Customer Reviews

One Ten Hundred Thousand Million

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I typically don't listen to much instrumental stuff, but this album is the exception. Perhaps because it still has pieces that qualify as 'songs' rather than just experiments. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of experimentation going on here. It's just that these 'songs' actually elevate themselves above being background noise and become living, engaging pieces of music. Few other instrumental albums accomplish this.

I bought this album a couple of months ago and then went to a show in Austin. They're great on cd and excellent in person. They put on a fun show (sorta loungy costumey pinata strange themed) and the fact that they're truly fantastic musicians really comes through on the album and live. My favorite tracks are Exit Counselor and Six Feet Up. And the lead 'singer' (the keyboardist) is really fun to watch in person. If you get the chance, see them live.

The album is completely instrumental dominated by keyboard effects. Sorta like Four Tet. Sorta like Amon Tobin. I don't know Broken Social Scene well enough to comment on them... but you get the idea.

I first saw the Octopus Project as an opening band for Trail of Dead in D.C., and I was instantly hooked. Their catchy, instrumental songs got stuck in my head and finally I broke down and bought this album. I wasn't disappointed in the least. If you're a fan of experimental post-rock along the lines of Broken Social Scene, you definitely should check this band out.

After loving their new album, Hello Avalanche, I was very eager to get their first album to see how they began. First the good. There some excellent jams, rhythms, and riffs throughout the album. It ranges from laid back to frenetic paces. Overall it's a lot of fun. The bad? The song writing. Although you can here the genius behind the musicians, at this point they hadn't figured out how to turn that into 4 minute songs. Many compositions here meander aimlessly or stay stuck on one riff too long. Another distraction is their deliberate attempt to be "lo-fi". Too much on purpose noise infiltrates the mix. At one point I thought my speaker was blown. Nope, just a "cool" sound effect. One song would be great if it weren't for the incessant cymbal hiss masking the great work beneath it.

I wanted to love this album. Instead it was an interesting and promising beginning for Octopus Project. But ultimately, get Hello Avalanche and enjoy their unique mix of music and pass on this one.

I just saw this band live last night at Emo's in Austin, Texas. They were opening for Explosions in the Sky. Having never heard their music, I did not know what to expect. I was not disappointed. There is a lot of synth used...guitar and drums. They play loud. I've never heard their CDs, but if you ever get the opportunity to see them in concert, do it.