Separately, Panda Bear and Sonic Boom are members of two acclaimed, left-of-center groups. Now, after working together for more than a decade, the Animal Collective and Spacemen 3 principals have finally teamed for the first collaborative album under both of their names.
The pair’s Reset is due Aug. 12 digitally and Nov. 18 in physical formats from Domino Records. The first single from the project, “Go On,” samples The Troggs’ 1967 song “Give It to Me” in a move inspired by Sonic Boom’s vast collection of vintage American doo-wop and rock vinyl.
Panda Bear and Sonic Boom first worked together on the former’s 2011 album Tomboy and furthered their creative relationship on 2015’s Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. The artists both live in Portugal, making it easier for them than most to make music during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moved by the sounds of artists such as The Everly Brothers, Eddie Cochran and Randy and the Rainbows, Sonic Boom (Peter Kember) created lengthy loops from these and other favorite old records and presented them to Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) to adorn with his signature, effects-laden vocals.
Two charitable initiatives are in place for physical variants of Reset. One dollar from every CD and vinyl sold will be donated to Earth Island Institute, a non-profit working to “conserve, preserve and restore the environment.” Ten dollars from each limited-edition, 500-copy translucent pink vinyl sold on Bandcamp will benefit MAPS, a non-profit research organization developing psychedelic therapies for use in mental health treatments.
Amid all this activity, Panda Bear will be on the road this summer with Animal Collective in support of the group’s most recent album, Time Skiffs. The group also just released a three-song performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk (At Home) concert series.
Here is the track list for Reset:
“Gettin’ to the Point”
“Go On”
“Everyday”
“Edge of the Edge”
“In My Body”
“Whirlpool”
“Danger”
“Livin’ in the After”
“Everything’s Been Leading to This”
