Animal Collective - Defeat (12" Single)

This 22-minute Animal Collective epic is an unapologetic ode to perseverance and hope, to "staying grounded like the spruce" when the very land seems to shift beneath us. Recorded in three phases by Russell Elevado (D'Angelo, Alicia Keys, Al Green) in the analogue wonderland of The Bunker, Defeat springs from that hurdy-gurdy haze into a pop explosion, suggesting fight music for our shared future. The song's slow-motion finale feels like a fantasia vision of what's to come - a quieter place where we can thrive together, not apart. This is the beautiful and redemptive saga of the Animal Collective condensed into one unforgettable suite, a song for holding fast even as the world spins ahead, ever faster.

The 12" also features the B-side The Challenge (Live Edit). The Challenge is a completely improvised track that has only been played in front of a live audience, originating as an unrehearsed intro to the song Strung With Everything while the band were on tour last year. The recorded version that appears on the 12" was collaged together from 11 different shows between March and September of 2022.

"The only time it was even discussed was after shows late in the touring cycle when it took on its own identity," says the band's Geologist. "'How did we feel about the Strung intro?' often provided the answer to 'how was the show?' But the discussion always ended at what happened that night, without any detailed critique, and never with how it might happen the next. We became aware the same discussions were happening amongst our fans, who were recording, uploading and listening to the shows each night. They took notice and named the section The Challenge. This edit is for them."

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Tracklist:

1. Defeat
2. The Challenge (Live Edit)