Animal Collective share 22-minute epic, ‘Defeat’

Produced by Russell Elevado (Kamasi Washingyon, The Roots) and featuring guest musicians Samara Lubelski (violin), Leila Bordreuil (cello) and Ben Chapoteau-Katz (saxophone), ‘Defeat’ is an undulating track which heroes collaboration on both a practical and thematic level.

It follows the release of Avey Tare’s latest solo album earlier this year, and centres around our collective need to “[stay] grounded like the spruce”, even in the face of seismic change.

The single will be released as a limited edition 12-inch on 25th August via Domino, and will feature the fan-inspired ‘The Challenge (Live Edit)’ as a B-side.

Initially an improv performance piece, Animal Collective member Geologist explains that ‘The Challenge’ evolved into a studio track when fans began “recording, uploading and listening to [that particular section of] the shows each night”.

Listen to ‘Defeat’ (all 22 minutes of it) below.