Monday doesn’t have to be blue, thanks to last night’s debut of Animal Collective Radio. In fact, the mischievous racket-makers premiered a new song on the broadcast that would suggest even a lowly Monday could be out of this world. “Today’s Supernatural” — out digitally tomorrow — is the first single from Animal Collective’s upcoming Centipede Hz, which clambers to Earth on September 4 via Domino. AnCo member Panda Bear hosted this week’s show, which you can hear here, and as fan messageboard Collected Animals points out, the singer and songwriter born Noah Lennox also played a couple of previously unheard tracks of his own.
“Today’s Supernatural” doesn’t veer too far from the jam- and indie-kid-friendly psychedelic revelations of AnCo’s previous albums, including 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion. As intriguing as it might be to hear Panda Bear, Avey Tare, Deakin, and Geologist presenting their idea of what’s “supernatural” in 2012, their latest instead revisits the familiar notion of finding the mind-expanding in the everyday. If the lyrics don’t always hold up well on sober appraisal (“Good things like friends come a long way”), the whirring, disorienting avant-funk groove promises to keep coughing up further rewards on repeat listens. And Tare’s yelped refrain — “Come on and let-let-let-let-let-let-let go!” — is instantly unforgettable.
Panda Bear’s solo offerings from the radio set are more fragmentary. According to the track list, the songs are “Soft Serve Rip Curl” and “Principe Real” and both are instrumental. The first is woozy and orchestral, something like the gentler moments of the Avalanches or Quiet Village, while the second is more of a loping, funky, chillwave cut reminiscent of Toro Y Moi’s first album — a remarkable twist given Panda Bear’s status as the godfather of the chillwave moment, which might seem over now, but then, people said the same thing about dubstep, so who knows.
Along with Panda Bear’s mix, last night’s show also featured guest DJ sets by noise luminaries Black Dice, the globally minded record label Sublime Frequencies, and Haunted Graffiti, a.k.a. Ariel Pink’s band. Tare, Deakin, and Geologist will each host their own shows, which air at 9 p.m. EST each Sunday night through August 19. On Animal Collective’s website, listeners can also download a “sample pack” of Centipede Hz sounds, plus instructions how to make your own mixes. Look for other details about where to upload mixes and what prizes you can win soon.
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