Dr. Octagon is the way-out creation of rapper Kool Keith (Keith Thornton), who along with cohorts Dj Q-Bert (of the Invisible Scratch Pickles) and producer Automator (Dan Nakamura) have concocted a space-age hip-hop compound of minimalist beats, ambient synthesizer loops, classical violin and consciousness-expanding sound effects. Disdainful of hop-hop's reliance on gangsta posturing and the sounds of the '70's, the doctor offers a glimpse of what the music's future could be with the albums Dr. Octagonecologyst and Instrumentalyst (Octagon Beats).

Los Angeles-based Kool Keith was a member of the 1980's New York rap group Ultramagnetic MC's. DJ Q-Bert and Automator reside in San Francisco.

A version of Dr. Octagonecologyst was released in 1996 as Dr. Octagon in the U.S. on Bulk Recordings and abroad by the English label Mo' Wax Records. The New York Times called Dr. Octagon one of "the most progressive rap projects to be released in the past year," placing it at No. 8 in their "Top 10 Records of 1996." The disc appeared in the No. 2 sot of Spin's "Top 10 Records you've Never Heard," and Option declared it home to "the most adventurous new sound in rap."

The prolific Keith has also collaborated under the name Ultra with Tim Dog on a self-released album called Big Time (Our Turn); issued a solo Kool Keith album, Sex Styles, on his Funky Ass label; and recorded a track called "Diesel Power" with the English group Prodigy. Automator also recently released a solo album, A Better Tomorrow (Ubiquity).

Dr. Octagonecologyst and Instrumentalyst (Octagon Beats) were produced and mixed at Automator's Glue Factory studio in San Francisco. Dr. Octagonecologyst's "Waiting List" features the remix skills of Mo' Wax artist DJ Shadow.