Back in 2011, self-confessed Elephant 6 fan Chad Stockfleth announced he was starting production on a documentary chronicling the legendary psychedelic pop collective’s journey. Though updates on the project’s status came and went over the past couple years, the biggest piece of news has just surfaced: the film is in a very advanced production stage, and has inducted Dan Efram, best known as The Apples in Stereo manager, as a producer. Moreover, the production team has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help complete the film; an initiative that will branch out to a fundraising event to be held in Athens, GA on October 13. Aside from an in-progress screening, the event will feature performances by Circulatory System and The Apples in Stereo’s Robert Schneider. Tickets are available here.
If you are not lucky enough to be in Georgia, but still want a piece of the action, you can check out a teaser video on the campaign’s page. You can also contribute, while you’re at it, claiming sweet rewards like t-shirts and posters designed by Will Cullen (of Olivia Tremor Control fame, aside from being a founder of the collective and their chief visual artist) in exchange for your generosity. Naturally, pre-orders for the digital version of the documentary and production credits pledges are available too.
The Elephant 6 Recording Company was founded in the early 90s by Robert Schneider (The Apples in Stereo), the late Bill Doss, Will Cullen Hart (The Olivia Tremor Control), and Jeff Mangum (NMH, duh!), childhood friends who bonded over a shared love of all things 60s pop and went on to produce some of the most idiosyncratically beautiful music of the 90s. Some of the bands associated with the collective are: Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo, Major Organ and the Adding Machine, Elf Power, The Gerbils, Circulatory System, The Sunshine Fix, The Music Tapes, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, The High Water Marks, etc. Stockfleth has stated that he wishes for this documentary to go beyond ordinary rock doc conventions, invoking the communal, playful feel that permeates Elephant 6’s body of work. With several members of the collective’s bands on board and plenty of archival footage, he may have a good shot at it.
You can find more information on the documentary, and the fundraising event, here.
• A Place We Have Been To: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/elephant6doc
• Elephant 6: http://www.elephant6.com
More about: Bill Doss, Circulatory System, Jeff Mangum, Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo
