Animal Collective Working on Film, New Music

Due out in early 2010, the next full-length release by Animal Collective will feature abstract, freeform musical compositions that even multi-instrumentalist band member Dave Portner, aka Avey Tare, hesitates to label "songs." In other words, it will be just like any other Animal Collective album, except this time there will be a film attached.

Portner tells Spinner the Baltimore-born, New York City-based band will spend the first half of next year finishing and promoting a film it made in collaboration with director and visual artist Danny Perez. While fans shouldn't expect any kind of linear plot or traditional narrative structure -- and really, what fans of the sonically adventurous art-rock quartet would expect such things? -- Portner insists the still-untitled film holds together as a coherent piece of work.

"It's definitely a collection of short visual pieces, or short films, that interact with each other, and that make this cohesive thing," Portner says. "It has a lot to do with the fact that the music and the visuals are so tied together."

Animal Collective have already submitted the film to the Sundance Film Festival and are gearing up for both theatrical screenings and a DVD release. When the disc hits stores, Portner says, it will serve as an unofficial follow-up to the group's last album, 'Merriweather Post Pavilion,' which was met with critical raves earlier this year.

"Everything is new," Portner says of the soundtrack. "It's basically like we're putting out a new record, in a way. It's a little bit different from 'Merriweather.' There's a little more of a film-score element to it. It's not as songy, but only in the sense that you need the visuals to appreciate some of the music. I'm not sure how well [the music] would translate without the visuals, and the same vice versa."

Portner says it's possible Animal Collective will make additional films in the future, as he and routine-averse bandmates Noah Lennox (Panda Bear), Brian Weitz (Geologist) and Josh Dibb (Deakin) are always on the lookout for new and interesting projects.

"I think it gets boring for us, after a while, to do so much the same all the time, the same kinds of tours, playing the same kinds of venues," Portner says. "There are a variety of things we can do. I think we're trying to keep it open. I'd like to do more film stuff. I think it'd be cool."