The Octopus Project have been referred to as a “man versus machine” combo, but with everyone constantly swapping places, it's hard to figure who's pitted against whom. Josh Lambert and Ryan Figg interchange on guitars, bass and keyboards, while Toto Miranda supplies percussion and Yvonne Lambert provides a twinkling myriad of synths and theremins. This third album from the Austin electronic/indieclash instrumental combo is their most expansive and energetic to date, and it's all Yvonne Lambert can do to hold her own against the joyful, over-the-top onslaught of her bandmates.
Like a lot of their 21st-century American contemporaries, the Octopus Project compensate for the inherent tiredness of the indie and electropop genres by infusing them with a giddy abundance of energy, with everyone playing frantically like the janitor's about to pull the plug on them. “Truck” crashes through the roadblocks with huge, serrated indie-chords, spangly synth and falling-rubble percussion. “Ghost Moves” burns rubber at both low and high ends, all grainy cascades of guitar and tumbling drums cut up with laser strobes of keyboard. However, it's when the boys stand back, on “I Saw the Bright Shinies” that Hello, Avalanche is at its most luminous, Lambert's array of synths galloping along a la Terry Riley, as her Theremin hovers like Chinese lanterns, lighting up the mix.
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Avg: 4.0 (245 ratings)
- Date Released: October 16, 2007
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Indie Rock
- Label: Peek-A-Boo Records
Indieelectropop played like the janitor's about to pull the plug.
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We Say...
The Octopus Project have been referred to as a “man versus machine” combo, but with everyone constantly swapping places, it's hard to figure who's pitted against whom. Josh Lambert and Ryan Figg interchange on guitars, bass and keyboards, while Toto Miranda supplies percussion and Yvonne Lambert provides a twinkling myriad of synths and theremi... -
They Say...
There's a subtle but important difference between music you can dance to and music that makes you want to dance, and Texas indie electronic demons the Octopus Project thankfully understand the distinction. Their third album, Hello, Avalanche, is full to bursting with the friendly beeps and blurps of vintage analog synthesizers and the clatter of...There's a subtle but important difference between music you can dance to and music that makes you want to dance, and Texas indie electronic demons the Octopus Project thankfully understand the distinction. Their third album, Hello, Avalanche, is full to bursting with the friendly beeps and blurps of vintage analog synthesizers and the clatter of drum machines, but while nearly everyone knows how to make a beat these days, the Octopus Project can generate a pulse that has the feel of flesh and blood, and there's a playful sense of joy in their music that's a pleasure to move to. While synthesizers dominate Hello, Avalanche, seemingly any instrument is fair game for the Octopus Project; "Ghost Moves" throws a wall of thrashed-out guitar and clattering drums up against a speedy sequencer pattern, "Snow Tip Cap Mountain" is a curious but delightful duet for marimba and theremin, "Truck"'s organ and guitar combo could pass for a great lost new wave single, and there's a winning charm in the sweetly murmured vocals of the closing track, "Queen." And even when Toto Miranda, Yvonne Lambert, and Josh Lambert are indulging their passion for electronics, they never forget to throw a hooky tune in with the beats, and a big part of what makes the grooves so engaging on this album is the fact there are actual songs to go with them. In short, Hello, Avalanche doesn't sound like something to play at a party so much as a party the Octopus Project threw for themselves, and they were nice enough to invite us all along -- it would be rude not to come along, not to mention passing up a really good time. -
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| 01. |  |
Snow Tip Cap Mountain |
2:14 |
|
| 02. | |
Truck |
2:09 |
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| 03. | |
Bees Bein' Strugglin' |
3:48 |
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| 04. | |
An Evening With Rthrtha |
3:16 |
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| 05. | |
Black Blizzard/Red Umbrella |
3:06 |
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| 06. | |
Upmann |
3:59 |
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| 07. | |
Mmaj |
4:06 |
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| 08. | |
I Saw The Bright Shinies |
3:58 |
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| 09. | |
Ghost Moves |
3:31 |
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| 10. | |
Vanishing Lessons |
3:17 |
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| 11. | |
Exploding Snowhorse |
3:47 |
|
| 12. | |
Loud Murmuring |
3:30 |
|
| 13. | |
Queen |
2:25 |
|
13 Total Tracks, 43:06 Total Length
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Credits
- Nick Smith - Trombone // Jim Wilson - Mastering // Ryan Hadlock - Producer // Ryan Hadlock - Engineer // Ryan Hadlock - Mixing // Jherek Bischoff - Violin // Jherek Bischoff - Bass (Upright) // Erik Wofford - Mixing // Lucas Carlyle - Assistant // Toto Miranda - Group Member // Josh Lambert - Group Member // Yvonne Lambert - Group Member // Stacy Meshbane - Violin
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