Collected Animals

Posted: **Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:48 pm**

While listening to Enter the slasher house I realized the amount of effects on the voices, similarly to Centipede Hz. Do you think Avey is kind of overdoing it? or does it add to the tone of the music he is trying to convey?

Posted: **Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:51 pm**

personally i liked it on down there & the 2011 live jams & some of chz but i wish he didn't use it for slasher flicks

Posted: **Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:14 pm**

haven't heard Slasher House yet (waiting for improved quality / Roses on the Window) but i actually liked most of dave's effects on chz / down there. they fit in with the overall vibes of those albums and (imo) improved the "atmosphere" of the vocals.
something i could maybe do with less of is all the reverb/harmonies that noah's used on his solo stuff (esp tomboy). it'd be cool to see if he and pete go for a more straightforward approach to vocal production on Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper.

Posted: **Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:20 pm**

I love it.

Posted: **Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:26 pm**

it compliments his voice very well, like the distortion on Is This It or Room On Fire

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 1:29 am**

I just hate the vocal effect on That it wont grow...

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:27 am**

it adds to the psychedelic vibe. I like psychedelic vibes.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 8:17 am**

Best AC vocals relied on nothing more than the delivery, ST, Feels, SJ. Seems both Dave and Noah are somewhat locked into more specific effect-led sounds since MPP. I don't think it's enriched their music much. It's interesting but puts you at more of a distance, emotionally, and these guys have got perhaps my favourite raw vocals ever.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 8:31 am**

I do agree that it brings in a sort of emotional detachment but I don't think it necessarily makes the music any worse, just different. Not all music has to be too emotionally involved.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 8:38 am**

i think the chorus/phaser on aveys voice makes the song a lot more emotional a lot of the time!
eg glasslands first song

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 8:42 am**

It can still end up being really emotional but it seems like clean vocals are easier to read emotion from, as a lot of the intonations and inflections are tampered and distorted through the use of a lot of vocal effects.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 8:58 am**

i feel like the effect he used on the "when u go and say" part on That, It wont Grow definitely detracted from emotional feeling, had he used a different more complimenting effect it could have been overwhelmingly emotional. the vocal layering and eq and effect on the sort of whispering part compliments what he was going for, but if it was raw vocals it would have had much more of a desperate and emotional feeling. on ze flipside, the effects on duplex trip when he says "i need an easy moment!" gives a desperate kinda feel 2 me. idk i love vocal effects a lot

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:26 am**

archie wrote:

i think the chorus/phaser on aveys voice makes the song a lot more emotional a lot of the time!
eg glasslands first song

You're absolutely right. And I also think Dave's vocal on #1 is very powerful and moving, despite being smothered in effects. I think the vocals on HCTI are remarkable as well, and they seem to run through a long chain of effects.

I'm not anti effects, certainly, I suppose I'm just all for the unique delivery. I think Banshee Beat is a pretty good example. The whispering, the way he drops octaves in a goofy way, the soaring full voice, the falsetto. The delivery itself tells the story. It's something I really like about parts of this Slasher Flicks record, he's more varied in his tone, it takes you a little deeper into different places. Elsewhere, though, and via MPP, DT and CHz, I feel he's a bit reliant on processing a less nuanced delivery. I still can't get over his 'relaxed' approach on MPP. Those songs were absolutely triumphant live, unbridled joy and passion. Why does he sing like he's just content? Maybe that's the point but hey. I'll always have the boots.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 10:02 am**

Stanshant wrote:

archie wrote:
i think the chorus/phaser on aveys voice makes the song a lot more emotional a lot of the time!
eg glasslands first song

You're absolutely right. And I also think Dave's vocal on #1 is very powerful and moving, despite being smothered in effects. I think the vocals on HCTI are remarkable as well, and they seem to run through a long chain of effects.

I'm not anti effects, certainly, I suppose I'm just all for the unique delivery. I think Banshee Beat is a pretty good example. The whispering, the way he drops octaves in a goofy way, the soaring full voice, the falsetto. The delivery itself tells the story. It's something I really like about parts of this Slasher Flicks record, he's more varied in his tone, it takes you a little deeper into different places. Elsewhere, though, and via MPP, DT and CHz, I feel he's a bit reliant on processing a less nuanced delivery. I still can't get over his 'relaxed' approach on MPP. Those songs were absolutely triumphant live, unbridled joy and passion. Why does he sing like he's just content? Maybe that's the point but hey. I'll always have the boots.

#1 is such a good example. when i first started listening to strawberry jam that vocal effect literally scared me because i think it triggered cartoons with the same effect that scared me as a little kid or something. but now i see it as the best possible effect for that song. i cant explain it but wow it gets me

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 12:25 pm**

I think Avey goes hard with vox effects on SF and its especially good there. Like the excitement he communicates in the effects on Sender middle section. And Modern Daze has some amazing stuff going on

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 2:50 pm**

amadeofaingoldnew wrote:

Avey is kind of overdoing it

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 3:05 pm**

especially on ETSH, maybe only on ETSH, and for the fist time it's really annoying me at times. like the part 0:50 - 2:02 on Modern Daze E.. like, its funny and maybe even enjoyable in a way but it doesn't do the SONG justice, or the melody. wich is striking, since that was always one of AC's strenghts.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 3:20 pm**

I happen to like the over the top vocal fx in ETSH, I think it's supposed disorient and take listener on a trip, initially. And who are we to say what does or doesn't do a song justice? That's for Avey, Angel and Jeremy to decide. And they've already decided. It sounds to me that the melody is still there, all you have to do is listen.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 4:41 pm**

I find it distracting.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 5:39 pm**

I think especially when the melody is so catchy and enjoyable on the face of it you have even more of a license to drench it in effects. why not like embrace the fantastical possibilities of music and warp something. make the familiar unfamiliar,

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:11 pm**

Imagine if roses is full of preset effects...

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:19 pm**

Diomedes wrote:

I think especially when the melody is so catchy and enjoyable on the face of it you have even more of a license to drench it in effects. why not like embrace the fantastical possibilities of music and warp something. make the familiar unfamiliar,

100% Yes

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 10:04 pm**

these songs make me so happy, even the more downbeat ones. I think the vocal effects are a huge part of that for me. It just makes me smile and laugh. I am not going to listen to it anymore though because I know the boot sounds pretty good but its just not all there at times.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2014 10:53 pm**

on some songs it works, on some songs it doesn't. but yeah avey's kinda overdoing it. hoping slasher house will be the last album with the extensive use of vox effects, although im loving that album

vocal effects ruined rosie oh for me. RUINED IT
same with tomboy

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:14 am**

I think Catchy (Was Contagious) is the best use of Avey's voice effects yet. Really heavy and distorted, but man does it ever trip me the fuck out.

I don't think it's always necessary, and too much can be annoying(Rosie Oh)...But man Catchy is awesome.

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:38 am**

I didn't mean that i'm against vocal effects, but just that it's hard to have the same emotional effect with them in use, but Avey definitely uses them really well on his new album.

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2014 5:09 am**

foxtrot wrote:

it adds to the psychedelic vibe. I like psychedelic vibes.

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2014 9:10 am**

archie wrote:

i think the chorus/phaser on aveys voice makes the song a lot more emotional a lot of the time!
eg glasslands first song

this and the live version of mercury man. the effects made him almost sound like he's on the edge of crying which i think was awesome.

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:34 am**

yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! exactly what i mean!~~!!!! also applesauce live with uncompressed effects when he says 'so fluuuuuiiiiiiiiiid! so smooth against my palm!"

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:36 pm**

Fan wrote:

Diomedes wrote:
I think especially when the melody is so catchy and enjoyable on the face of it you have even more of a license to drench it in effects. why not like embrace the fantastical possibilities of music and warp something. make the familiar unfamiliar,

100% Yes

I think it sometimes adds to the longevity of the song too. like, if it were just the melody right out there in plain sight, then you wouldn't take as long to find it amongst the psychedelic muck. i like the way AC songs often have really strong/catchy melodies but you still have to unravel them because they are wrapped up in these wonderfully abstract/murky textures.

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 12:11 am**

I still haven't heard SF yet but I felt on CHZ like the vocal effects compressed the vocals too much, or maybe the production didn't lend itself well to the effects, either way, Avey's voice is so strong and is pretty trippy as it is without the effects. Leaf House is a good example of a song where there are little to no effects on the vocals yet are still utilized to achieve some pretty trippy results. So maybe they're kind of relying more on the effects than they have in previous years, but I don't think it hinders me that much, but it would be nice if they switched it around again.

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 2:06 am**

I'm going to wait until Slasher House officially comes out before forming a definite opinion, but from what I heard so far, I dont really like it. I know the freebird wasnt finished yet, so I hope the vocals will sound better once it is. I really like Daves voice, and it sounds best without effects. I really liked the effects he had on Mr. Fingers, but I find the current effects really annoying.

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:07 pm**

At this point I think he is just laying on the effects to spite all the haters. I still think it sounds pretty great and suits the music well.

oh and yeah all of this!

Spoiler: show

Posted: **Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:02 pm**

i'm listening to slasher flicks on my stereo and my 62 yr old dad goes 'is this animal collective?' and i'm like 'kind of yeah, it's one of their side projects'. he says 'yeah i could tell. they really like that vocal effect, don't they?' lol

Posted: **Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:15 pm**

Avey has always been into the effects and I don't really see his FX work with his slasher crew as deviating too far from who he is as an artist

Posted: **Thu Apr 17, 2014 2:38 pm**

The vocal effects on #1 always made Avey sound like David Bowie to me lol. Anyone else get that vibe?

Posted: **Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:36 pm**

I asked Avey about his use of effects in the Reddit AMA last week, and was lucky enough to get a response:

wrote:

I've found that effecting the voice helps blend the music and voice together a bit better for some of the music i've been working on. There actually isn't a lot of flanger on etsh cause i used so much of it on down there. But for some reason i thought Flange sort of helped that swamp atmosphere so it was a creative decision for down there. Lately actually I've thought of doing a record with no vocal effects at all.

Posted: **Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:24 pm**

What effects does Avey use on Catchy, Call Home (Buy Grapes), and the early live version of Mercury Man?

Posted: **Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:00 pm**

Those are generally auto-wah (aka Automatic Filter) effects, but all with different Range, Frequency, and whatever other controls his boxes have.

Posted: **Mon May 05, 2014 2:28 pm**

I agree that they've possibly been "overdoing it" a bit since MPP. Vocal effects and harmonies can be really effective when used with a subtle hand, but slathering them on just kind of kills some of the songs for me. It definitely works to great effect at times, especially for Avey, though my favorite performances by Panda are on SJ and Person Pitch. Screens is lovely as well, though I also just dig that softer style of singing that he seems to employ so rarely these days. Still though...it's all great.

Collected Animals

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