The Octopus Project
Encyclopedia
The Octopus Project is an American
indietronica band based in Austin, Texas
, active since 1999. Its unique sound, blending pop and experimental
elements, is a combination of digital and electronic sounds and noises (including drum machine
, keyboard
, synthesizers and other devices) and analog equipment (including guitars and live drums). Its music is mostly instrumental.
On April 30, 2006, the band played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
. They were offered the opportunity after a fan, unbeknownst to the band, entered them in a contest held by the festival on MySpace
in which voters were to "nominate their favorite band for an open slot at the festival". In 2007, the Octopus Project supported underground hip-hop star Aesop Rock on his national tour, and in July 2009, The Octopus Project performed in Chicago at Lollapalooza
.
For their performance at the South by Southwest
festival in their hometown in March 2010, the band put together a multi-media show which involved them performing material from what was to be their upcoming release, Hexadecagon. The band performed surrounded by 8 speakers, while 8 projectors projected videos corresponding to the music on tent ceilings above the stage and the audience. Later that same year, The Octopus Project played at Moogfest
2010 in Asheville, North Carolina
. They were scheduled to play just prior to Devo
's headlining set. Three days prior to the concert, Devo's guitarist, Bob Mothersbaugh, severely injured his hand and was unable to play. Since the band was receiving a Moog Innovation Award at the festival, and because they didn't want to disappoint their fans, the remaining two members of Devo enlisted the help of The Octopus Project, and together the two bands performed the Devo songs "Girl U Want" and "Beautiful World."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indietronica band based in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, active since 1999. Its unique sound, blending pop and experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
elements, is a combination of digital and electronic sounds and noises (including drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
, keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
, synthesizers and other devices) and analog equipment (including guitars and live drums). Its music is mostly instrumental.
On April 30, 2006, the band played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
. They were offered the opportunity after a fan, unbeknownst to the band, entered them in a contest held by the festival on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
in which voters were to "nominate their favorite band for an open slot at the festival". In 2007, the Octopus Project supported underground hip-hop star Aesop Rock on his national tour, and in July 2009, The Octopus Project performed in Chicago at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
.
For their performance at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in their hometown in March 2010, the band put together a multi-media show which involved them performing material from what was to be their upcoming release, Hexadecagon. The band performed surrounded by 8 speakers, while 8 projectors projected videos corresponding to the music on tent ceilings above the stage and the audience. Later that same year, The Octopus Project played at Moogfest
Moogfest
Moogfest is a three-day electronic music festival that takes place in Asheville, North Carolina, United States, every year since 2010 towards the end of October. The festival is held in Asheville because it is the city where Robert Arthur "Bob" Moog, the inventor of the Moog synthesizer and...
2010 in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
. They were scheduled to play just prior to Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
's headlining set. Three days prior to the concert, Devo's guitarist, Bob Mothersbaugh, severely injured his hand and was unable to play. Since the band was receiving a Moog Innovation Award at the festival, and because they didn't want to disappoint their fans, the remaining two members of Devo enlisted the help of The Octopus Project, and together the two bands performed the Devo songs "Girl U Want" and "Beautiful World."
Members
All members are known to switch instruments live (for instance, Josh Lambert playing drums while Toto Miranda plays guitar, or Yvonne Lambert playing guitar while Josh Lambert operates the electronics), but each member can be said to play a primary instrument.- Josh Lambert: guitar, bass, keyboards
- Toto Miranda: drums, guitar, bass, chicken fried steak
- Yvonne Lambert: samplersSampler (musical instrument)A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
, keyboards, thereminThereminThe theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
, glockenspielGlockenspielA glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, guitar - Ryan Figg: guitar, bass, keyboards
Discography
Albums
- Identification ParadeIdentification ParadeIdentification Parade is the first album by indietronica band The Octopus Project. It was released April 16, 2002 on Peek-A-Boo Records.-Track listing:# "What They Found" – 3:04# "Rorol" – 4:55# "The Way Things Go" – 7:02...
(2002) - One Ten Hundred Thousand MillionOne Ten Hundred Thousand MillionOne Ten Hundred Thousand Million is the second album by indietronica band The Octopus Project. It was released October 25, 2005 on Peek-A-Boo Records.-Track listing:# "Exit Counselor" – 1:32# "The Adjustor" – 2:53...
(2004) - Hello, Avalanche (2007)
- Hexadecagon (2010)
Splits, remixes, singles and EPs
- Christmas on Mars (EP, Soda Pop Productions, 1999)
- Black Octopus Lipstick Project Foam Party (Peek-A-Boo Records, 2004)
- The House of Apples and EyeballsThe House of Apples and EyeballsThe House Of Apples & Eyeballs is a collaborative album by Black Moth Super Rainbow and The Octopus Project.-Track listing:# "Spiracle" – 3:51# "Marshmallow Window" – 1:55# "It Hurts To Shoot Lasers From Your Fingers, But It's Necessary" – 0:04...
(Collaboration with Black Moth Super RainbowBlack Moth Super RainbowBlack Moth Super Rainbow is an American experimental band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Their music contains elements of psychedelia, folk, electronica, and pop...
, Graveface RecordsGraveface recordsGraveface Records is an independent record label from Chicago, Illinois. It has released recordings by The Appleseed Cast, Monster Movie, Dreamend, Jakob, Spires That in the Sunset Rise, Daturah, The Loose Salute, Hundred Hands, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and Power Pill Fist.List of known releases...
, 2006) - Wet Gold/Moon Boil (7" Peek-a-Boo records, 2007)
- Golden Beds (EP, Peek-A-Boo Records, 2009)
External links
- The Octopus Project (official site)
- The Octopus Project http://www.thepaperbagwriter.org/redesign/blogs/WordPress2/?p=3 (interview with thepaperbagwriter)
- The Octopus Project interview (Josh Lambert)(at Prefix)
- Interview with The Octopus Project's Josh Lambert