this is either as varied or compact as that brilliant release, but it feels like there's a shared kernel of intent.

I'm enjoying this more and more, and it deserves the chance to open up and flourish.

[Stanshant]

And yes, I miss Diomedes, too!

[rampface]

I've listened to the album about 5 times and watched the film twice... I think the reason this isn't getting the hype a "normal album" would get is because the record is mostly ambient guides to visuals and not so much about songwriting. We're not going to hear any songs from Tangerine Reef making it into future sets whereas the ODDSAC material could definitely sit along side their big hits. Not saying this is a positive or negative thing. I'm happy to see the band experimenting and going down a different path. TR seems like a transition era and is more about discovering new sonics and methods for the next big AC record. If the Music Box stuff is properly recorded in a studio, I think you'll see a lot more media hype for what they're doing with that collection of songs.

I do think there's a general lack of appreciation for the fact that this album is "live" in a sense. I would love to see more of that in the future since the last couple of records have all been adventures in maximalism. Instead they could shift focus on capturing performances in the studio with small bits of overdub.

[terrestrialjane]

yeah watched earlier with a friend and he said its cgi
I was like maybe , but I don't believe it
it was good im relistening now
sounds like everything leading up to now ?

[Ritzman]

I'm really loving this and I'd love for there to be a blu-ray or some shit that I could line up beside my ODDSAC DVD, but alas that probably wouldn't be financially viable for the band.

I don't like how on all the music news sites that actually bothered to report people just say 'where's Panda Bear?' but I hope this falls into their catalogue and is looked back fondly like Hollindagain or Meeting of the Waters.

I could see in five or ten years, some formation of the group soundtracking a bunch of hype af images from outerspace like the storm on Jupiter with some very dark, spacey AC music. They are so good at atmosphere, this was never destined to get attention as there aren't any 'traditional' songs (even ODDSAC had three/four depending who you ask) but man I am really grateful for this and just keep imagining what's next; they are sitting on a wealth of stuff - New Deak, those Avey songs we have bootleg forms of, Music Box stuff, Panda EP 2 and LP soon, Geologist stuff potentially, a new studio album in maybe a year or two?

[roopn]

ok I've listened properly now, with the visuals, and I stand by what I said above. also agree with what stan said.

After loving hair cutter before the release I was a little disappointed by the following three tracks. I was hoping the ambiance of Hair Cutter would build and build further into the next track, but rather it built a little bit before dissolving into a new idea. And I guess I wasn't quite ready for avey's vocals to be quite that meandering.
But then Coral Understanding rolled round and it started warming me up again. That songs just feels like it makes more sense, even though it's just as amorphous as everything that comes before it.
That transitions into airpipe (aka the cum song) and goddamn! That's the good shit. Wild, searing drones, throbbing bass. Lots of motion and still very abstract, some grittier textures but feels very comfortable. reminds me of paper forehead/spider bit our lady from the music box set. Probably my two favourites from that boot.
From that song onward it all clicked together much quicker for me.
Coral realisation was very memorable, for similar reasons to airpipe I think.

Writing up all that I now realise the instrumentals clearly had a bigger effect on me than any of the other songs. I think I'm still getting used to avey's vocal style on here. it's very live sounding which is sweet but comes with all the loosey goosey intonation of live performance that always throws me off before I'm more familiar with the recording. Plus he's whisper singing mostly which I don't think he's done much in the past.
Agree with whoever it was who said that one song sounds like he's singing like panda bear

Overall I'm a big fan! after how good the second half felt I'm excited to relisten to the first half

[Lacrimosa]

.

[Lacrimosa]

terrestrialjane wrote:

yeah watched earlier with a friend and he said its cgi
I was like maybe , but I don't believe it

wrote:

Tangerine Reef is a visual tone poem consisting of time-lapse and slow pans across surreal aquascapes of naturally fluorescent coral and cameos by alien-like reef creatures (note: no CGI or artificial enhancement was used in this film)

[rohcti]

This album is more melodic than I thought it would be. I love it. This is exactly what I wanted AC to make. Coral Understanding and Airpipe are the best things they've done in a while. Some hollidagain vibes in there

Oh and the coral visuals are INSANE. Like how does this shit exist in nature, and why are we killing it? At the same time, some of these things scare the shit out of me lol

[BoomCheese]

Not a mad fan of the more obscure AC releases like ODDSAC, TTG and Michael, Remember so I wasn't expecting much from this (especially knowing it would be an ambient piece). But holy shit the visuals are absolutely mind-blowing. I literally don't think I've seen anything so beautiful in my life and not sure how they get such incredible high-res shots.

All in all, not a lot of music I'll take from this and listen to in my day-to-day. But the first two tracks are great and "Jake and Me" is one of my favourite tracks released by anyone this year. I reckon watching the section of the film that aligned with that song ranks firmly among my most favourite AC moments.

[speen]

This shits beautiful

Wish there was more hype

[lust_in_phaze]

Hair Cutter, Buxom, Airpipe, Jake and Me, Coral By Numbers and Palythoa are all really great songs and the rest are pretty good as well. This is probably my millennial attention span showing, but after a couple listens I think I prefer the music without the visuals. I don't mean to say that the visuals are boring or bad in any way, they're mind-blowing and more incredible than I ever would have guessed, but - as with ODDSAC - I'd rather listen to the music on its own and save the film for occasions where I can just sit and stare for an hour with some friends.

As for the lack of hype, I obviously haven't been around here long enough to really know how much the board can hop for a studio release, but I think it's appropriate for an album such as this that's not really centered around individual songcraft and production. I read a piece about it in the Washington Post where Avey explicitly differentiates a release like this from a more "proper" album cycle.

For whatever my opinion is worth as a relative outsider in a very tight-knit forum of very dedicated fans, I think Tangerine Reef is further indication of an incredibly prolific band that is nowhere near running out of ideas or relevance. I enjoy it very much and I look forward to more listens.

[Stanshant]

Welcome, my dude, and thanks for your thoughts. I feel the same as you about the visuals. I just don't have the patience or time these days.