By: burgundy bug
Pixel art of a car cruising into the mountains by Doctor Ocotorc
Source: Doctor Octoroc
Chiptune composer Levi “Doctor Octoroc” has just kicked off the campaign for his cover album “Soft Bits In,” an explosive, nostalgic, double-LP tribute to The Flaming Lips.
“Once I did [a cover album] I knew I wanted to do it again,” Doctor Octoroc said during our interview last month. “And then it was just a matter of what I actually wanted to cover. I threw a lot of ideas around, but for a lot of reasons ‘The Soft Bulletin’ is up there with my favorite albums.”
The Kickstarter goal is to raise $10,000 by March 31st. Backers who pledge to the “Soft Bits In Campaign” can look forward to the following rewards:
- $5 or more: Your name added to the “Special Thanks” section inside of the gatefold jacket.
- $12 or more: High-quality digital download of the full album and pixel art, plus your name added to the “Special Thanks” section inside of the gatefold jacket.
- $25 or more: HQ digital download of the full album, pixel art, HQ downloads of other albums by Doctor Octoroc: “After These Messages,” “Shamroctoroc,” and “In The RP2A Over The Sea,” plus your name added to the “Special Thanks” section inside of the gatefold jacket.
- $50 or more: Double LP vinyl press and digital download of the full album, pixel art, digital downloads other albums by Doctor Octoroc, and your name added to the “Special Thanks” section inside of the gatefold jacket.
- $70 or more: Everything included with the $50 pledge, plus exclusive pixel art prints, album inserts, an assortment of stickers, and a physical copy of Doctor Ocotorc’s 6-panel digipak “8-Bit Jesus” album on CD.
- $100 or more: Everything included with the $70 pledge plus an hour-long screen share session where Doctor Octoroc will answer questions and show you how the album was made.
- $200 or more: Everything included with the $70 pledge plus a custom chiptune track based on any song of your choosing (or something completely original) up to five minutes long.
Additionally, there are stretch-goals for the campaign, which include:
- $12,000: Color vinyl presses (purple and yellow)
- $13,000: Extra pixel art prints
- $14,000: Live stream performance
- $15,000: Bonus sticker
- $16,000: Obi strips
- $18,000: Lenticular cover art
“I was going to do a lot of the same stuff I did with the last Kickstarter, but I was looking to change a few things up,” Doctor Octoroc said. “I tried to add a little bit more for each reward, so people got a little bit more for their money.”
Once the goal has been reached, the digital distribution of the album will begin in April, the vinyl albums will be pressed in May, screen sharing will begin in June, custom tracks will go out in July, and albums will be delivered in August.
About “Soft Bits In”
Doctor Octoroc’s passion for the original album truly shines through the meticulous musical composition and artwork for “Soft Bits In.”
The air of nostalgia surrounding “Soft Bits In” – the product of both the source material and the medium – truly transports the reader into another world, one with a soundtrack driven by the fusion of a retro-RPG and ’90s indie music.
While there isn’t a particular video game that influenced “Soft Bits In,” Doctor Octoroc said video games as a whole have had an influence on his life.
“Given that it’s a cover album and I generally let the original album and the hardware decide how I’m going to compose as I recreate the original in this different medium,” he explained. “As far as the compositions on those games, there are probably particular ones that have influenced my composition choices.”
“Soft Bits In” is a blast from the past that radiates straight from Doctor Octoroc’s heart and sends shockwaves through his listeners.
You can also get a behind the scene glimpse of “Soft Bits In” through our interview with Doctor Octoroc last month here.
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