by Tiney Ricciardi

The sounds of heavy bass and thick synthesizer were familiar friends Friday night when local bands FUR and Florene opened for The Octopus Project at Granada Theater.  The show was an electro junkie’s dream as each set illuminated a genre within the genre of electronic music.  First up was FUR, a mellowtronic duo from Denton whose signature rested in the trippy/psychedelic spectrum of beats.  The band started off with lingering echoes, what you would consider ambiance noise or nat sound, that seemed to swarm and fill the theater before dropping in catchy beats and the bass line.  Although the performance itself didn’t evoke much energy, it kept the audience entranced, and it’s no surprise why.  FUR’s sound is hallucinogenic to the point that you can practically see the music come from the two laptops in swirls of color and three dimensional shapes.  In fact the first time I met Bryce Isbell, who started FUR solo in early 2008 before being joined by Gray St. Germain Gideon in 2010, that’s exactly what I was seeing.  FUR has produced and released over 50 songs and three CDs, the most recent being “Polybreak,” a groovy track that gets heads bobbing and emphasizes necks breaking (no really, that’s not the sound of a whip).  FUR ended their set ironically by introducing themselves and giving a quick hand wave.  All those who saw their set can agree that this is a band that sets the standard for originality around the DFW area.

Florene took the stage following FUR and they brought with them the dance party and some of that dirty dirty techno.  As another Denton duo, they spent no time in building up to the peak, but jumped right into a conglomeration of quick electro beats and ringing keys.  Florene represented something that you would see at EDC except, unlike other DJs, they have looming vocals that swim over staggering rise and crash of their songs.  It sounds like someone is chanting off the side of a mountain and perpetuates an air of hardcore trance music.  Maybe that’s what an Indian spirit ritual would sound like if they invited MSTRKRFT.  Florene was sure to play many tracks off their new album Homemade Extacy including “Space Cadets,” a crazy track that leads you down the lane of mental confusion against a night sky that flashes like an ambitious strobe light.

Both acts were great preparation for what was to come next: The Octopus Project.  This quirky and stylish band took the stage dressed like indie cartoon characters, front lady Yvonne Lambert in a purple toole cocktail dress and band dudes Ryan Figg, Toto Miranda, Josh Lambert in dress shirt and tie.  I would love to classify which instruments each band member plays, but it switches every couple of songs.  Drummer would switch with bassist or bassist with guitarist, even guitarist with keys proving how unique and versatile the band is.  The Octopus Project entertained for more than an hour with their indie pop/electro style doing classics such as “Truck” from Hello, Avalanche, playing fully instrumental pieces and incorporating instruments like the glockenspiel and theremin.  Lucky for Dallas, the Austin-based band has a special place for Texans and delighted the audiences with several new tracks that are to be released on their new album Hexadecagon, coming out sometime this fall.  “Just for you guys!” said Yvonne as the bass kicked up and the neon decorated amps started to glow.  And that’s how it felt, like a performance just for the people at the Granada, special and one of a kind.  Then again, that’s the only time I’ve ever seen The Octopus Project play.  I bet they’re that good every time.