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Baker's Dozen

Everything Serves The Rhythm: Panda Bear's Favourite Albums
Joe Clay , January 15th, 2015 11:34

The Animal Collective man released his fifth solo album, Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper, this week. Before he did, he sat down with Joe Clay to pick 13 formative favourite records

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Everything But The Girl - Temperamental
This was their last album. I really liked Walking Wounded, but Temperamental as a house album - I'd heard a lot of house singles - but as an album, it really worked for me. It doesn't sound like an album of singles. Nobody else I know really likes it. That's rare, so I have a special relationship with it. In terms of dance albums with a singing component to it, it's really influential for me. That's why I put it on here. I still don't feel like I've found my way of making music that is overtly dancey in a way that didn't feel like some sort of lame copy. Maybe one day it will happen.

'Afterburner' on Tomboy came pretty close.

That was an attempt, but I couldn't make a whole album like that.

Do you ever think of making instrumental dance tracks?

Yeah, I make instrumental dance music all the time. You know that L.I.E.S. label? I'm friends with Ron [Morelli] who runs it. I often think of sending him tracks that I've made. I love the label.

Do you worry that it might cloud what you were doing? It might confuse your fans if you suddenly put out a 12" of straight-up banging house?

I just don't feel like I have any way of improving that world. There are people doing stuff that is vastly better than anything I've come up with so far. Until I feel like I hit a moment when I have a voice in this conversation that needs to be heard I'll just keep quiet!