[Watch] Animal Collective Discuss 'Centipede Hz' and Radio Show Influences

Animal Collective have taken over the airwaves this past month, using their Animal Collective Radio platform to debut new material, stream their upcoming LP Centipede Hz, and giving fans an insight into the songs and bands that influence the psychedelic outfit. It's been a useful way to not only promote their new album, but to show everyone the foundations of their music as well.

As part of a partnership between The Creators Project and Animal Collective Radio, Animal Collective have taken part in a series of interviews, the first being an interview with Geologist (Brian Weitz). The second installment brings in all four members—Avey Tare( David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Deakin (Josh Dibb), and Weitz— sat down to chat about the new album, the effect FM radio has had on them, as well as the bands that went to influence the sounds of Centipede Hz and their radio program. It's an interesting insight into the band's process, and how they've expanded as musicians. Watch it above.

[Outside Lands 2012 x Interview] YACHT

Photos by Samuel Boardman Parker

Everyday is full of experiences, whether it is an uneventful one or an undoubtedly strange one. Whatever the case may be, it is an experience nonetheless. When it comes to music festivals, though, chances are those experiences are some of the most unique and odd you'll come to encounter. Ridiculous costumes, people from all over the world, the infusion of drug after drug after drug, and the inherent love and passion for music all combine in one location to make for unforgettable happenings. Outside Lands Festival proved to embrace that time honored tradition.

I found myself in one of these memorable encounters on the second day of Outside Lands, meeting up with Claire Evans and Jona Bechtolt of YACHT under the same trees that Electric Guest and I found ourselves in one day later. The quirky contingent that is The Western American Utopian Triangle proved to be an absolute joy to talk to, as photographer Samuel Boardman Parker and I dished out questions regarding YACHT's live performances, the danceability of their music, and what Claire's favorite dish at Olive Garden is. Stream the full interview below.

[Outside Lands 2012 x Interview] Electric Guest

Photo by Samuel Boardman Parker

One would assume that a festival taking place in the middle of one of America's largest cities would feel crowded, unnatural or weighed down by the looming presence of San Francisco itself or those that dwell within it. And this is where I say, one would assume wrong. Outside Lands Festival is an insane experience. That's just it. It's one strange story or crazy experience after the other, and with the festival grounds being surrounded by beautiful greenery and natural isolation, Golden Gate Park makes for a dream setting. The isolation alone gives the festival an incredible feel, as you can bask in the wonders of live music amidst walls of towering trees and odd yet charming people from all walks of life. It truly is amazing.

It was this natural setting and captivating environment that made my interview with Los Angeles band Electric Guest so enjoyable. In the early afternoon on the last day of the festival, I met up with Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton in the designated media area, at which point I opted for some place else, a more secluded location, to have the interview. They promptly agreed. Finding our way out of the media area, we settled up in the winding branches of a nearby tree to chat about all things Electric Guest, from their quick leap into the public eye to recording their debut LP Mondo with Dangermouse. Asa even complimented me on my jacket prior to our interview. Well, to be fair, it's technically not my jacket, but that's beside the point. Hear what Asa, Matthew, and I had to say in the player below.

[Interview] RAC Talks Approach, Original Music, His Disinclination to Sing, and Future Releases

Andre Allen Anjos, aka RAC, has become one of the most well known remix artists out there, establishing a name for himself with some of the most evocative and creative remixes in the world of music. Each remix he puts out masterfully grasps the most important aspects of the original, all the while giving it an entirely fresh and fluid sound. It makes sense, then, that Andre is finally venturing into the realm of original content, and the first taste we got of that was his debut single "Hollywood". The song, which featured the vocals of Penguin Prison's Chris Glover, was a seamless evolution from the remixes RAC has been making for the past several years, taking those experiences and applying it to a made-from-scratch song. The result is an incredibly catchy and wholly indelible piece of music, one that, from start to finish, is tirelessly enjoyable and simply fun to listen to.

During his recent tour, RAC made a stop in Vancouver, performing at the city's famous Waldorf Hotel. Before his show, however, Alec Ross of Ca Va Cool and myself had the opportunity to chat with him about all things RAC. Throughout the interview, we discussed his approach to remixes, how he has applied that to original content, his singing abilities, and future releases. Below, you can stream the entirety of our interview with Andre, which will also be appearing on Ca Va Cool.

UPDATE: The interview has been transcribed and is also available to read in full after the jump.

Adrian: Each remix you put out, carries the intent of the original song, but takes it to a whole new level with a more fluid sound. What approach do you take when creating a remix?

André Allen Anjos: With the remix, it’s kind of like writing a new song. I know that people don’t perceive it that way, or people don’t think anything is original, but it’s kind of like taking out what makes it that song – whether its structure, or a hook, or one of the main things – and then building around that. It’s really about what’s important in that song, and changing the rest, because the rest is irrelevant and interchangeable. That’s kinda what it is, on a practical level it is a lot of time just listening to the song and figuring out what’s important.

Alec Ross: When making a song on your own, is the approach more difficult? Is there anything different in the process?

André: The only real difference is how much pressure I put on myself, because with remixes, normally you’re working with ridiculous deadlines and a lot of the times you just wing it. Sometimes it’s kind of crazy to have a remix I listen to and think “Oh man I wish I had more time for that”, but it doesn’t work out that way. With this it was different because I had all the time in the world and I didn’t have deadlines and I could do whatever I wanted. It was really fun, it was just more pressure on myself. Working with Chris [Glover] was great, that was the easiest part of it.

A: What did you enjoy most about the song? Was it making the song itself, the reception it received, or perhaps the music video with the ridiculous cowboy?

André: To some extent it was the freedom of doing whatever I wanted and establishing myself as an original artist. It’s kind of strange, but really fun. Obviously working with Green Label [Sound], they made a lot of stuff happen financially with the video, and got some pretty big names mixing as well.

AR: It’s pretty cool that you’re with Green Label Sound, it seems like they provide you with a certain amount of “you guys can do what you want, and create what you want to create”, it’s very multi-faceted who is on that label, and all of you are great in your own way.

André: Yeah, well the thing with them is that I had the song way before I even met them. A lot of people worry about labels messing with their music, and they get super protective, but I already had the song so it was never a conversation that came up. I don’t think they’re the kind of people that would do that anyways. They’re all indie label people, with Mountain Dew money basically. They’re doing a lot of real cool stuff because of it, and it’s really exciting, and I’m glad to be a part of it.

AR: Up here in Vancouver it was really noticeable the amount of new listeners you got from your remix of Lana Del Rey’s "Blue Jeans". Did you expect that amount of attention?

André: I can look at facebook stats all day long, but a lot of these things are kind of intangible and you only really notice when you go somewhere. Obviously when the offer came in it was an easy decision because I knew it was going to do well, I never realized it was going to do this well. I definitely noticed some change, but where I really saw the difference was when we played it live and I was like “Woah, people noticed.”

A: How do you prepare for your live shows? With your large amount of output, how much decision and thought goes into the set list?

André: Everything is on the spot. We just gauge the crowd a little bit, and there’s always a couple misfires, but it’s more that way. If we played the same songs every night I’d go insane. DJ’ing is easy enough, and if you already pre-planned your set, that’s just incredibly boring. It’s almost for selfish reasons that we do it on the fly.

AR: With your original sets, are you going to continue to use vocals of other artists or are you playing with the idea of using your own vocals? What’s next for your original content songs?

André: Yeah, I can’t sing. I just really can’t. I also really enjoy the musical side of it, and don’t feel like I have that much to say, and I also want to collaborate with other people. To answer your question, there will be a whole album with collaborations like that, and this is only the beginning of that. We’re going through the labels right now, and I’d love to tell you about all the other artists, but I’m going through all the legal stuff. So once that’s over we’ll make a big announcement and announce solo artists. I’m pretty excited about it, I got to work with some crazy people.

A: In the near future, will you be focused more on original content rather than remixes or vice versa? Can we expect an EP or an LP?

André: It will be an LP for sure. I have something like twenty-five songs with vocals and I have to narrow that down. It’s going to be the most difficult thing I have ever done, but that’s going to be coming out. I’m definitely not going to stop doing remixes, that’s what got us where we are and we’re not going to turn our backs on that. I still love doing remixes and it’s an easy way to collaborate with somebody and do something fun.

AR: Are there any Vancouver bands you ever thought of remixing? What’s your perception of Vancouver’s music scene?

André: Bands? Well, I know a lot of DJs from Vancouver, and maybe I do know some bands, but I just don’t know if they’re from Vancouver. There’s actually a really cool scene in Vancouver with a lot of not well-known artists like Cyclist, PAT LOK, and U-Turn is from Vancouver.

AR: Aside from listening to your own music, what have you been listening to? Are you reading any good books?

André: Well, I’m actually not really much of a reader, but I read a lot of music bindings and music production stuff. Musically, I’ve actually been listening to Afrobeat stuff and Tame Impala.

[SKOA Premiere & Interview] Bedroom Debuts a Stream of His New Album 'Vivid' and Talks Instrumentation, His New Akai MPD26, and Favorite Movies

Bedroom, aka Noah Kittinger, has been a SKOA favorite since we premiered his Toys EP back in February, and since then our musician/blogger bond has grown much stronger. That isn't the only thing that has grown, as Kittinger's talent and abilities have come a long way over the course of five months. He has been experimenting in his bedroom, taking the sounds he established with his debut EP and tinkering with them, expanding them. The result is Vivid, the debut LP from Kittinger, who is now signed on Furious Hooves Records. The LP sees him exploring darker territory, delving into a myriad of instrumentation that evokes a sense of addictive tension. As a whole, the album is a captivating piece of work, one that finds thoughtful provocation in its simplicity, and we here at SKOA are pleased to premiere the debut stream of Bedroom's Vivid. Listen to the album in its entirety below, and make sure to head over to Bedroom's Bandcamp in a few hours to download it for yourself.

Along with the premiere stream of his new album, I took the opportunity to interview Kittinger, asking him a number of questions that have been on my mind these past few months. In the interview, he and I discuss his song-making process, the progression from his EP to his LP, the possibilities of live performances, as well as which movie in The Mummy trilogy is best. Read the interview in full after the jump.

Adrian: The Bedroom music project has always, to me, evoked a nostalgic quality. What is it that you want to portray in your music, and how do you achieve this?

Noah Kittinger: I just want an outlet for my thoughts and experiences. I write music about my thoughts or situations I find or have found myself in.  Other than that I just love making music and sharing it with people. I think I achieve that by just being honest with myself when I write. I don’t write something and think “oh is it too this or is it too that, Do I need to change this to make it sound like that” or anything. I just make everything the way I hear it in my head, I don’t try to make it sound a certain way. Music can be received in different ways for different people. For instance, you find my music to be nostalgic, which is awesome. Someone else might find my music to be completely different. It’s cool to see how people take in my music.

A: Each of your songs carries with it a certain mood, and it generally comes across in the instrumentation. What goes into your song-making process, and how much importance do you place on instrumentation as opposed to, say, lyrics and vocals?

NK: When I make a song, I usually start with a melody of some sort and begin to build somewhat of an instrumental, and I add in vocals later. Like for my song “Trees,” I had that done as an instrumental for like three weeks and one day found a vocal pattern I liked and wrote lyrics up on the spot and recorded them. That’s really how I do each of my songs. Some vocal patterns come easier than others, some don’t. My song “Cmptr” was intended to have vocals in it, but I felt it sounded better with none. I’d say both the vocals and instrumentations are at the same level of importance to me. I give each an equal amount of energy. My lyrics aren’t really that deep or anything, if anything they’re extremely simple and plainly put. Like I said, I write them on the spot and they come from whatever I’m dealing with or thinking of at that moment.

A: Your Toys EP is special in that, no matter what, it always reminds me of childhood, of simple times. Vivid, your debut LP, on the other hand, is much darker in its tone and sound. Describe the differences between the EP and the LP, and the progression of your music between then and now.

NK: I feel like the LP is more experimental than the EP. I tried a lot of new stuff on this album, such as recording techniques and even some field recording of people talking and stuff. I’d say the progression is pretty much just experimentation. Both releases were recorded in the same way, just me and some recording equipment in my bedroom. I think the EP was kind of just me finding my sound, and the LP is me capitalizing on it.

A: What went into influencing this new album? Whether it is life, friends, school, or other musicians, lay it all out there.

NK: A lot influenced the album. Hard to point them all out actually, but I know summer had a pretty big influence on it. The people I’ve sent it to say it has a beachy vibe to it. I dunno. But I also listened to a lot of electronic music while making it. There’s a label in Orlando called Relief in Abstract records, and they have some incredible stuff on there. XXYYXX, GRANT, and Fortune Howl. I got really into that whole scene during the recording of the album. I’d say that influenced me in some ways, to use more electronic sounding drum kits and stuff I guess.  

A: Now that the debut full release is out, what is it that you hope will come of it, and how do you hope fans and friends will respond to it?

NK: I hope this album just brings me more listeners and that people will really enjoy it. I made the album I wanted to make. I just hope people dig it haha. I have a pretty good feeling about this album, though.

A: I know you’ve been tinkering with the idea of live performances, even getting your hands on Ableton and an Akai MPD26. How will you be applying your music to a live setting, and what excites you about the idea of performing live?

NK: Yeah I got that. I’ve been practicing using it in a live aspect, and will hopefully play some shows soon. Like house shows and such, whatever I can get, I’ll take it. I’m excited to just take each song and re-create it live using my MPD. So far it’s working out pretty well.

A: If there is one goal you want to achieve musically, one major aspiration, what is it and why?

NK: I just want to tour and meet people, meet fans.  I think it’d be cool to tour and see the aftermath of what the internet does for me.

A: Growth is an important part of music, so if there is an area that you wanted to improve in or a genre or style you wished to explore, what would it be?

NK: It’s hard to say as of right now. I’m always listening and getting influenced by different types of music. I mean I could say in this moment that I wanted to make an acoustic based album, but over time I’d probably end up finding new artists and not be interested in making an acoustic based album anymore you know? So it’s really hard to tell. But, I’d like to make more beachy sounding music. (I’ve been listening to DIIV’s new record haha). I dunno. Time will tell.

A: Finally, just going to end on some quick-fire questions. Go. 

Favorite musician? Hmm.. Either Baths or Youth Lagoon. 

Favorite movie? Gummo or The Pursuit of Happyness.

Favorite TV show? Man, I’m not sure. I don’t watch TV much anymore. Like not much AT ALL. But, I do enjoy watching Adult Swim. There’s some funny stuff on there. I think it’s cool how they’re releasing music now too (laughs).

The Mummy 1, 2, or 3? 2.

[Watch] Danny Browns Talks MDMA and McDonald's on Pitchfork's '+1'

Following the Pitcfork.tv +1 segment featuring El-P, we have yet another rapper being given the spotlight treatment. Danny Brown features in this episode of +1, and it was filmed at San Miguel Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona. During the episode, Danny talks about MDMA, McDonald's, and performs his song "Blueberry (Pills and Cocaine)." Watch it above.

[Watch] El-P Perform "The Full Retard" at His Album Release Show and See Him Tickle Killer Mike

In Pitchfork.tv's newest installment of +1, the featured artist is none other than Brooklyn rapper El-P, whose new LP Cancer for Cure is easily one of the best hip hop albums this year. During the clip, you can see El-P performing his song "The Full Retard" at the album release show for Cancer for Cure, as well as him tickling Killer Mike. Definitely worth the watch.

[Watch] Nardwuar vs. M83

When M83 visited Vancouver back in April, the city's resident weirdo and interview aficionado Nardwuar the Human Serviette made sure to stop by to ask Anthony Gonzalez as many pressing questions as possible. The result? Gonzalez was, like many of Nardwuar's interviewees, stunned by his impressive knowledge and research, and reacted only with confusion to Nardwuar's signature sign-off. If you're a fan of M83, the interview is definitely worth the watch.