Review
The Octopus Project
Fever Forms

Peek-A-Boo Records (2013) Loren

The Octopus Project – Fever Forms cover artwork
The Octopus Project – Fever Forms — Peek-A-Boo Records, 2013

When did the Octopus Project add vocals? Well, it’s not exactly a lead singer—think more along the lines of Black Moth Super Rainbow (with whom they released a collaborative record in 2006)—it’s mostly loops, reverb, and effects, but it really changes the dynamic of the four-piece group from Austin, TX.

Dubbing themselves “experimental pop,” Fever Forms is their fifth full-length and first since Hexadecagon in 2010. The band has a synthetic, moody, and ambient feel while the beat delivers a pop pulse, something with a danceable beat and a clear progression of energy. The live shows are trippy affairs, zoning into the world of Yvonne Lambert as she alternates between Theremin and sampler whilst the tunes, alternately sprawling and concise, shine on the room like an in-and-out disco ball reflection. The addition of lyrics disrupts the wandering aspect, pulling the songs into a tighter formation in line with the beat and giving a somewhat narrower appeal. A song like the closing “Sharpteeth” features full-on vocals and it sounds like a dry pop song with an electrobeat that keeps on running. It’s a catchy rhythm, but it lacks in depth and just feels too pop and dismissible once five minutes have passed. 

Things start out nicely, with “The Falls” carrying something of a post-punk angular aspect with an extra emphasis placed on the layered beat. It slowly pulls away from guitars as the beat increases in prominence and the heavily-effected vocals shift the tone. It works well as an opener, setting that askew tone with an ability to consistently change directions. Follow-up “Pyramid Kosmos” incorporates some “Nintendo-key” sound and I’d go a step further, saying “Choi Sighs,” later on the record, could function in a Super Mario Bros. underwater world. Piled atop that base, wandering melody, however, the group inserts ambient Theremin, fuzzed out guitar and, yes, even a bit of glockenspiel. The primarily live band creations, with assistance from keyboards, add more depth and fullness in sound. It works quite well during instrumental bits, peaking in “Mmkit” and “Deep Spice,” but I always find the vocals pulling me out of that atmospheric fog and back into pop conventions when I’d rather not.

The band has long had a challenge in recreating their live show on record, and the manufactured vocal elements adding another level of separation rather than bringing them closer. Perhaps I read “experimental pop” to focus on the former while others wish for the latter, but it feels like a step in the wrong direction.

6.8 / 10Loren • September 16, 2013

The Octopus Project – Fever Forms cover artwork
The Octopus Project – Fever Forms — Peek-A-Boo Records, 2013

Related news

The Octopus Project plan April release

Posted in Records on January 27, 2017

Recently-posted album reviews

Between the Buried and Me

The Blue Nowhere
Inside Out (2025)

Between The Buried And Me are seasoned vets to the progressive metalcore, electronic, prog (whatever other genre they bend) scene and continue to drop album after album. Their career started back in 2000 from the ashes of one of the greatest metalcore bands of all time (in my humble opinion), Prayer For Cleansing. As the band has progressed over the … Read more

The Beths

Straight Line Was A Lie
Anti (2025)

Dear Beths, Congratulations on the new release. I’ve been reflecting on our relationship and, as I’ve recently started to write about music again, have been asked to share my thoughts with you. First and foremost, I want to say that this isn’t easy for me. I cherish your album Future Me Hates Me from 2018. The title track alone is … Read more

East End Redemption

Crashing Down
Independent (2025)

Who would’ve thought that from the land of lobsters and blueberries, you’d find a punk band? East End Redemption is a four-piece band that brings their flavor of punk from Portland, Maine to the masses with their eleven song, debut full-length album, Crashing Down. They mix elements of skate punk, power pop, and even hints of hardcore punk. The band … Read more