Very rarely is such well-rounded musicianship captured onstage so effortlessly as with Austin, Texas, outfit The Octopus Project. Toto Miranda, Ryan Figg, Josh Lambert and Yvonne Lambert, the talented foursome of adults with the spirit of children, set up for their show at the Rock and Roll Hotel on a stage littered with instruments. Their exuberant personalities were portrayed through the playful atmosphere of their performance.
The Octopus Project bounces to the layers of beats, rhythms and melodies it churns out as colorful cartoon clouds burst in time onscreen behind the band. One gets the impression that the band members are completely in sync with one another, as they add their individual contribution to the mountain of collective sound that defines their newest release, "Hello, Avalanche."
Melodic, driving, peaceful and blaring sounds create a harmony echoed in every corner of the room. A band of four uniquely good-looking individuals brimming with an abundance of talent, together on stage with cartoons - what more can you ask for an interview?
The Eagle: "Hello, Avalanche," your third full-length with Peek-A-Boo Records, was partially tracked to tape and partially to Pro Tools. What sound were you looking for? Did you seek to emote a certain feeling?
Josh: We never go into anything with a specific aim. Toto: We know as we are working on it.
The Eagle: All of your previous records have been mainly self-produced, where as "Hello, Avalanche" was recorded and co-produced by Ryan Hadlock [of Blonde Redhead] in the Seattle suburbs at Bear Creek Studio. As natives of Austin, what was it like to record at Bear Creek Studios?
Toto: The idea was to get away from everything so we could focus. The rural setting made it. It was a very cozy place to be stuck in. Josh: It was easier to get work done in Seattle, away from home and distractions. Yvonne: It was peaceful and relaxing. We played in the snow like little kids and built a snow creature. Toto: Again, we are from Texas, so snow is still a novelty.
The Eagle: The Octopus Project's sound has been described as organic-sounding electronica. Do you identify with that terminology? Organic-electronica seems like an oxymoron, but how do you reconcile nature and technology?
Josh: We try to balance nonorganic elements with guitars. The Theremin [a Moog, played with mastery by Yvonne] works well against our programmed sounds. Toto: There has to be a mix of the precise and the hairy - the contrast is what's really satisfying.
The Eagle: Some of your previous tour mishaps include a stolen van in Brooklyn and car wrecks. How is this tour going so far?
Toto: We started at the bottom, before we knew any better. As we have progressed, things have improved over time. Yvonne: I'm glad we got the stolen van out of the way. Looking back on that experience, it's like, what a horrible thing. I am so thankful that we didn't get discouraged. I guess it didn't register at the time what an awful experience it was, because we just kept on going. Josh: So far, so good.
The Eagle: There is a theatrical element in all of your performances through the use of masks, slide shows, 8-foot tall ghost amp covers, etc. Why the masquerade?
Yvonne: We have fun with all of it. We do our own photo shoot set-ups and for "Hello, Avalanche," we were joking around and someone suggested that we have a picture taken of us with a giant foot. Well, I went out and bought 30 yards of fuzzy white fabric, made a polar bear foot and we ended up doing it. Toto's garage is a museum on ancient Octopus Project props and tricks.
The Eagle: Much of The Octopus Project's merchandise is designed and created by the band members. Toto designs T-shirts, Josh does screen-printing and Yvonne sews plush animals, tissue holders and an assortment of goodies. Do you consider yourselves artists, designers, musicians or a conglomeration of the three?
Josh: They all come together. We get excited about anything we can create, and it all translated into a band. Yvonne: Toto draws a lot. Rowl [a green owl featured as a stuffed animal] was one of his characters, and I brought it to life. We also design our own album covers.
The Eagle: What was it like to work with Black Moth Super Rainbow on the collaborative album "The House of Apples and Eyeballs?"
Toto: We didn't actually get to meet them until after we finished the album. We did the whole thing over the Internet. Yvonne: It was mainly trading files back and forth. Josh: Their label asked us to put out a record with them, and it seemed exciting. We would listen to what they sent us and always liked it. Then, we would add things. It was totally simple.
With the release of "Hello, Avalanche" on Oct. 9, The Octopus Project is continuing its tour through the end of November before taking time off during the holidays. For more information about the band and tour dates, check out www.octopusproject.com.
