It’s been almost 20 years since Baltimore schoolfriends Dave ‘Avey Tare’ Portner, Noah ‘Panda Bear’ Lennox, Josh ‘Deakin’ Dibb and Brian ‘Geologist’ Weitz began their adventures together under the Animal Collective banner.

From freak-folk to luscious psychedelic rock, from collaborations with lost ’60s legends to acid-nightmare film trips, they’ve staked out a lot of ground. Sometimes they flicker in the shadows, sometimes they pull right into focus – and now is one of those moments of glorious clarity.

New album Time Skiffs – due out on Domino on February 4 – is one of Animal Collective’s very best, combining their trademark bushy-tailed experimentation with mature songcraft and wistful four-part harmonies. Check out the single “Prester John” below:

So what you want do you want to ask one of this century’s defining leftfield acts? Send your questions to audiencewith@www.uncut.co.uk by Monday December 6 – Portner and Lennox will answer the best ones in a future issue of Uncut.