Editing Super Furry Animals (section)

===2001–2003: ''Rings Around the World'' and ''Phantom Power''===
With the demise of Creation, SFA needed to find a new label for their next album. Sony had long held a substantial stake in Creation and offered deals to many ex-Creation artists, including SFA, who signed with one of Sony's subsidiaries, Epic. The band pushed for a deal which allowed them to take a new album elsewhere if the label was not interested in releasing it – thereby allowing them to find a home for any esoteric project they might want to undertake in the future.

The greater resources afforded them by Epic were apparent in their first album for the label, ''[[Rings Around the World]]'', an album that recaptured the cohesive, experimental feel of ''Guerrilla'' but more song-driven and sonically expansive. It is cited by many critics and fans alike as their most polished and accessible work. Again the first single was a good indication of what was to come: "[[Juxtapozed with U]]", released in July 2001, was a lush soul record which made No.&nbsp;14 in the charts. The album followed in the same month and major label marketing muscle made it their biggest-seller to date, reaching No.&nbsp;3 in the album charts. One of the tracks from the album, "Receptacle For the Respectable" featured [[Paul McCartney]] on "carrot and celery rhythm track" (a homage to his performance on the [[Beach Boys]]' "Vegetables").<ref>{{cite news | title= The Super Furry Animals: When Paul McCartney played the celery |work=The Independent |location=London | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-super-furry-animals-when-paul-mccartney-played-the-celery-678734.html | access-date=5 June 2010 | first=Simon | last=Price | date=23 July 2001}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title= Sir Paul eats with the Animals |work=BBC | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1283435.stm | access-date=5 June 2010 | date=18 April 2001}}</ref> SFA unleashed their experimental side on tracks such as "Sidewalk Serfer Girl" (which switches between light techno-pop and hardcore punk), "[A] Touch Sensitive" (gloomy trip-hop) and "No Sympathy" (which descends into chaotic drum'n'bass), but also apparent was an angrier edge to the lyrics: "Run! Christian, Run!" seemed to be an attack on the complacency of organised religion.

''Rings Around the World'' is also remarkable for being the world's first simultaneous release of an [[Sound recording|audio]] and DVD album. It was nominated for the [[Mercury Music Prize]] in 2001. The ceremony took place on the day after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and SFA's performance of the album track "[[It's Not the End of the World?]]" took on a somewhat bitter edge. It was released as a single in January 2002 (chart No.&nbsp;30), following "[[(Drawing) Rings Around the World]]" (chart No.&nbsp;28): neither had that much impact but still received some airplay, notably on BBC Radio 2.

The next album, ''[[Phantom Power (Super Furry Animals album)|Phantom Power]]'', relied less on sound experimentation and proved to be a more stripped-down, back-to-basics recording in contrast to the orchestral ''Rings Around the World''. It was also released as both a CD and DVD album in July 2003, preceded by a single, "[[Golden Retriever (song)|Golden Retriever]]", in June (chart No.&nbsp;13). Although the reviews for the album were generally good and it sold well initially, charting at No.&nbsp;4, the album broke little new ground by SFA's standards and the band had fallen out of fashion, receiving little coverage in the music press. Another single, "[[Hello Sunshine (Super Furry Animals song)|Hello Sunshine]]", hit No.&nbsp;31 in October 2003 and was eventually featured on the soundtrack of ''[[The O.C.]]''.