On the 2007 Animal Collective album Strawberry Jam song “Chores” you sing; “I want to get so stoned.” Do you still feel that way?
At this point [pot] is something I’ll do almost exclusively in private when I’m working. Especially when I’m mixing, it’s my favorite time to do it a lot; it gives me a perspective that is advantageous. For me it’s more of a mental and hearing tool, it gives me the kind of focus I really like when mixing. It’s not like I do it every time, but with the last two records it was definitely part of the process, for sure.
Playing live I feel I don’t do that well when I’m stoned. Maybe if I was more of a consistent smoker. When I get blasted and I haven’t done it in a while, it’s more debilitating, whereas if it’s a more consistent daily thing, I feel I have a better grasp physically on what I’m doing.
People always describe your sound as being psychedelic. Are drugs a part of your music?
AVEY TARE: We record sober, mostly. It's important for us to get things to sound exactly the way we want and recording comes down to really concentrating on what we're doing.
GEOLOGIST: It's work.
Enjoying a solo Christmas bowl, apropos to the convo, and Winters Love comes on, the studio version, and it just fits, and if you don't love this band fuck you.
anyway the whole "damn this albums is really weird/creative, drugs must be responsible/the main inspiration!" response,to not just animal collective's music but any other non-conventional music is really tiresome
I don't mean to propose the idea in the same way that a lot of ill-informed people write off Animal Collective simply as a "drug band". Such people typically haven't given Animal Collective the depth of listening they require in order to really grasp the music, and usually they use this explanation of a "drug band" in order to dismiss the band too, since they hold negative opinions of drugs as well.
But see, I am NOT ill-informed about Animal Collective, they are my favourite band and I've heard the majority of all their music over and over again, especially in descending order... So with THAT said, it excites me in general that they're a group who've done acid that and this has certainly influenced their entire trajectory from the very beginning, and now that I've done it myself I can look upon the band and "get them" if you know what I mean.
And then, in regards to CTPDHZ, it's always BEEN an anomaly that this album means tenfold more to me than any of their other work, and now there's this other wonderful layer to it. In this interview Panda Bear says how there's this direct lineage that SJ has with MPP, of being more condensed and repetitive-focussed, so it says to me that they did refrain from acid and simply grew purely as musicians, focussed into their vision....
But.... for Centipede Hz to be SO OUT THERE, with all the song-writing styles having taken complete 180s, and like I was quoting with the lyrics there is something acidic to them "I met you in Baltimore // you were laughing so loud" it's amazing, uncanny that they made an album SO CRAZY within their own context as a band that it turned off large portions of their fanbase. But that's the inspiration that a new acid trip can give to you... If this thing came out in the 70s, I think Centipede Hz would have a verrrry different legacy.
Well, to me the songwriting isn't so crazy and the lyrics in regards to the personal attachment everyone in the band has with one another is the same as it has been for a long time. The most bizarre thing about the record is the consistent use of noises which conflict with and feed off of the songs at their core.
A lot of how this record was made was very calculated with specific concepts driving the sounds and songwriting in ways that the band had never done before. In terms of it being an "acid record", I don't think very many people create very intricate and detailed works on acid, which is what happened here. Part of why this record turns me off is because of these ideas being inserted with queer noises that turn mostly conventional songs (conventional in how they were written and performed; "Mercury Man", for instance, is the tamest thing they have ever recorded from a pure songwriting standpoint) into really oddball songs with these noises taking precedence over the songs themselves. That bothered me. They have always combined songwriting with effects perfectly in the past, and for me it sounds like they were so confused on Centipede Hz, even though I know they weren't.
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"The ocean is salty with God's tears because we killed his son" ~ Conner O'Malley
The "sounds" you speak of are way more like a novelty or a side show on CHz than other records.
I'm thinking of "bonefish" from Peacebone - it may seem juxtaposed and out of place at first, but once you hear that it frames the song, and see the little visual and actual rhymes that exist by the placement of these two weird words, it's not exactly a non sequitur anymore, is it?
CHz is definitely the most Spike Jones-sounding of their records, and that puts me off, too.
With "Peacebone", it begins with this harsh and jarring electronic sample which is really messy, but as other elements of the song creep in to form the rhythm of the song it begins to make sense. The closest a song on Centipede Hz comes to matching this vibrance and cohesion is "Monkey Riches", which I like quite a lot.
But hell, "Monkey Riches" sounds a lot like Avey Tare's "Lucky 1" to me. I was writing a retrospective review for this album recently and it struck me that songs which are almost like solo tracks from members of the band ("Wide Eyed" with Deakin, "New Town Burnout" with Panda Bear, and "Monkey Riches" with Avey) are some of the best ones because it doesn't come off as cluttered and overly jagged.
Like, it's unfair to compare any song from this album to "Safer", because that song is so fucking amasing that I dookie a shooter every time I listen to it, but that song also had a lot of elements that shouldn't go well together. But it had an arc. It had tension, aggression, and catharsis. I actually agree with Stuart Berman. This is the burrito record.
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"The ocean is salty with God's tears because we killed his son" ~ Conner O'Malley
Then it sounds like there's some wild karmic baptism ceremony going on, and that beat.
The lyrics are intriguing. There's some awesome backing vox.
Double time then back into the baptism in purgatory. It always sounds like he's saying "a big big rape van" right there ... that's weird.
Man I really love the backing "oh oh oh oh" parts, it's so nice, and so out of sync with the rest of CHz, and I want more of it.
Double time back like the first, but now instead of going back into purgatory, we go into a new lyric cycle and what must be a key change ... it gives me chills.
Then we get the first taste of the shouty higher-pitched "nothing to do / nothing to do," and the rhythm changes and it makes me wiggle in my car seat a little not gonna lie.
A little repetition to set the stage for this huge blazing WALL OF SOUND that both recalls and renews the melody from earlier.
Back to a familiar "bridge," if the song can be said to have one. And we're back to "nothing to do / nothing to do" only THIS time, it doubles again and blazes into what will be the outro.
It's the third of three AWESOME transitions and it just takes me into outer space.
And that beat at the end tho.
And the lyrics, so ALIVE, compared to the rest of the record.
I get chills up both arms, thinking about the song and what it means, and what the tempo changes mean, and it feels like a religious thing.
But. I don't get this or anything similarly cathartic from ANY of the other tracks.
"Amanita" is a great closer. It's easily in the top half of the songs on that album in terms of quality. I mean, it's pretty centered about this juxtaposition with the first part of the song being this weary, almost cynical view of growing up and losing interest in life and the second half combating this cynicism.
Stories lose their magic, and you realise they were faery tales the whole time, that is what I read from the song. "What will happen to the stories from the bogs? The trails of the Vikings? The passing of sea sirens? . . . What will happen to that storytelling clown? His voice hypnotising, the fire side frightening". The music actually works to tell a story with the lyrics, jumps and repetition being used to its fullest extent.
"There's nothing to do" repeated inquisitively before its succesive "imagination floating around" emphasises this clinging to child-like imagination. Then the most magical, romantic part of the song truly explodes in a crescendo of eccentricity with Avey bellowing "I'm gonna bring back some stories and games". This mentality has dominated their discography, and it's why people love them so much. Connecting to your inner child, the thing that produces your whimsical and imaginative side, isn't a bad thing. Escapism isn't always negative.
But I guess at this point in their careers they are actually coming to terms with aging and getting old. Panda Bear has released an album directly referencing his mortality, after all. They're nearing 40. That sort of thing probably looms over them to some degree, as it does on most people.
Let's do power rankings. I love power rankings.
1. "Monkey Riches"
2. "New Town Burnout"
3. "Amanita"
4. "Wide Eyed"
5. "Today's Supernatural"
6. "Pulleys"
7. "Father Time"
8. "Mercury Man"
9. "Moonjock"
10. "Rosie Oh"
11. "Applesauce" (if only because it makes the band's history of repetition moot, because it looks like they don't know what the fuck they're doing with repetition here, which is sad).
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"The ocean is salty with God's tears because we killed his son" ~ Conner O'Malley
And the lyrics, so ALIVE, compared to the rest of the record.
Weew lad I disagree! See, Centipede Hz is my favourite lyrical album of all time! of ALL TIME! So, Amanita is good, but Applesauce, no? Father Time??? TD'S SPRNTRL??? Every one of Avey's songs on here is absolutely energized with electronic buzzing poetry of somnambulist brilliance. Ahem. Just to say that, like I said earlier, APPLESAUCE would be on constant repeat throughout my head ever single day for about 8 months straight... "I'm LOOSING THINGS SOOO FAST..." "Can you SHOW ME THE WAAAY I CAN SIMPLIFY?" "OH-WOAH SO TAKE FROM ME TAKE FROM ME...."
wrote:
Double time then back into the baptism in purgatory. It always sounds like he's saying "a big big rape van" right there ... that's weird.
Ah ha! That's funny... but I recall always hearing something different from what it actually "is" as well, maybe "big big rain man."
1. apple
2. moon
3. today
4. mercury
5. father
6. amanita
7. pulleys
8. monkey
9. rosie
10. new town
11. wide eyed
avey songs of his era are basically all perfect, and the version of this lp that is just avey songs+ hc/gotham and crim is tiiight, but i def respect that honeycomb, gotham and crimson are b sides/non album... album flow is strong
I am not very fond of "Honeycomb", but I love "Gotham" and feel it is mad slept on. Is it just me, or is "Gotham" the closest they've come to pure Psychedelic Rock music? Like, they have always been Psychedelic as shit, but I wouldn't call most of their stuff Rock music in the traditional sense.
I haven't listened to "Crimson" enough. Like, four or five times if I'm being honest.
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"The ocean is salty with God's tears because we killed his son" ~ Conner O'Malley
ya gotham is def the closest they get to some kind of classic rock throwback almost. but its also sort of emo, and very amazing. soulful shit.
this album is even better having seen beautiful new star wars movie last night. totally has that cantina vibe they talked abt. what a good fucking idea...
the mix on this album grows on me every fucking year, might be one of my favorite sounding production evr honestly. it and mpp and yet theyre so different sounding
Pretty sure I've flat out never heard crimson studio version. One day I'll get that Applesauce 10"...
For what it's worth:
1 moonjock
2 Rosie oh
3 wide eyed
4 new Town Burnout
5 Applesauce
6 Monkey riches
7 father time
8 today's supernatural
9 Amanita
10 Pulleys
11 mercury man
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I pray deep like
Buuuuuuudhaaaaa
Centipede Hz is pretty underrated... all the songs are good aside from Wide Eyed. It's their most accessible album aside from MPP and I don't get the criticism that it's too far out or noisy.
1.Pulleys
2. Amanita
3. Applesauce
4. Mercury Man
5. New Town Burnout
6. Wide Eyed ... are the only songs off this album worth listening to.
Monkey Riches (live only)
Father time (live only)
Todays Supernatural (2011 live only)
Centipede Hz is pretty underrated... all the songs are good aside from Wide Eyed. It's their most accessible album aside from MPP and I don't get the criticism that it's too far out or noisy.
Wide Eyed is legit one of my favourite AC songs. I couldn't even tell you why either; I guess I just love Deakin's vocals? Musically speaking, it's not all that interesting and it doesn't really go anywhere, but I can listen to it on loop for an hour and not get sick of it. What I'm saying is that I desperately need Deak's album to come out now.
1. "Moonjock"
2. "Today's Supernatural"
3. "Rosie Oh"
4. "Wide Eyed"
5. "Amanita"
6. "Applesauce"
7. "New Town Burnout"
8. "Mercury Man"
9. "Father Time"
10. "Pulleys"
11. "Monkey Riches" (album version does NOTHING for me)
I've always thought that the first half of the album is way stronger than the latter, though I appear to be the minority opinion on this. Anyone else agree?
EDIT: On second glance, maybe not...
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I am the milkman. My milk is delicious.
Centipede Hz is pretty underrated... all the songs are good aside from Wide Eyed. It's their most accessible album aside from MPP and I don't get the criticism that it's too far out or noisy.
Wide Eyed is legit one of my favourite AC songs. I couldn't even tell you why either; I guess I just love Deakin's vocals? Musically speaking, it's not all that interesting and it doesn't really go anywhere, but I can listen to it on loop for an hour and not get sick of it. What I'm saying is that I desperately need Deak's album to come out now.
I honestly used to mock that song but it's really not that bad. it's just that I like Avey and Panda's contributions so much more.
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