New Octopus Project “Fuguefat”
Octopus project are a pretty fun show to go see, they have very rich instrumental tracks and are always doing something a little different while still sticking to a style that is pretty unique to the band. There are other bands that do similar instrumental experimentation (Holy Fuck, Caribou…) but they each have a unique sound as well.
With the new album Hexadecagonal, Octopus Project experimented with technology and hardware as well, creating an 8-channel surround sound system. Honestly, I have no idea if this is something new or not, or even how difficult it is, but it seems to be a point of promotion for them, and is the basis for the title and theme of the album.
The band realized when piecing Hexadecagon together that the equipment they needed didn’t exist, so they built it. Using custom electronics and pushing existing software to its limits, they wrote songs for an 8-channel surround sound system and shot video footage with Austin digital artist Wiley Wiggins.
For the live debut, they arranged 8 speakers in a circle around the audience with the band at the center, accompanied by 8 synchronized video projections. Requiring an 8-channel audio and video system (hence the name “Hexadecagon,” – a 16-sided a/v panorama), they performed twice to over-capacity crowds during SXSW 2010. Paste said, “if there’s a such thing as a happiness seizure, be prepared to have one,” while the Austin American Statesman described it as, “the trippiest, most elaborate thing the Octopus Project have ever done, and that’s a very tall order.” USA Today ranked the performance one of its top five shows of SXSW.
The new single sounds like typical fair for them (which is not a criticism), and it also is a good adjective for how I feel after 4 days at Okotberfest eating sausage and drinking liters of beer.
Tags: , octopus project
