Animal Collective’s Geologist: Still Digging Up Sonic Gems

Best known as Geologist, Animal Collective’s Brian Weitz injects synthesizers, samples, animal sounds, and field recordings into that band's enchantingly strange sound world. Recently, Weitz has been on a creative tear, releasing a solo album and several other projects, including Croz Boyce with Avey Tare. In our interview, he talks about sonic texture, the internet’s influence on music culture, and his obsession with the hand-cranked medieval instrument, the hurdy-gurdy. In this conversation, we talk about sound, technology, and the music business: the first sounds that caught Brian's young ear; his love of that classic turn of the millennium technology the MiniDisc player; Animal Collective’s determination never to sound too “trad”; the strange opportunities and pressures of early internet fame; And the hurdy-gurdy--that infernal machine that fuels so much of Brian's recent creativity. Phantom Power members will get the full interview, including Brian’s background in ocean conservation—we talk about scuba diving the recordings of seals and walruses that found their way into Animal Collective tracks. Plus Brian's reading and listening recommendations. You can become a member at mackhagood.com . And Croz Boyce will perform at Cincinnati’s Talk Low Music Festival on Saturday, September 26, at the Contemporary Arts Center. Phantom Power is proud to sponsor Talk Low, and I hope to see some of you there. Cited Media: Albums: Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982) Panda Bear - Panda Bear (1999) Animal Collective - Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished (2000) The Strokes - Is This It (2001) Animal Collective - Campfire Songs (2003) Animal Collective - Sung Tongs (2004) Animal Collective - Feels (2005) Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) Animal Collective - Meeting of the Waters (2017) Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra - Promises (2021) Randall Poster - For the Birds: The Birdsong Project (benefiting Audubon Society & Macaulay Library, Cornell) (2022) Motherfuckers, JMB & Co (2025) Geologist - Can I Get a Pack of Camel Lights (2026) Avey Tare & Geologist present Croz Boyce - Croz Boyce (2026) Climax Golden Twins - Imperial Household Orchestra David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name (1971) Valentin Clastrier - solo hurdy-gurdy record New Psychoactives - Animal Collective side project (SoundCloud) Series & Platforms: Daryl Hall - Live at Daryl's House (web series) Fugazi - Live Archive Series Artists: Crosby, Stills & Nash Sonic Youth Chapters: 0:00 Intro 5:15 Early Musical Memories 12:27 New York Scene & Early Records 16:05 Band Philosophy & Internet Era 22:00 Music Business & Fan Community 27:40 Croz Boyce & Recent Work 31:58 Naming Croz Boyce 36:48 The Hurdy-Gurdy 41:17 College Radio & Keiji Haino 47:32 Outro Click here to read the full transcript Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices