Pitchfork

Way the eff back in August 2006, word was the mighty Animal Collective were "starting to film for a very special release next year." When we talked to Noah "Panda Bear" Lennox a few months later in November, he affirmed that filming for the project had begun and added that "AC will make the music for it" once director Danny Perez (who also did the "Who Could Win a Rabbit" video) was "done editing all the footage." So far, so good.

Fast forward to a Saturday afternoon at this year's Pitchfork Music Festival (also captured for Pitchfork.tv), where Dave "Avey Tare" Portner spoke of filming assorted "scenarios" inspired by art/experimental films and apparently featuring the acting talents of the AC guys. Portner also claimed "we've been coming up with music ideas" and noted the "visual record" would ultimately surface on DVD.

All caught up? Great. That brings us to a Billboard.com report today, in which Portner teases a bit more about the project in question. "This year, we got to a place where we can start doing demos and nailing all the sounds down, while we're at home," he told Billboard.com. "It's something new for all of us. It's been a work-as-we-go process." Portner again refers to the thing as a "visual record."

Still no word whatsoever on when we'll actually see the thing, but it's not like Animal Collective don't have plenty else going on in the meantime. Merriweather Post Pavilion and its trippy cover art (speaking of "visual" records...) descend in January, and AC have a short run of live dates surrounding the release.

That's all for "Animal Collective Non-News" today, folks. Tune in tomorrow for a non-update on the AC box set that's been "due to arrive soon" for approximately 55 years now. Or, hell, have it today: according to a late October post on label Catsup Plate's website, "All we can say is that it's coming."

Animal Collective:

01-12 London, England - KOKO
01-13 Glasgow, Scotland - Glasgow School of Arts
01-14 Manchester, England - Club Academy
01-15 Brighton, England - Concorde 2
01-16 Paris, France - Bataclan
01-17 Leuven, Belgium - Stuk Kunstencentrum
01-18 Berlin, Germany - Postbanhof
01-20 New York, NY - Grand Ballroom
01-22 Chicago, IL - Metro
01-23 Los Angeles, CA - Fonda