Neutral Milk Hotel have announced their return after an extended hiatus for a small number of live dates, report Pitchfork.

The band's website states that a line-up Jeff Mangum, the band's reclusive driving force, Scott Spillane, Julian Koster and Jeremy Barnes will come together to play the five shows confirmed so far:

OCTOBER
Tue 22 - 40 Watt Club, Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Wed 23 - 40 Watt Club, Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Fri 25 - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.

NOVEMBER
Thu 28 - Hostess Club Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan

DECEMBER
Sun 1 - Hostess Club Weekender, Tokyo, Japan

The return follows a flurry of activity for Mangum, including sets at Occupy Wall Street, a number of festivals and curating his own ATP last year.

Have a watch of the video for In An Aeroplane Over The Sea's 'Holland, 1945' and see if you can make anything of the statement the band issued on their website below:

"and of water course womb rume is a wandering the welkin woman whose fune caul is all umbilical cord code that comes equipped with read volve vît curtains that čun seel my văl én tich radio reason in remembrance of mademoiselle gabrielle and her wone tym pad lock of burd language as it borders on twin tolk the wolk king wall of woolpack pigeons pointing to the fly blind readers riddle and his rian boh"