Listen: Animal Collective - "New Psycho Actives Vol.1"

23 March 2015, 15:56 | Written by Cerys Kenneally

(Tracks)

(Animal Collective) (Avey Tare)

Having tweeted that these tracks are to celebrate the snow on the equinox, Avey Tare and Geologist of Animal Collective take us to outer space with their admirably alien split single.

Avey Tare's track is a 14-minute journey into a mind-bending, psychedelic world. The transformations across the track are stunning, allowing the listener to dip into different hallucinogenic, alien worlds, whilst Tare still holds us with his incredibly infectious melodies and echoey, unpredictable vocals. The echoes are like falling headfirst into a pond of multicoloured syrup, slowly engulfing the listener with abnormal, trippy sounds. Being able to hold your attention for 14 minutes is commendable, particularly when the track is so unpredictable. Tare even manages to plunge into bursts of tropical sounds, giving us a blast of summer vibes.

Geologist's track is even more alien. Strange electronic sounds and glitchy, manipulated vocals allow the listener to be submerged into an extra-terrestrial trip, sometimes so convincing that you're not sure if your ears are fooling you. Despite the alienating premise, there are bright, UV-drenched melodies that bleep away beautifully. The vocals are similar to that of Connan Mockasin - completely submerged in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

Both tracks are blissfully weird, and highlight the impressive ability of Tare and Geologist to collaborate in an individual manner.

You can stream and download both tracks below.

Avey Tare - "Tape Player Chants For Winter"