Walkabout (Atlas Sound song)

Last updated
"Walkabout"
Song by Atlas Sound featuring Noah Lennox
from the album Logos
LanguageEnglish
PublishedOctober 20, 2009
ReleasedJuly 17, 2009
Genre
Length3:29
Label Kranky
Producer(s) Bradford Cox

"Walkabout" is a song by Atlas Sound featuring Noah Lennox. It appears as the third track on his second studio effort Logos . Although never released as a single, it is often seen as the lead single as it was the first song officially released from the album. Upon initial release, Pitchfork Media included it in their best new tracks section [1] and rated it as 34th best song of the year. [2] The track utilizes an extensive sample of "What Am I Going to Do" by The Dovers.

Contents

Background

The song came about when Atlas Sound began to tour as the opener for Animal Collective in Europe. Bradford states: [3]

I toured for a period in Europe with Animal Collective, whose band dynamic was very inspirational to be around. On the bus, we often played improvised iPod games. We would take turns formulating a theme or unifying concept and then play three songs. The goal would be for everyone to try and figure out the theme. During one of these games, someone played 'What Am I Going to Do' by the Dovers. I was amazed at the hook-- a weird organ thing with drums and electric bass. I mentioned to Noah [Lennox] that someone should really sample that riff. He agreed and he taught me a little about sampling and matching up beats. This ended up as the collaborative effort 'Walkabout.'

Live rendition

Although the song is mainly constructed from samples, when performing live Cox will rarely use a sampler to recreate it, as he has not since mid-2009. When he toured in late 2009, the song was played with opening band for that tour The Selmanaires. [4] Since early 2010, Cox will simply play the song with an acoustic guitar featuring large improvised sections and occasionally a drum machine. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Sung Tongs</i> 2004 studio album by Animal Collective

Sung Tongs is the fifth studio album by American experimental pop band Animal Collective, released on May 3, 2004 by FatCat Records. The album generated much praise from critics upon its release and was featured in best-of lists at the end of 2004 and the decade of the 2000s.

<i>Spirit Theyre Gone, Spirit Theyve Vanished</i> 2000 studio album by Avey Tare and Panda Bear

Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished is the first collaborative studio album by Avey Tare and Panda Bear, released in August 2000. It was later retroactively classified as the debut album by experimental pop band Animal Collective. The album was first released as a CD on the band's own Animal label with only 2000 copies produced.

<i>Campfire Songs</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Campfire Songs

Campfire Songs is the debut and only album by the American band Campfire Songs, released in March 2003. A collaborative work between Dave Portner, Noah Lennox, and Josh Dibb, it was later retroactively classified as the third studio album by experimental pop band Animal Collective.

Avey Tare American musician

David Michael Portner, also known by his moniker Avey Tare, is a musician and songwriter who co-founded the American experimental pop band Animal Collective. He has released three solo albums, as well as three collaborative albums with Panda Bear which were later retroactively classified under Animal Collective's discography.

Black Dice

Black Dice is an American experimental music band currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Initially drawing on hardcore punk and noise rock, the group's sound developed to incorporate extensive signal processing, effects units, and electronic instrumentation. They released their debut album Beaches & Canyons in 2002 on the labels DFA and Fat Cat.

<i>Person Pitch</i> 2007 studio album by Panda Bear

Person Pitch is the third solo album by American recording artist Noah Lennox under his alias Panda Bear, released March 20, 2007 by Paw Tracks. Departing stylistically from his prior work as both a member of Animal Collective and a solo artist, the album was recorded using the Roland SP-303 sampler and is largely composed of manipulated samples, loops, and Lennox’s layered vocals. He described it as a collection of "super dubby and old sounding" songs inspired by his recent marriage, fatherhood, and move to Portugal.

Panda Bear (musician) American musician

Noah Benjamin Lennox, also known by his moniker Panda Bear, is an American musician, singer-songwriter and co-founding member of the experimental pop band Animal Collective. In addition to his work with that group, Lennox has released six solo LPs since 1999. His third, Person Pitch (2007), is noted for influencing a wide range of subsequent indie music in addition to inspiring the chillwave genre and numerous soundalike acts.

Deerhunter American rock band

Deerhunter is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2001. The band currently consists of Bradford Cox, Moses Archuleta, Lockett Pundt, Josh McKay (bass) and Javier Morales.

Bradford Cox American singer-songwriter and musician

Bradford James Cox is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Deerhunter. He also pursues a solo career under the moniker Atlas Sound.

Cate Le Bon Welsh musician and producer

Cate Le Bon is a Welsh musician and producer. She sings in both English and Welsh. She has released five solo albums, three EPs and a number of singles. Le Bon has toured with artists such as St. Vincent, Perfume Genius and John Grant.

<i>Merriweather Post Pavilion</i> (album) Album by Animal Collective

Merriweather Post Pavilion is the eighth studio album by American experimental pop group Animal Collective, released in January 2009 on Domino Records. It peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the US Top Independent Albums charts. According to review aggregate site Metacritic, Merriweather was the most critically acclaimed album of 2009, and went on to sell over 200,000 copies by 2012. It spawned the singles "My Girls", "Summertime Clothes", and "Brother Sport".

Lockett Pundt Musical artist

Lockett James Pundt IV is an American musician, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist of Atlanta-based indie rock group Deerhunter. Pundt joined Deerhunter in 2005 as a guitarist. He releases solo material under the name Lotus Plaza. His debut album as Lotus Plaza, The Floodlight Collective, was released March 23, 2009 on CD and vinyl. Pundt has cited his greatest musical influences as being Stereolab, My Bloody Valentine, and Roxy Music, "on a subliminal level."

<i>Logos</i> (Atlas Sound album) 2009 studio album by Atlas Sound

Logos is the second studio album from ambient experimental project Atlas Sound. It was released on October 19, 2009, in Europe by 4AD, and on October 20 in the US by Kranky. The album features guest contributions from Noah Lennox and Stereolab's Lætitia Sadier. Units ordered directly from Rough Trade came packaged with a bonus six-song EP of leftover material. The album reached #7 on the Billboard Heatseekers album chart. The cover art is an image of Bradford Cox, who has Marfan syndrome, and is inspired by the artwork of his previous release.

Chillwave is a music microgenre that emerged in the late 2000s. It loosely emulates 1980s electropop while engaging with notions of memory and nostalgia. Common features include a faded or dreamy retro pop sound, escapist lyrics, psychedelic or lo-fi aesthetics, mellow vocals, slow-to-moderate tempos, effects processing, and vintage synthesizers.

Rusty Santos is a record producer and musician based in Los Angeles. He is known for producing, recording, mixing and/or mastering records like Animal Collective’s Sung Tongs and the reissue of Danse Manatee, Panda Bear’s Person Pitch, Born Ruffians’ Red, Yellow & Blue, Owen Pallett's Heartland & In Conflict, DJ Rashad's Welcome to the Chi, Dawn of Midi's "Dysnomia", and many more.

Bradford Cox discography

The discography of American ambient musician Bradford Cox includes his work with Deerhunter, the band he cofounded with drummer Moses Archuleta in 2001, and his solo efforts as Atlas Sound. With Deerhunter, Cox has released four studio albums and two extended plays, and as Atlas Sound he has released two albums, several vinyl singles and splits, and over fifty individual tracks on his blog. Cox was born in 1982 in Athens, Georgia, and has used the name "Atlas Sound" to refer to his own music since he was a child, when he recorded on a tape player created by the company Atlas Sound. He is known for having the genetic disorder Marfan syndrome and his live performances with Deerhunter during 2007, in which he would come out on stage in dresses and covered in fake blood.

Animal Collective American experimental pop band

Animal Collective is an American experimental pop band formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 2003. Its members and founders are Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Deakin, and Geologist. The band's music is characterized by studio experimentation, vocal harmonies, and an exploration of various genres which include freak folk, noise rock, ambient drone, and psychedelia. Records released under the name "Animal Collective" may include contributions from any or all of its members. In the case of Dibb, who often takes breaks from recording and performing with the band, his time off does not constitute full leave.

<i>Centipede Hz</i> 2012 studio album by Animal Collective

Centipede Hz is the ninth studio album by American experimental pop group Animal Collective, released on September 4, 2012 on Domino Records. The album marks the return of band member Deakin, who sat out of the recording and touring of the band's previous album, Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009). On the US Billboard 200, it peaked at No. 16.

<i>Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper</i> 2015 studio album by Panda Bear

Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Panda Bear. It was released on January 9, 2015 by the Domino Recording Company. Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper was preceded by the digital release of an extended play, Mr Noah, and two singles, "Mr Noah" and "Boys Latin". It was followed by the extended play Crosswords.

<i>Painting With</i> 2016 studio album by Animal Collective

Painting With is the tenth studio album by American experimental pop band Animal Collective, released on February 19, 2016. The album is a follow-up to Centipede Hz (2012), and features contributions from John Cale and Colin Stetson. It peaked at No. 46 on the Billboard 200. Three singles were issued: "FloriDada" (2015), "Lying in the Grass", and "Golden Gal". A companion EP, The Painters, was released the following year.

References

  1. ""Walkabout"[ft. Noah Lennox] by Atlas Sound Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
  2. "The Top 100 Tracks of 2009 - Page 7 | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
  3. "Deerhunter's Bradford Cox Announces New Atlas Sound Album | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
  4. "Atlas Sound : Walkabout @ The Bottom Lounge - YouTube". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
  5. "Atlas Sound - "Walkabout" (Live at The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles 01-08-10) - YouTube". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2016-06-14.