SOFT BITS IN: A Chiptune Tribute to THE FLAMING LIPS (NES+DMG cover of The Soft Bulletin) on Vinyl!

[@davidredmalm1573]

Astoundingly beautiful! A Spoonful Weighs a Ton sounds absolutely amazing. Where can I preorder a copy??

[@DoctorOctoroc]

I ran a Kickstarter earlier this year to fund the press but COVID-19 halted that for the time being, unfortunately. I'm hoping to relaunch early 2021!

[@davidredmalm1573]

@@DoctorOctoroc Thanks for getting back to me in person! I'm so impressed you got the sounds so organic - it's a really ambitious project. Funny also because we who played game boy as kids were teenagers when Soft Bulletin was released - so it's a really interesting fit between the two. There's a really active Flaming Lips Facebook group, so if you decide to try another funding campaign, be sure to check in there! Hopefully we can make a vinyl release happen together.

[@DoctorOctoroc]

@@davidredmalm1573 Thanks for the kind words and the hot tip! A lot of people who make music with these systems use trackers so there are limitations on the sounds you can get but since I work with MIDI signals being sent directly to the hardware, I have a lot of direct control over parameters like volume, pitch, panning, etc and can accomplish things I'm pretty sure they couldn't even do back in the day. I also tend to dial it back a bit here and there to more closely mimic how they programmed back then but I also like to push the limits to see what's possible with the original hardware. As an example, I can draw in changes to these parameters along the timeline to get smoother transitions and specific pitch bends exactly where I want them. It's a lot more time consuming than creating a template for notes that can be used over and over since I need to draw them in for every instance throughout the entirety of each track but the result is well worth it! I definitely hit up plenty of Flaming Lips, chip-tunes and video game vinyl collectors groups all over the Internet but somehow didn't think to find a FB group specifically for The Flaming Lips. Last time around when I did a cover of Neutral Milk Hotel, I didn't think to check groups for video game vinyl collectors (even though I kinda knew that was a thing) and after the campaign, once the album was for sale on my website, I got dozens of orders in one day and tracked the source down to a group on FB that collects video game soundtracks on vinyl and now am part of that community. I'll probably be aiming for the beginning of next year to relaunch but I'm still feeling out the pandemic and how that could affect fulfillment. The last thing I want is to run into snags with production because there's a second wave...

[@davidredmalm1573]

@@DoctorOctoroc Yeah I can really hear you pushed the medium to its extreme - you must've put a lot of work into this. I'd be glad to help spreading the word once the Kickstarter is up again. Also, it was interesting to learn about VGM collectors - didn't know this was a separate category of vinyl collectors - they seem extremely engaged and knowledgeable judging from the FB activity... feel like starting a collection myself, on top of my "regular" vinyls

[@DoctorOctoroc]

@@davidredmalm1573 I just posted the pre-launch page! You can sign up to get notified when it goes live here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0

[@jeremymr]

The Soft Bulletin is my favorite album of all time. This is so beautiful, great job. Looking forward to supporting on Kickstarter!

[@DoctorOctoroc]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm with you, TSB is a masterpiece. Definitely in my top 3, possibly #1 depending on my mood haha.

[@hipsterelephant2660]

This is legitimately beautiful

[@cleffadonk]

One of the all time greats. Sounds good

[@DoctorOctoroc]

www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis

[@nopewave]

Happy it’s finally here. Sounds great.

[@DoctorOctoroc]

www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis

[@briannewhard4311]

I couldn't love this more. Please open up the kickstarter ASAP! Or just let me purchase a digital copy today!

[@DoctorOctoroc]

I just posted the pre-launch page! www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0

[@DoctorOctoroc]

www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis

[@briannewhard4311]

@@DoctorOctoroc You know I'm in on day 1 :)

[@DoctorOctoroc]

@@briannewhard4311 So you are! I generally try to double check if someone already backed beforehand but I was on a roll in the comments section haha. Thank you!!!

[@SuperEbbandflow]

This made my day. Thank you! Wonderful arrangement

[@DoctorOctoroc]

www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis

[@Cledus2000]

Incredible!

[@brentonatkins]

This is fucking amazing!!!!

[@DoctorOctoroc]

Thanks! You can grab a copy on vinyl (or a digital download) by backing the Kickstarter campaign! www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis

[@johndylanatkins131]

This is phenomenal work. If you're into Wilco their fan base would eat this up.

[@DoctorOctoroc]

I am very much into Wilco! A few questions: First, which album do you suppose would work best / be the best received? And second, what about their fans do you think would draw them to this? I wouldn't have thought there would be a sizeable overlap between Wilco fans and people who enjoy chiptunes but then again, I had no idea going into this project what the overlap might be other than anyone who was in high school when "The Soft Bulletin" came out most likely played Nintendo and Gameboy games growing up haha.

[@johndylanatkins131]

@@DoctorOctoroc That's a wonderful question and I thought about it a lot before you responded. Lol While everything in my being would love to hear an 8 bit interpretation of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot I think the melodies on A Ghost is Born would work the best. I can just imagine how badass "Hell is Chrome" and "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" would be. Summerteeth or Being There would also probably be really fun. These are definitely the four albums to choose from. And with the fan base I don't have any evidence of possible 8 bit and Wilco crossover but when Barry Jenkins released his chopped and screwed YHF last year there seemed to be a great response. The Facebook fan page I'm in (A Shot In The Arm) also had direct contact with Jeff last year and worked with him to release a fan tribute album to Wilco/Jeff Tweedy to raise money for music venues in Wilco's home city of Chicago and it sold really well. It just seems that, for the most part, the majority of Wilco fans love to hear new Wilco or interpretations of Wilco. No matter what I'm joining the Kickstarter today. Thank you for your amazing work.

[@DoctorOctoroc]

@@johndylanatkins131 Yeah, I thought about it after I commented as well and while "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" is my first choice, I agree that "A Ghost Is Born" would inherently be more fitting for the genre - although I would probably shorten "Spiders" by about 5 minutes lol. It's also the first Wilco album I ever bought/heard so it holds a special place in my heart on account of that (sort of like how The Soft Bulletin was my first Lips album). Being There is also one of my favorites but some considerations would have to be made concerning the length of the album...I'd hate to cut any tracks but a double album like that would probably have to be on 4 LP's and that's a hard sell. Of course part of the fun for me doing chiptune covers is the challenge and plenty of people probably thought Neutral Milk Hotel's "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" wasn't a good fit for chiptunes and I somehow made that work so who knows haha. I'll have to join that FB group and a Wilco Reddit and throw some ideas around to see what a larger response looks like. I'm actually currently already working on the next album for 2022 ("Sea Change" by Beck) so this one would have to wait until 2023. Plenty of time to sort it out!

[@johndylanatkins131]

@@DoctorOctoroc we must have the same musical tastes! I am now super stoked for Sea Change! I agree that Being There would be rough for the very reason people love it so much. So much material. I'll be a backer for that one too for sure. Your work makes me want to learn how to do Chip Tunes and 8 bit my songs and my brothers songs. I'm so glad I stumbled onto your work. Thank you Facebook ads!

[@DoctorOctoroc]

@@johndylanatkins131 It would seem that way! Although the release date for "A Ghost Is Born" is 2004 so doing the cover in 2024 would make more sense to hit the 20 year anniversary. I missed the 20 year anniversary of "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" by one year (I released my cover in 2019, it came out in 1998) and I also missed the 20 year anniversary of "The Soft Bulletin" by a year when I first ran the Kickstarter last year (came out in 1999, I ran the first KS campaign in 2020) but I had to cancel because of COVID and this is the re-launch. So now I'm two years behind the anniversary on this current release BUT "Sea Change" came out in 2002 so next year, 2022, is perfect. It's a trend I'd like to adhere to from this point on if I can so maybe I can find another album that came out in 2003 for the 2023 release - any ideas for that one? Or maybe I should just not worry about that...but in the interest of maximizing interest and exposure, releasing covers on the original album's anniversary would be ideal and would ensure I continue to hit that sweet spot of fans who both like the original album and also grew up playing 8-bit video games so they can fully appreciate chiptunes. Pressing a chiptune cover album to vinyl is niche AF to begin with, finding the right time to release each one I do could be crucial to successful campaigns. Also what's funny is, I've run FB ads for all my campaigns and while they don't usually bring in a ton of backers, it always leads to interesting people and circumstances. The best example of this is when running my Neutral Milk Hotel cover album campaign, the co-owner of a pressing plant in Athens, GA (where the band is originally from) saw one of the ads and reached out to me. Now they're my pressing plant. For this one, I actually did get a good number of backers from the first ads I ran over Memorial Day Weekend but this second round hasn't seen much growth - however it's totally worth it to find someone like you who engages with the process and will enjoy other projects I get into. It's always nice to find something pure and decent on the Internet these days!

[@humanflight54]

🚀💥 YES! Will be great companion to my ITRP2AOTS

[@DoctorOctoroc]

I love that there are only like 20 people in the world that will know what that acronym stands for right away haha. Others might kinda figure it out but...yeah, so special.

[@humanflight54]

@@DoctorOctoroc we must start a gang

[@NKRevolution]

Incredible

[@DoctorOctoroc]

www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis

[@domc3014]

SO DOPE. Unbelievable.

[@DoctorOctoroc]

www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis

[@mar15115]

Sounds great !!

[@jonathanw5317]

Just found your work a week ago. This is amazing! Really good job man

[@Money_Facer]

Phenomenal work sir! Would love a vinyl or digital copy of this project. Waiting for Superman, a spoonful weighs a ton, what is the light? 🙏🙏🙏

[@DoctorOctoroc]

Hey, I just posted the pre-launch page so people can be notified when it goes live! www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0

[@DoctorOctoroc]

www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis

[@537productions]

you are AMAZING

[@DoctorOctoroc]

www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis

[@thrillshow]

If you did Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, I could die happy.

[@DoctorOctoroc]

I've actually been thinking about covering a Wilco album - was leaning towards 'A Ghost Is Born' but YHF is my personal favorite. Still, I think aGiB would translate better to the 8-bit format.

[@xxxbennybear]

You bash the quality, but dude it sounds amazing!

[@DoctorOctoroc]

Haha, yeah it's an early cut without properly modded NES and GB, minimal mastering on the recordings, lathed vinyl, cheap turntable. Strictly to promote the KS campaign for the album but let people hear (basically) the whole thing beforehand.

[@takaotubo]

will this be available on digital streaming platforms?

[@DoctorOctoroc]

Hey, sorry for the late response - I've been gearing up for the relaunch of the Kickstarter (it's live now! www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis). It won't be available on Spotify or Pandora but since I'm releasing the digital download through Bandcamp, it will be available for streaming through the Bandcamp app if you pick up the digital download of the album. Anything digital download you get on Bandcamp is available through their streaming app.

[@gamrz8]

Awesome job, I hope more people get exposed to this

[@yopachi]

I cant not sing along!! 🎤 🎶

[@kassidylingenfelter9665]

Incredible

[@DoctorOctoroc]

www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctoroctoroc/soft-bits-in-tribute-to-the-flaming-lips-0?ref=3pxmis