octopusproject

They are tech happy glitch kids who know how to shred on guitars. The Octopus Project’s Golden Beds EP (Peek-A-Boo Records) offers two tracks previously unreleased in the US, a polished version of a track off their first album and two songs not finished in time for their last album Hello, Avalanche.

Within the first thirty seconds of “Wet Gold,” the EP’s opening track, the starry expansiveness that makes The Octopus Project (OP) a rich sugary equation is confidently displayed. Hand claps, check. Samples of keyboard blips that glisten next to early 90’s alt rock drums, yes. A slightly distorted bass line from a synthesizer, sure. Add coed angelic vocals that sing “We had no choice but to destroy every note/ and every prototype and every page” and The Octopus Project offers the unmistakable reverie that has evolved into their trademark best. “Wet Gold” has those elements permeating back and forth for a majority of the song. Eventually the drums and vocals drop out and the Theremin and synthesizers combine to create an atmospheric wonder wall that brings the song to its twinkling end.

“Moon Boil” is a peppy semi lo-fi alt rock anthem with enough hooks to occupy an army of Peter Pans. The guitar fuzz coalesces with the glockenspiel in way that isn’t forced. The glittery bliss that coats “Wet Gold” is thrown into oblivion on this track. Instead, post rock guitars travel through distortion pedals and end up methodically spewing out a reverb soaked amp.

“Roral” is proof how OP has grown and matured in the past seven years since the release of their first album Identification Parade. The song has evolved over the years as the band upgraded the caliber of the song with each live performance. The bass pounds the same note while the universe traveling Theremin and the reverb heavy guitar take turns churning out well executed blips of cosmic beguilement. Another distortion heavy guitar joins the mix along with drums that almost sound comparable to the chorus beat in Radiohead’s “Pyramid Song.”

The next track “Wood Trumpet” is a cute, hook driven number that wears off after a couple listens. It seems as though the same one and a half minutes of rhythm and melody are copied and pasted. At first the track offers a nice blend of digital bleeps and drum loops that mix well with organic drums and electric guitars. The height of the song comes when the guitars quickly fade out and a coat of Múm influenced glittery glitch drone fills the space. The guitars and drums reemerge toward the end in an effort to add to the layers of the track, and ultimately shows a flaw of OP. At times, as displayed on “Wood Trumpet,” the layers don’t complement each other. The result is taxing and clustered after a few listens.

If beat maker extraordinaire Jimmy Tamborello of The Postal Service/ Dntel had a kid sister she would most definitely include “Half a Nice Day” on her iTunes playlist. Drum machines, laptops, loop stations and a single high hat blend together to create a chipper piece of music. “Half a Nice Day” is upbeat in a clever, gentle way. Before the “instrumentation” gets stale, OP throws in a banjo just to keep things interesting, which seems like a gamble but works out well. Unlike “Wood Trumpet,” “Half a Nice Day” succeeds in combining its elements to form a tender cloud of musicality.

Overall, Golden Beds accomplishes what it sets out to do. It reacquaints fans while keeping them curiously engaged for the future. Although endearing, not everyone may be on board for the sucrose glitch blip of a haunted train ride through the alt rock cosmos. It’s disjointed but not confused enough to take away the ambition from what it is: an intelligent, enjoyable headphone escape. Even genius’ have their flaws.

Watch the video for "Wet Gold" below

by: Bene Garcia

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Listen To: The Octopus Project’s Golden Beds EP

September 30, 2009 Art, communication, The Rathaus

octopusproject

They are tech happy glitch kids who know how to shred on guitars. The Octopus Project’s Golden Beds EP (Peek-A-Boo Records) offers two tracks previously unreleased in the US, a polished version of a track off their first album and two songs not finished in time for their last album Hello, Avalanche.

Within the first thirty seconds of “Wet Gold,” the EP’s opening track, the starry expansiveness that makes The Octopus Project (OP) a rich sugary equation is confidently displayed. Hand claps, check. Samples of keyboard blips that glisten next to early 90’s alt rock drums, yes. A slightly distorted bass line from a synthesizer, sure. Add coed angelic vocals that sing “We had no choice but to destroy every note/ and every prototype and every page” and The Octopus Project offers the unmistakable reverie that has evolved into their trademark best. “Wet Gold” has those elements permeating back and forth for a majority of the song. Eventually the drums and vocals drop out and the Theremin and synthesizers combine to create an atmospheric wonder wall that brings the song to its twinkling end.

“Moon Boil” is a peppy semi lo-fi alt rock anthem with enough hooks to occupy an army of Peter Pans. The guitar fuzz coalesces with the glockenspiel in way that isn’t forced. The glittery bliss that coats “Wet Gold” is thrown into oblivion on this track. Instead, post rock guitars travel through distortion pedals and end up methodically spewing out a reverb soaked amp.

“Roral” is proof how OP has grown and matured in the past seven years since the release of their first album Identification Parade. The song has evolved over the years as the band upgraded the caliber of the song with each live performance. The bass pounds the same note while the universe traveling Theremin and the reverb heavy guitar take turns churning out well executed blips of cosmic beguilement. Another distortion heavy guitar joins the mix along with drums that almost sound comparable to the chorus beat in Radiohead’s “Pyramid Song.”

The next track “Wood Trumpet” is a cute, hook driven number that wears off after a couple listens. It seems as though the same one and a half minutes of rhythm and melody are copied and pasted. At first the track offers a nice blend of digital bleeps and drum loops that mix well with organic drums and electric guitars. The height of the song comes when the guitars quickly fade out and a coat of Múm influenced glittery glitch drone fills the space. The guitars and drums reemerge toward the end in an effort to add to the layers of the track, and ultimately shows a flaw of OP. At times, as displayed on “Wood Trumpet,” the layers don’t complement each other. The result is taxing and clustered after a few listens.

If beat maker extraordinaire Jimmy Tamborello of The Postal Service/ Dntel had a kid sister she would most definitely include “Half a Nice Day” on her iTunes playlist. Drum machines, laptops, loop stations and a single high hat blend together to create a chipper piece of music. “Half a Nice Day” is upbeat in a clever, gentle way. Before the “instrumentation” gets stale, OP throws in a banjo just to keep things interesting, which seems like a gamble but works out well. Unlike “Wood Trumpet,” “Half a Nice Day” succeeds in combining its elements to form a tender cloud of musicality.

Overall, Golden Beds accomplishes what it sets out to do. It reacquaints fans while keeping them curiously engaged for the future. Although endearing, not everyone may be on board for the sucrose glitch blip of a haunted train ride through the alt rock cosmos. It’s disjointed but not confused enough to take away the ambition from what it is: an intelligent, enjoyable headphone escape. Even genius’ have their flaws.

Watch the video for “Wet Gold” below

by: Bene Garcia

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