Tame Impala began writing shortly after Lonerism but couldn’t pinpoint when the album took shape: “There’s never really a start and never really an end either.” The idea to compile songs came when he had 10–20 ready. In May 2014, Parker noted his growing focus: “I’m getting more and more sucked into the world of making an album... I’ve started to think about tracklistings and all the things that come with an album.” The shift in style stemmed from several events—realizing even non-psychedelic songs could have that quality while on psychedelic mushrooms and cocaine listening to the Bee Gees' “Stayin’ Alive,” breaking up with Melody Prochet, and moving from Paris back to Perth. “The only rule was to make an attempt to abandon the rules that I’ve set up in the past,” embracing elements he once found “cheesy” or taboo, like drum machines and new effects.