Animal Collective are a group of four best friends who grew up playing and recording music together in Baltimore County Maryland. Why Animal? Because it's the only word we could think of that made any remote connection to what we thought our sound was, and, of course, we love our fellow animals very much. Why Collective? Because we have always wanted to be the ones who define what and who AC are. Two people? Four people? Why not? Don't be surprised if you come to see us and it's not what you thought it would be, and try not to get too upset. AC continues to make music after seven years, six studio records and one live record, that combines a love of sonic free form electronic horror gospel hip hop soul pop madness and brings it all together into something that is (hopefully) at times totally pleasing and at others completely scary and confusing but most importantly is refreshing in this crazy, crazy world.