Cyborg Octopus, the genre-bending prog metal band from the Bay Area, is known for pushing sonic boundaries—and they’re not slowing down anytime soon. Ahead of the release of their debut full-length album Learning to Breathe, we sat down with guitarist David Wu to talk live recordings, musical identity, pop influences, and what the hell “prog insanity” actually means.
Pic credit to Brent Rockwell!
Todd Owens with Capital Chaos:
This is Todd Owens with Capital Chaos TV, and we’re here tonight in Crockett, California at Toot’s Tavern with David Wu from Cyborg Octopus. How you doing tonight, David?
David Wu (Cyborg Octopus):
I’m doing awesome! There’s some noise going on in the background—it’s a little hard to hear you—but I’ll talk loud. Hopefully they’re not going to keep talking, right?
Todd:
So maybe just talk a little bit about how long the band’s been together. You’re the founding member, right?
David:
Yeah, so the band’s been together seriously for about two to three years. There were a lot of members in and out, but the only people who’ve been constant are me and our vocalist, Ian.
Todd:
You recorded live in Walnut Creek, I think? Some live versions of older material. What made you want to do that, or at least release live versions?
David:
Well, the honest truth is we were just lacking content for a really long time. It had been about three years since we put anything out—since Primordial. So it was a mix of wanting to show our live energy and just needing to put out something for fans to digest.
Todd:
You were proud to release something that wasn’t necessarily perfect, right?
David:
Exactly. I feel like nowadays a lot of bands over-edit everything to sound perfect, and in that process, some of the humanity gets lost. We wanted to show our edges, our mistakes, and just hope our sincerity as people shines through—and I think it did.
Todd:
So that was released last year or so, and now you’ve got new material coming. I think Learning to Breathe drops May 20th—is that the official release date?
David:
Yep, Learning to Breathe. That’s our debut full-length album.
Todd:
So talk a little bit about the album—maybe about the writing process. Was it mainly you, or a group effort?
David:
Okay, so conceptually—I gotta back up a bit—I’ve always looked up to bands like Between the Buried and Me, Native Construct, and other staple prog bands. Each song on this record is intentionally very different.
We just released a single called “Disco Brain,” which is our interpretation of doing funk. Another track, “Divine Right in D Minor,” is our take on neoclassical/baroque-type composition. “Shark Pit” is our version of punk and powerviolence. So each song has its own identity.
Todd:
Your earlier stuff—like Primordial—had a lot of variety within a single track. Would you say this new album still has variety, but each song is more focused in its identity?
David:
Yeah, that’s a good way of putting it. Before, we were all over the place genre-wise, sometimes within a single song. Now, each song stands on its own as a clear statement. “Disco Brain” is funk. “Divine Right in D Minor” is classical. “Shark Pit” is punk/powerviolence. It’s more focused, for sure.
Todd:
And two weeks from tonight, you’re back in Walnut Creek for the official record release show. Who else is playing that night?
David:
We’re playing with our pals in Wolf King—hi, Wolf King! Also Red Sky, who are our homies too, and soon-to-be-homies Wolf & Bear. It’s going to be an awesome show. If you’re local, check it out!
Todd:
I like to ask people about early influences—either bands or guitarists. Anyone that influenced you when you were younger?
David:
Yeah, so I don’t really look up to any particular guitarists. I’ve always seen myself more as a songwriter. That said, my favorite band is probably Muse. I also love Twenty One Pilots, and I’m genuinely a fan of Justin Bieber’s music. I listen to a lot of pop.
As for metal, I’m really into Native Construct, my boys in Wrath, and probably After the Burial. The rest of the guys in the band have totally different influences, though—that’s just me.
Todd:
When it comes to writing, is it mostly you or more collaborative now?
David:
It started with just me and my laptop, but over the years it’s grown into something more collaborative. The other band members bring their own influences, and I’m really happy with how our creative processes are blending.
Todd:
I saw the phrase “prog insanity” on your Bandcamp or Facebook. Is that how you’d describe the band’s sound?
David:
That’s actually something our vocalist Ian came up with. It fits. Similar to how “alternative” is the catch-all for stuff that doesn’t fit anywhere else, “prog” is kind of metal’s version of that.
We’ve got friends in bands like Flub—also from Sacramento—who are considered prog but sound nothing like us. So yeah, “prog insanity” is the best label we’ve got. Sorry, folks!
Todd:
Any upcoming shows beyond the release gig? Any touring plans?
David:
Yeah! We’ve done a few weekend runs before. We’re currently booking some short West Coast runs—up through Oregon and Washington, down to SoCal (which we’ve never played before), and I think we’ve got something coming up in Reno. So yeah—book us! We’re looking for gigs!
Todd:
People can find you on all the usual social media, right?
David:
Yeah—Facebook, Instagram, all that… except Twitter. For some reason, we’re just lazy as hell and never got into the Twitter hype. But hit us up—Facebook, Instagram, email, carrier pigeon, whatever works!
Todd:
One last thing—are you originally from the Bay Area?
David:
I was actually born in Wisconsin, then moved to Oakland when I was about five. So yeah, I pretty much grew up here.
Todd:
And any gear you want to shout out? Guitars, amps, saxophones?
David:
Honestly, I embarrassingly don’t know much about my gear. I know I play a wooden guitar and I use an Axe-FX unit. It costs a lot of money and sounds good—that’s about all I know! It’s a vehicle for me to write music. I press buttons, twist knobs, and it makes cool noises!
Todd:
Alright, that’s all I’ve got for you tonight. Anything else you want to add for the Capital Chaos TV viewers?
David:
Nah, just sorry if I wasn’t a great interviewee! But hey, I’ve seen more awkward ones.
Todd:
What’s the most awkward interview you’ve had?
David:
Usually it’s when I’ve had too many… “chemicals” beforehand, or when people ask really random questions like, “What’s your favorite burger?” And the person’s a vegetarian.
Catch Cyborg Octopus live at their album release show on May 20th, and be sure to check out Learning to Breathe on all streaming platforms. Whether you call it prog, chaos, or just plain weird—this is a band unafraid to experiment.
Watch the full video interview below.
Follow them on social media and stay tuned for tour dates across the West Coast!
Categories: cyborg octopus, Interviews, Music
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