Episode 28

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Published on:

21st May 2024

1.28 - The Octopus Project

The Octopus Project has been releasing joyous party music since 2002, following a musical path that veers through blown-out rock’n’roll, vibrant electronics, surreal pop and expansive psych landscapes. Based in Austin, TX, the group of multi-instrumentalists has released six studio albums, starting with 2002’s Identification Parade. Touring venues and festivals worldwide (Lollapalooza, Coachella, All Tomorrow's Parties) both on their own and as handpicked support for artists as diverse as DEVO and Aesop Rock, they’ve earned a reputation for explosive live shows and immersive audio-visual experiments. 

Also active as composers for video games and film, they were awarded the Special Jury Award for Musical Score at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival for their work on the film Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

Their most recent scoring work includes Damsel (starring Robert Pattinson, dir. by Zellner Bros.), 2021's The Disappearance of Toby Blackwood (dir. by Joe Ahern), the Reading Rainbowdocumentary, Butterfly In the Sky (starring LeVar Burton, dir. by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb), & the upcoming Zellner Bros. film, Sasquatch Sunset (starring Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg), which will premiere at Sundance 2024.

www.theoctopusproject.com

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About the Podcast

Composer Chats
Composer Chat is a podcast where we talk a little bit about music, a little bit about life, and a whole lot about whatever we feel like at the moment! Each episode I am joined by a special guest composer and we will chat about their pathway towards success in their musical career!

About your host

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Jason Nitsch

Jason Nitsch is a composer for the concert stage, feature and short films, and other media.

In the world of podcasting, he is the writer, producer, and composer for Beyond the Belt: Adventures from the Outer Rim, a science fiction drama podcast with a dedicated cult following. In the film world, he has scored the short film Passing By directed by David M. Chandler, Edward J. Delaney’s feature length documentary Library of the Early Mind, and the celebrated horror short Bedtime produced by Joint Concept Productions. He also served as music supervisor for 2014’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” feature film by director Dallas Burgess.

He has released multiple albums, including Poem at the End of the World, The Season 1 and 2 Soundtracks from Beyond the Belt: Adventures from the Outer Rim, and most recently the chamber music anthology 1000 Steps to Nowhere. His music has been published by several prominent publishers, including Excelcia Music, T.U.X. People’s Music, FJH Music, and Randall Standridge Music.

Jason is a lover of dogs, legos, video games, and all things Star Wars (yes, even the prequels). He is also a husband, father of two budding musicians, and a patron of art forms that stretch traditional boundaries.

You can find Jason’s works for the stage at his publishing company Suburban Zombie Music