Animal Collective Share Jetty Documentary Soundtrack

2 hours ago7 min read4 comments

The sonic architects of Animal Collective, Geologist and Deakin, have once again blurred the lines between experimental soundscape and melodic accessibility with their original soundtrack for Sam Fleischner's documentary, 'Jetty,' a film chronicling the poignant reconstruction of New York City's Rockaway Beach in the devastating wake of Hurricane Sandy. For those who have followed Animal Collective's trajectory from Baltimore's underground art scenes to their status as indie rock luminaries, this project feels less like a side quest and more like a natural evolution of their core ethos—using sound to map emotional and physical landscapes.The album, available for streaming now with a vinyl release slated for April, serves as a haunting, aqueous companion to Fleischner's visual narrative, a work that director Fleischner, who has a history of lensing music videos for artists like Devendra Banhart, was uniquely positioned to helm. This isn't the collective's first foray into film scoring; their work on 'The Inspection' and the 'Crestone' soundtrack showcased a growing fascination with ambient textures and environmental storytelling, but 'Jetty' feels more personal, more geographically tethered.The original article's brief mention is merely the opening chord; the full composition here is one of resilience. The soundtrack itself is a tidal flow of field recordings—the crunch of construction gravel, the distant cry of gulls, the relentless wash of waves—woven together with Deakin's warm, submerged guitar loops and Geologist's signature palette of unpredictable samples and rhythmic pulses.It’s a headphone record that transports you directly to that specific stretch of Queens shoreline, not in its idyllic summer-party guise, but in its vulnerable, rebuilding state. The decision to release the score on vinyl is a deliberate, almost ceremonial act, transforming the music from a digital stream into a tangible artifact, much like the rebuilt pier itself—a physical object reclaiming space from the destructive force of nature.This project resonates deeply within the broader context of artists responding to climate-driven disasters, from Brian Eno's reflective ambience to Mitski's more lyrical reckonings with loss, positioning Animal Collective not just as musicians but as sonic documentarians. The collaboration highlights a symbiotic relationship between filmmaker and musicians, where the score doesn't merely accompany the images but becomes an essential character in the story of erosion and renewal. For collectors and fans, this LP is more than a new release; it's a piece of New York's cultural and environmental history, pressed into wax and waiting to be experienced, a testament to the enduring power of community and art to rebuild, note by note, board by board.

#featured

#Animal Collective

#Jetty

#documentary

#soundtrack

#Rockaway Beach

#vinyl