Happy May, folks!

This month, I chose to shed some light on an album hosting home to 26 tracks called ‘Decent Company’, created by a New Jersey based artist, releasing under the moniker of ‘Catthew O.’. Also known as ‘Bubblegum Octopus‘, Catthew O. prepared a wonderfully eclectic final product containing music created specifically for Weekly Beats.

Weakly Beats, which was recently held in 2016, is an online site that previously allowed composers to upload original music once a week, every week, for the entirety of the year. While I did not personally participate in WB, I found it to be a great forum for creativity and I do hope it opens up again in the next year to come; it’s a fantastic place for musicians to congregate, and outcomes like ‘Decent Company’ are always fantastic to come by.

‘Decent Company’ showcases a mesh of inspiration. Listening to it reminded me of my teens: There are some tracks whose galloping riffs brought flashbacks of thrash metal poster lined walls, and then there are others whose tracks reminisce of days where locking yourself in an air conditioned room in summer time, and not leaving till that final boss is destroyed, seemed to be all you wrote about in your ‘What I Did This Summer’ essay in September.

This expressive release adapts to various styles from track to track, and I was able to either listen to it in order or jump around without ever getting bored.

‘Space Highway,’ a short but sweet track that reminded me of happy-go-lucky, fast paced Japanese racing games, is constructed with FM sounding drum samples, a bass line that sounds like the composer is actually a bassist, and a sweet melody that carries us through the track’s journey.

Decent Company by Catthew O.

Remember how I said Catthew O. really sounds like a bassist who knows how to write for their instrument? Well, the same goes for the drums in ‘Sword Cards’. Starting off with a count, the drums go between giving space to hard-panned left & right chip leads and then fill in with galloping blast-beats and mathematical fillers. The leads really reminisce of a time when people would construct chip leads into Guitar Pro and spend days shredding on guitars in video game cover garage bands.

Decent Company by Catthew O. Taking it down a notch to a more atmospheric vibe, I chose this track to show you this artist’s versatility. Starting with arpeggios slowly morphing into various sections, strings are slowly brought in, alongside bells and synthesized wind instruments. Showcasing counterpoint, this track is dramatic, melancholic, and later, dark. Pizzicato strings and symphonic strings resonate on the minor, and finally, resolve on a major chord.

Decent Company by Catthew O.

In this album’s liner notes, Catthew O. penned that he had temporarily put a hiatus on Bubblegum Octopus to focus on other projects and shows pertaining to them. Promising to release more music soon for Bubblegum Octopus, Catthew O. noted that Weekly Beats helped navigate his way out of his creative rut. I, personally, cannot wait to hear more music of his and am really looking forward to his other projects, as well. This is one artist that makes themselves busy in all realms of sound (between playing live, creating soundtracks, working on installations, and more), and I encourage everyone to buy this album and stay tuned for more.

Until next time,

The Unicorn Princess

Bubblegum Octopus

bubblegum-octopus.com | Bandcamp | Twitter | Facebook

Decent Company by Catthew O.

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