EXCLUSIVE: Greenwich Entertainment has acquired North American distribution rights to music-themed documentary The Elephant 6 Recording Co., setting an August 25 theatrical release date for the directorial debut of C.B. Stockfleth.
The film, an inside look at the influential underground music movement, premiered at DOC NYC last November and held its international premiere at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen in March.
“In 1985, a group of Louisiana high schoolers began experimenting with whatever random instruments and gear they could find,” a description of the documentary notes. “This core group became the basis for a loose music collective that became known as the Elephant 6 Recording Co. and comprised bands Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo, Elf Power and many others. Influenced by psychedelic pop of the Beatles and the Beach Boys and a lo-fi DIY approach, the bands that coalesced around the Elephant 6 banner epitomized for many alternative and indie rock of the ‘90’s.”
One of the musicians involved in the collective recalls their ethos: “Come freaks, one and all!” Another says, “Everybody appeared on everybody’s record. It’s like, ‘Oh, we need viola. We need a trumpet.’” A third notes, “The idea that what we were doing would find an audience was pretty improbable.”
Greenwich co-president Ed Arentz commented, “The Elephant 6 Recording Co. is a celebration of the ripe for rediscovery music generated by the protean Elephant 6 scene and an amazing document of what non-commercial DIY alternative music looked, sounded and felt like in the ‘90’s.”
The Elephant 6 Recording Co.
Bands in the collective brought fresh energy to instrumentation, recording and vibe.
“We wanted to change the way people listen to music,” The Olivia Tremor Control’s John Fernandes told Stereogum in 2016. “There was an experimental scene. There was a pop scene. We wanted to combine those two things. Make people who love the Beatles also appreciate John Cage.”
The Elephant 6 Recording Co. is produced by Lance Bangs (Jackass, Daydream Nation) with executive producers Dan Efram, Rob Hatch-Miller (Other Music), Emmett James, Sean O’Neal, and C.B. Stockfleth. Greenwich’s Ed Arentz negotiated the acquisition with Ben Bassauer of international sales agency Monoduo on behalf of the filmmakers.
