On the Animal Collective message board, Avey Tare has responded to the uproar that's surrounded the leak of his forthcoming album with wife Kria Brekkan, Pullhair Rubeye. In case you aren't aware, every track on the album is in reverse, as well as sped up at certain points. This has caused much dismay among Animal Collective fans who had high hopes for the album after hearing various bootlegs of the songs being performed live in the usual forward manner.For his part, Tare insists that this isn't a joke and that he prefers the album this way. I'm inclined to disagree, but that's just my opinion. After the jump, you'll find his response reprinted in full. "hey guys that is indeed the record, no tricks involved here, no concepts. We just really like it that way. Hope that's cool. Were not bummed. I hope youre not...
Its not really an issue of prefering the songs backward. Its more of the fact that this is a release we wanted to put out. It has a foreign/other quality and as you said nice warm ambient quality that we like. I wouldnt really say its a noise record. Ive put tons and tons of work into songs noone will ever hear why should it stop me from doing what i want with them. its just because you guys know the songs and can even hear them reversed on your computers that makes you have all these confused thoughts. If you couldnt download bootlegs of the songs and couldnt hear them reversed then you would just say fuck this record sucks..or cool this record rules and youd let it grow on you or you wouldnt. Youd find a place where it works or you wouldnt. Its not hard to flip a reel around and hear it backwards or even decide that it sounds sweet and its not really that bizzare of a record either or that difficult if you can get over the fact that its backwards you dont even need a computer. If you just pass it off as backwards sure ofcourse its not revolutionary or "experimental" youve been able to flip tape for more or less almost 100 years now why would i think its experimental??? Ive heard "i am sitting in a room" okay, i know what experimental music is (hehehe joke).
Its also clear that the bulk of our fanbase is able to put the thing on their computers and listen to it the other way so its not as if we didnt know that was gonna happen either. we dont think it should be heard that way cause songs are sped up, dont have vocals etc. but we know that wont stop you so do what you like, and in a way that is cool.
If there wasnt so much hype and so much of an expectation for us to put out this killer "experimental pop record" then alot of you might never even hear about this record. But wed still be into it and would have faith that some people would too.
we offer this cause we think it is somthing special we made (as equally special as the songs forward) and different from what youve heard and songs that you can get else where. We like the textures and the melodies. And honestly somthing we think our fans can digest. If i thought it was just a "noise record" i wouldnt put it out. If your just passing judgment cause of what youve heard other people say you should atleast check out the record.
by the way it was the 21st of december when we decided this. I think it was a combination of of being stuck in nyc for christmas and seeing that new david lynch movie, so if youre that bummed you can blame the weather and david lynch."
I really like experimental music and exploring the defintions of the indie pop song. Animal Collective, and band member Panda Bear do that with astonishing results, but Avey Tare is just being weird to be different. Different and hmm that is interesting doesn't always equal being good.