Eight in Eight is a project where Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman, Ben Folds, and Damian of Ok Go pulled together for what was supposed to be 8 songs in 8 hours (but ended up taking slightly longer). While the group may have underestimated how long the project would take to finish, it still is amazing to me that they did have the finished project within the same day (if you define “day” as “24 hours,” since they ended after midnight). Not only is the amount of time spent on the project impressive, it is also amazing that the work actually sounds good. The songs are definitely not mainstream, but when you look at the contributors this detail shouldn’t surprise you. The album includes a song about Nikola Tesla, and another about Joan of Arc. That last one, called “The Problem With Saints” is performed by Neil Gaiman, who is much better known for his writing than his musical abilities. Neil carries the song fine though, and the subject is so interesting you’re inclined not to judge too harshly.
The whole project is surrounded by a ton of mad, wonderful, creative energy. It was essentially a brainstorming session made public for the world to see (and even contribute). This was made possible by video feeds and Twitter. I have spoken before about the power of the social media tool that Twitter has become, but for all it’s uses this is definitely the most creative I have seen yet. This is the kind of experiment I could only imagine AFP and the rest of the people involved would be able to make work as effectively as they did. The finished product is definitely worth the $1 minimum donation they are asking for (if not more). Plus the money goes to charity, which is also nice. It’s great to see something really big and beautiful come from such a short amount of time. I’m sure the actual process must have been really intense (I know the collective Twitter feeds gave a picture of an intense music-writing workshop). If anyone actually watched the webcast, I would love to hear your comments. (And if any of the artists involved want to comment, I am completely OK with that as well). I will close with a thank you to those involved for being creative and trying something different. I think that is what art is all about, and when the internet and technology get involved it makes it all the better.
*The album can be downloaded on Bandcamp, and more information on the project can be found here.