It was going to be different from the start because it was going to be done with computers and all mod cons

Gruff Rhys

The album, was recorded by the band with Chris Shaw in Monnow Valley, South Wales and in Bearsville, New York State, and can be listened to in 5.1 Surround Sound.

It includes a track with Sir Paul McCartney.

Monday's premiere is being staged at Cardiff's Chapter Arts Centre.

Each of the album's 13 tracks will be accompanied by a specially-commissioned film for DVD.

This format will also feature website hyperlinks, remixes of the tracks and extra films. The project has taken a year to complete.

Super Furry Animals began pre-production on their fifth album last April - a month before the release of their fourth album 'Mwng'.

Bank loan

'Mwng' was the band's first album to be sung entirely in Welsh, and was released on their own label Placid Casual, following the demise of Creation Records.

"We didn't even know who was going to put it out so initially we were going to record it with a bank loan," said singer Gruff Rhys.

"It was a weird time, just after Creation had collapsed, but we didn't want to let that affect us.

Gruff Rhys: Different approach

"So we released 'Mwng' ourselves, but we weren't sure who was going to release this record, so we had the ideas of the DVD and Surround Sound ready for when people were getting interested.

"It was clear for us from the start, although we didn't quite realise how much work it was going to be. We only had to record it once, but we've had to mix it twice and master it twice."

The process and attitude to the recording of 'Rings Around The World' could not have been more different to how the band approached 'Mwng'.

"It was going to be different from the start because it was going to be done with computers and all mod cons," said Gruff.

"It has taken a year from start to finish, and I've kind of forgotten what it was we were trying to do when we started off, and it's spiralled off into something different... what we knew from the start was that we were going to do a surround sound."