Exclusive: Animal Collective Discuss New Album

Pitchfork recently spoke to Deaken and he gave us the goods on the new album, which is tentatively scheduled for release on October 11. This album, the sixth under the Animal Collective name, is titled Feels. Now fresh out of the mastering oven, the album was recorded in Seattle with Scott Colburn at Gravelvoice studios.

So what does it sound like? "We tend to shy away from trying to decide how people are gonna hear it," Deaken says. "Somebody said they thought people that really liked Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished would like this one. Usually when people ask us that question, we say that anybody who has seen us live in the last year has a good idea of what it'll sound like."

As it stands, the album has nine tracks and clocks in at about 50 minutes. Deaken tells us, "We started writing songs for this album back in January of 2004. A lot of songs have been added or changed, but essentially we've been working on those songs any time we've gone on tour through 2004 and into 2005."

Whereas 2004's Sung Tongs was an Avey/Panda joint, and the Prospect Hummer EP featured everyone except Geologist, the lineup for this album is comprised of the original furry four: Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Geologist, and Deaken. The collective has plans to tour Europe just after the album comes out, as well as a couple of U.S. shows around that time. A full U.S. tour is currently slated for early 2006.

In the meantime, they'll spend the summer separated for the most part, before grouping in the fall when they will begin preparing to play new material for the upcoming tour. Panda Bear is putting together an album of some material he's been working on over the past six or seven months. Avey Tare is focusing on his Black Dice-related side project, Terrestrial Tones.

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