Hexadecagon

Named for a sixteen-sided object, the Octopus Project’s fifth release was originally written for a live performance delivered via an eight-channel sound and an eight-channel video system (a “sixteen-sided audiovisual panorama!”). Continuing to push the boundaries of experimental rock and electronica, this intriguing Texan band (now a quartet) have a sense of humor that makes their minimalist, instrumental compositions so much fun. Trading in more IDM-esque beats for tidy, minimalist structures that involve spiraling, interlocked grooves (think Riley/Glass/Reich), smooth-as-glass Theremin plumes, and spacey, prog-rock undertones, one would imagine the live performance of Hexadecagon to be quite an experience. Luckily this audio representation comes darn close to what that treat for the senses might be, with plinking pianos, reverberating synths, and crackling xylophones trading places and shape shifting like an aural hologram. OP are a uniquely talented bunch, and their own interstellar brand of electronic music is to be celebrated.