[spoogn]

lust_in_phaze wrote:

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.

couldnt agree more

[tuvin diesel]

Anyway it's kind of weird, for me, to talk about this album in terms of "songs" for the reasons outlined above, but certainly the standouts to me are "Buxom", "Airpipe", "Coral by Numbers" and "Palythoa"

[scrambledgreggs]

love how the different types of coral and sea life are presented almost like contributors in the end credits, like they're the real stars of this release, which in a way they kind of are

that creature in "Inspector Gadget" is so bizarre... and the visuals for "Coral Realization" are kind of terrifying. I'm actually surprised AC haven't done anything inspired by coral before because their aesthetics match so perfectly

[spoogn]

Tropic of Cans wrote:

Are there lyrics anywhere?

[Ethmin]

I watched the film at least 5 times this weekend. I am in love with it. Only just started to listen to the music separately and songs are starting to coalesce very nice. This is definitely what I've been waiting for, I'm so glad they are finally revisiting the spacey stuff.

I started listening to the recently cleaned up Music Box Recording and holy shit it's epic. And it pairs extremely well with the TR material.

I really wonder where the Music Box music came from. Did doing the Coral orgy set inspire them to keep jamming as a trio? I'm very curious the intention of the material. If it will be released as a similar live recording meant to represent a specific show/collab. Or if that material will get the full studio treatment.

What I want most of all is for this vibe to carry over into whatever the next proper album with Noah becomes. I want blissly beautiful hi-fi ambience from all 4 dudes.

[NotBradPitt]

spoogn wrote:

Tropic of Cans wrote:

Are there lyrics anywhere?

There are some lyrics on Genius but they're pretty wacky. Just one listen will tell you they're probably not too accurate.

You know...I haven't said anything good about TR in this thread. I should do that. I can say two good things.

1. I appreciate how clear the individual contributions are. I can clearly hear Deakin playing guitar, Geo making his noises, and Avey singing (possibly making additional noises.) I'm almost never able to tell what Deakin does on albums like SJ and Feels. This leads me into #2:
2. TR also makes me appreciate Geo's contributions on previous AC albums. I listened to some SJ and Danse Manatee recently, and I now have an ear for pinpointing what Geo is likely doing in the recording. That was always pretty difficult before.

[Tesla]

Just an aside: I find it very funny that reviews of the album from some websites have pictures of the band with Panda Bear even though he didn't have anything to do with the album. Are music journalists just lazy?

[scrambledgreggs]

Ethmin wrote:

I really wonder where the Music Box music came from. Did doing the Coral orgy set inspire them to keep jamming as a trio? I'm very curious the intention of the material. If it will be released as a similar live recording meant to represent a specific show/collab. Or if that material will get the full studio treatment.

seems like there's plans to do both, at least from what the MBV people said (more details in the live thread)

[yoko bono]

Tesla wrote:

Are music journalists just lazy?

Definitely.

[real slippi]

Lacrimosa wrote:

And what about Hip Sponge, my god, it deserves so much more attention.

this. the best

[Hellomark]

The lyrics to Hip Sponge are kinda dumb but I love the vocal performance.

[Fovrodi]

ITS SO JOHN MAUS IM ANGRY NO ONE ELSE IS SAYING THIS

[bullseye]

NotBradPitt wrote:

spoogn wrote:

Tropic of Cans wrote:

Are there lyrics anywhere?

There are some lyrics on Genius but they're pretty wacky. Just one listen will tell you they're probably not too accurate.

You know...I haven't said anything good about TR in this thread. I should do that. I can say two good things.

1. I appreciate how clear the individual contributions are. I can clearly hear Deakin playing guitar, Geo making his noises, and Avey singing (possibly making additional noises.) I'm almost never able to tell what Deakin does on albums like SJ and Feels. This leads me into #2:
2. TR also makes me appreciate Geo's contributions on previous AC albums. I listened to some SJ and Danse Manatee recently, and I now have an ear for pinpointing what Geo is likely doing in the recording. That was always pretty difficult before.

It's the other way around for me. I can't tell who is doing what on TR. I imagined it was Avey playing guitar, as its mostly simply stuff he can sing along with.

[Lacrimosa]

real slippi wrote:

Lacrimosa wrote:

And what about Hip Sponge, my god, it deserves so much more attention.

this. the best

It probably still is, but with "more attention" I meant that the band could've gave it much more attention, because it has alot of potential. Still love it alot though.

[preacherben]

starting to really love these songs. buxom makes me me wanna cry

[scrambledgreggs]

collected my thoughts into a positive review here, in case anyone is interested: http://www.bricksclappinginthedark.com/ ... erine-reef

[spoogn]

Buxom DOES

[jordanrandall]

New Tangerine Reef demo played on The O'Brien System today:

Avey Tare - Blooming Coral (Demo)

https://youtu.be/YILSwRmp04o

[scummy]

Fovrodi wrote:

ITS SO JOHN MAUS IM ANGRY NO ONE ELSE IS SAYING THIS

lmao glad i'm not the only one

[Tropic]

Lundsten Coral is so otherworldly. Maybe my fav

[coral lord]

i love the visuals of this album so much. finding 4k resolution pictures of similar coral is really tough, i want new wallpaper!

[terrestrialjane]

in boys latin panda sticks his finger in a coral hole ?

[beumuth]

My impressions after first watch (I was surprised to see this recommended on Youtube):

Tangerine Reef gives attention to both the alienness and universality of life. The visuals, music, and lyrics are all built from opposites and contrasting themes. Visually, this happens through the different stages of coral life we are shown: eating and pooping; transmitting and receiving communication; female reception and fertilization and male ejaculation (so much ejalucation); individual and collective; birth/new growth and death/being eaten and processed. The coral reef is otherworldly on one level and completely relatable on another. Seeing goop released from one lifeform dissipate into what seems like nothingness, and watching the branching tentacles of another lifeform reach out to collect information from what seems like nothingness gives the impression that even the empty space of the ocean is full of life.

This carries over into the music. The songs arise from textures that aren't usually present in music which is disorienting, but also catch glimpses of melodies and rhythms that trigger a more definite emotional response, like a pulsing drum or sugary guitar line. Dave's vocals shift from unintelligible murmles channeled from the worried thoughts of some tube sponge (at least on first impression) to incredibly simple and direct taglines. These taglines sometimes involve repeating two contradictory things: The best of times, the worst of times; and "give and give and take what we give and we take..". The last one serves as a summary to the entire experience: it's a beautiful, scary, complex game of inputs and outputs.

Many seem to be unsure as to what the larger-picture intent of Tangerine Reef is and how it integrates with the rest of Animal Collective's output. It's perceived as a detour as opposed to a main attraction. To me it seems to fit in clearly. I think hints of why exist in their recent releases. In the lyrics of Painting With:

wrote:

Can't be a crime to meddle
Can't be wrong to push the pedal
Queasy and grime, no balance
Standing bones don't up the level
...
Jump into a spot not physical
Bring it closer to the middle
Want to write with control
A slipping grip has to let go

wrote:

Dizzy under buildings
Bending like their willing
Is it what I’m seeing
Vertical is fright
...
Down below a statue
People stand in poses
Making good impressions
Vertical delights
...
Sometimes you feel the pressure dropping on you (pressure from the vertical)
I start to wonder does this system matter? (only if it’s vertical)
Even in leaves some creatures build themselves a home (can’t always be vertical)
Lifted above the din their worlds a peaceful dome

wrote:

Get mixed in this crippling fixture, try and approach the hidden mixtures
Get mixed in this crippling fixture, try and approach the hidden nature
For a misplaced stash, let's search through the trash
And write this ignorant lurch, wicked urge
...
Raise the gab above a whisper, speak to sound a spoiling blister
Raise the gab above a whisper, talk to cure a blistered picture

wrote:

You’re sure the steering wheel
Is resting in your hands
Tough to say
You think success belongs to the bank
You take directions into the skin
...
Strings tied to the hands
Hands upon a mouth
Sneaky ways

wrote:

These days I'm not so sure who is getting along or if they were before

A running theme in these lyrics is a belief that it's more important to explore the riches that are outside of our awareness and consensus than to try to climb the "blistered" vertical structures that currently exist. There's both a sense of urgency to repair a poisoned status quo and a feeling of relative powerlessness to do anything about it. Some more lyrics to back that up:

wrote:

Today Monterey's so far away. I can hear it dying, hippies are crying.
...
Today I'm looking for the thing that's raw. It's a chimps brawl, like a stunt man I'm gonna take a fall.

They seem to be more interested in "sifting through the muck" to bring new perspectives to the table than to reuse old habits because they worked in the past. Or put another way, the intent seems to be to update preferences moreso than to appeal to existing ones. Or put another way, they are developing new forms moreso than creating instances of existing forms. It's a game of give and take though of course, the new has to be built from the old to some extent.

The topic choice is pretty obvious. The group's been interested in marine biology for a while, Dave talks about how he wants to learn about flowers and does nature photography, and obviously the song Coral Lords. The coral reef is something rich with untapped information, inaccessible to most people, and is threatened to not exist. Tangerine Reef documents some of what might be lost, and gives us an opportunity to engage with it without having to scuba dive or time travel ourselves. Instead of this being Animal Collective drifting, I think this fits firmly into the rest of their work. It builds upon past ideas to introduce new ones. I'm happy with the direction they're taking. Tangerine Reef seems capable of fertilizing those who release their tentacled appendages into its currents with new concepts.

[terrestrialjane]

first class post mate

[Fovrodi]

Finally gave this a listen with headphones. Got a lot more out of it than with the first listen. Just real solid beautiful stuff. Next will have to be with visuals, kicking myself for not watching it already.

[clearwaters]

Really good post Pudd! Thanks for the perspective

And Fovrodi, you need to see it with visuals!everything makes much more sense and it's wildly beautiful

[rohcti]

Jake and Me is so hauntingly beautiful. There are a lot of messed up things going on in my life right now and this song makes me emotional every time I hear it...

[Lacrimosa]

clearwaters wrote:

you need to see it with visuals!

[spoogn]

roark, wishing you the best and hoping things improve

anyone have any thoughts on their experience with the boot vs. their experience with the album? I spent a lot of time with the Coral Orgy bootleg

Buffalo tomato and buxom were a couple definite favorites of mine from the boot. Buffalo tomato and buxom were a couple definite favorites of mine from the album.

The boot did not prepare me for Inspector Gadget or Coral Realization AT ALLLLL. When listening to the boot I was always kind of like ok here come the transition tracks after buffalo tomato and buxom. But on the album Inspector Gadget and Coral Realization are MONSTERRSS!! They may be the two best songs on the album even? Idk it hasn't been out long enough to say but there is so much in these tracks that I did not hear on the bootleg.

AT first I thought Jake And Me and Hip Sponge, my two standout favorites from the boot, lost some of their "umph" but I have grown just as fond of the album versions over maybe 6 or 7 listens at this point

Lundsten Coral is the sleeper hit from Tangerine Reef to me. I was in the car on the way home from work and picked up from where i'd last left off on the album and when it came on it was like i'd never heard it before! it hit me! bootiful

Airpipe was also totally lost in the boot. Now I can hear the masterpiece it is

album bootiful

[rampface]

This just really clicked with me. Now I'm super hyped to hear how the Music Box stuff sounds in comparison

[Stanshant]

roark, sending all the best, my dude. Lots of folks got your back on here and if you ever need a chat, I'm here on PMs. X

[Hellomark]

rampface wrote:

This just really clicked with me. Now I'm super hyped to hear how the Music Box stuff sounds in comparison

I will say that while I enjoy Tangerine Reef, none of it really comes close to the Music Box material for me. That set is just on another level entirely.

[dud]

amen

[rampface]

I agree, that's why I'm interested to hear a studio version

[clearwaters]

Is there any confirmation they are gonna officially release music box stuff?

[Tropic]

Music Box stuff is years off

[themilkman]

Adding my thoughts now after, I don't know, at least two dozen listens:

This is a trojan horse of an album and the TR video, while great, is only just the horse. The visuals by themselves are stunning, but its the rock-solid editing that really makes this an audiovisual experience. ODDSAC, by comparison, does not have near this level of cohesion and momentum going for it, even many viewings later. However, while watching TR, no songs immediately stood out to me. Whereas ODDSAC had Mr. Fingers, Screens and Tantrum Barb, I couldn't latch on to any one song here. That didn't spoil my experience while watching, just left me anxious about the album's overall longevity.

I never expected to fall in love with this album outside of its visuals, but I did. Boy, I totally did. Jake and Me stands out as the cream of the crop, but at this point there really isn't a single track I feel like skipping. I've even found myself singing along to Buxom and Coral by Numbers at work (though not knowing the lyrics and just making weird Avey sounds). Palythoa is GORGEOUS and Airpipe is a much-appreciated pit stop to Bonkersville to help break up some of the album's sameness. Hip Sponge is the only track, so far, that I just can't jive with yet. Those lyrics and that stare drum... I don't know.

Been really enjoying the discussion so far and am stoked to see where the boys take things from here! As a side note, I feel like headphones are THE way to go when listening to this album. Don't know if anyone else agrees.

[rampface]

If it doesn't come out next year I'll be really surprised

[valar602]

We're all very lucky that the live recording of the Coral Orgy show wasn't good. This album shows that they can still get fucking weird and thank god. But it's also quite beautiful and meditative. I wouldnt care if they did another one like it especially the buffalo tomato vibe and Jake and me. It's also interesting how little water sounds are being used.

The Music Box stuff will def get studio treatment those songs are beautiful and have amazing structures, and clearly had a lot of time into it. I have a hunch that Pbear will be on the record, I have a hunch that the person filling in for him those nights were playing his parts they sounded too much like Panda Bear drumming. I hope they record it there! Too me the material sounds like a reaction to Trumps presidency but that's prob a projection. What a time to be a fan!

[rampface]

Yep this feels like the next wave